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New Wardour Castle added to Historic Buildings in South West by clinkadink on 27/02/2023

Parking & TOAL: 51.038724, -2.090382

There is free parking to the north of the old castle, but this is with the English Heritage boundary. So I TOAL'd from a passing place in the lane north of the old castle. The new castle (historic building) is approximately 1km northwest of the lane in clear view, but is on private ground.

New Wardour Castle is a Grade I listed English country house at Wardour, near Tisbury in Wiltshire, built for the Arundell family. The house is of Palladian style, designed by the architect James Paine, with additions by Giacomo Quarenghi, who was a principal architect of the Imperial Russian capital city, Saint Petersburg.

The building of the house was begun in 1769 and completed in 1776, with additional buildings being added in the 1970s and 1980s. From 1961 to 1990, it was the home of Cranborne Chase School, an independent boarding school for girls.

New Wardour Castle is approximately 0.75 miles (1.2 km) from Old Wardour Castle, which was left as a landscape feature of the parkland of the new house. This was formerly the home of the Arundell family before it was besieged, damaged and slighted in the Civil War.

After the death in 1944 of John Francis, 16th and last Lord Arundell of Wardour, the building was leased. It was designated in 1951 by Historic England as a Grade I listed building, with its grounds later being Grade II* listed.

In 1946 the property was acquired by the Society of Jesus, who in 1955 licensed it to the Leonard Cheshire Foundation for a trial period. The initial idea of the founder, Group Captain Leonard Cheshire, was to use it as a home for rehabilitating prisoners, but in the event it became a home for those who could not be accepted into other Cheshire Homes in the UK. The home officially opened in January 1956 under warden Colonel Ervine Andrews who used part of the grounds as a pig farm to support the home financially. The number of residents was limited to eight since the charity could only renovate part of the building for the residents to live in; the rest of the property was in poor structural condition. Despite an offer from the Ministry of Works of £40,000 to renovate the property, the trustees of the Leonard Cheshire Foundation could not commit to raising the further £20,000 needed to get the work done. The home closed on 1 January 1957, and the five remaining residents moved out.

In 1961 it became the home of Cranborne Chase School. The school built new classrooms, studio dormitories and a dining-room extension on the south-eastern side of the main house, along with three staff houses to the west. The school eventually closed in 1990.

In 1992 the house – along with five cottages, six tennis courts, and a swimming pool in the walled garden – was sold for under £1 million to Nigel Tuersley, and was converted into 10 apartments by designer John Pawson. The two main floors of the central block, incorporating the rotunda and the original state rooms, form the principal apartment. It has eight reception rooms arranged in a circle around a piano nobile at the top of a 60ft rotunda that rises to a magnificent glazed dome supported by eight composite columns. Conran called the staircase "possibly the best staircase in England, if not the world". Extensions and ancillary accommodation added by the school were mostly demolished.

The house was used in the filming of the television mini-series First Born (1988), and in the filming of Billy Elliot, a film released in 2000.

https://view.digital-hub.global/wardour-castle/p/2

View and discuss this location in more detail on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 51.04172, -2.104301 • what3words: ///weary.gosh.grub

The originator declared that this location was not inside a Flight Restriction Zone at the time of being flown on 26/02/2023. It remains the responsibility of any pilot to check for any changes before flying at the same location. Landowner permission may be required before taking off.

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Newdigate Park, Mole Valley (By grandad1950)

A lovely cricket ground in Newdigate Surrey. Lots of room to fly.

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 51.16766, -0.292211 • what3words: ///hung.gives.maybe

Hilden Mill (By Soupc)

Derelict linen factory, over grown and a glorified birds nest.
Surrounded by a metal fence.
Easy parking.

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 54.51986, -6.023072 • what3words: ///soils.drip.cargo

Stokesay Castle, South Shropshire (By D0c.Col)

Stokesay Castle is one of the best-preserved medieval manor houses in England, with a fascinating history that blends elements of fortified architecture and domestic comfort. Here's a rundown of its story:
Laurence of Ludlow, one of the richest men in England thanks to the wool trade, started building Stokesay around 1281. He acquired a license to fortify the house in 1291, as a sign of wealth and prestige rather than a real need for defence. The castle’s layout, with it’s central great hall, flanking towers, and a moat, demonstrated a blend of domestic luxury and symbolic strength. Laurence died in a shipwreck off the coast of Ireland in 1294, leaving his project largely complete.
The 14th Century was a period of Prosperity and Consolidation for the family, who retained their ownership of Stokesay, and the castle remained a comfortable rural retreat. The estate benefitted from the ongoing wool trade, which continued to fund both improvements and the maintenance of the property. Although there were no major architectural changes made, the property stayed in active use, with the great hall still at the centre of domestic life.
The 15th Century was largely dominated by the Wars of the Roses where supporters of the Houses of Lancaster and York battled each other to gain control of the English throne. By 1471, it had resulted in the end of the Lancastrian male line, and the subsequent creation of the Tudor dynasty via the union of the two houses through marriage. However, throughout the civil war, Stokesay stayed relatively untouched due to its remote location and lack of military value.
It was during this period Stokesay Castle’s Ownership transitioned by marriage to the Vernon family, a well-established gentry who made the castle their home. There were some subsequent additions made to the property, but mostly minor such as improved fireplaces and windows, reflecting changes in domestic living standards of the time.
The 16th Century and the Tudor period brought peace and prosperity, for the Vernons and they continued to occupy and enjoy the castle. Further modifications in line with the time such as interior panelling, updated furnishings, and subtle architectural tweaks were added for comfort, and as a private residence, it retained its medieval character while adapting to Renaissance tastes.
In the 17th Century Stokesay had passed onto William Craven, 1st Earl of Craven, who was a courtier and soldier from London. One of the wealthiest peers in England he was a keen supporter of King Charles I, and therefore it was no surprise that he took the side of the Royalists during the English Civil War. In 1645, the castle was garrisoned by Royalists but surrendered without bloodshed to the Parliamentarians. As was the way during this turbulent period of English history, Parliament ordered its fortifications dismantled, but since it wasn’t truly defensive, only light damage occurred. It was around this time when the timber-framed gatehouse, built around 1640, some 2 years before the war had started, remained unscathed and is now a signature feature of the property.
During the 18th Century the castle began to fall into disrepair as it was no longer used as a main residence. Romantic ruin culture took hold, where visitors saw it as a relic of a lost age. There was no major restoration undertaken at this time, but its picturesque decay continued to draw the attention of antiquarians and artists.
In 1869, John Derby Allcroft, a Victorian philanthropist, and a wealthy glove manufacturer purchased Stokesay Castle and initiated its restoration, sensitively repairing the structure while preserving its medieval elements.

The castle survived both World Wars without damage as Allcroft's descendants continued to own the castle, opening it to the public and dedicating funds from admissions towards upkeep. However, due to the increasing cost of maintenance, Jewell Magnus-Allcroft, the last Allcroft family member to own the castle, entered an agreement with English Heritage in 1986. English Heritage assumed responsibility for the castle's preservation during her lifetime and inherited ownership upon her death in 1992.

Today it continues to be a popular historic site, with visitor-friendly interpretation and events with the emphasis of preservation, digital archiving, and community engagement. Stokesay Castle is a rare example of a medieval building that has never been significantly altered or rebuilt, making it invaluable for historians and tourists alike.

I TOAL from the English Heritage carpark, which on the date of visit cost £3.50. The carpark is very close to the castle and VLOS is easily maintained, however, as English Heritage has a 'no drones' policy I wouldn't advise this approach. Instead TOAL close to the entrance to the Church where I believe the road is open to the public.

There is a cafe and toilets on their carpark so comfort breaks are well taken care of!

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 52.43027, -2.831084 • what3words: ///slave.deodorant.smuggled

Barden Tower, Skipton, Craven (By markas)

The tower was used as a hunting lodge in the 15th and 16th centuries, and despite a renovation in the 1650s, it fell into disrepair in the 18th century. The tower is now part of the Bolton Estate and is listed as a medieval fortified tower.

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 54.01074, -1.923906 • what3words: ///legal.lofts.yesterday

Rusper Park, Horsham (By grandad1950)

A lot of space to fly at Rusper Park with good views of the village and the surrounding countryside

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 51.1241, -0.280677 • what3words: ///disputes.lawyer.compress

Kylesku Bridge, Lairg (By AlbionDrones)

The iconic Kylesku Bridge on the NC500, remote and isolated, but so worth the effort to visit.

There is a free car park at either side of the bridge, allowing a safe place to stop, soak up the view and a good TOAL spot with great VLOS - although you are on the edge of EGR610 RAF Operational Low Flying Zone, so do check out the RAF Low Fly timetable - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/operational-low-flying-training-timetable - before flying, and if in doubt ring the RAF Low Flying hotline - 01489443100

The bridge itself is an imposing concrete edifice, but the scenery is what makes the location amazing, the rapid tidal flow beneath the bridge, and the contrast between the brutal concrete and the mist-softened mountains is something quite amazing to see.

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 58.25721, -5.023556 • what3words: ///crop.stubbed.pocketed

Cudworth Manor, Mole Valley (By grandad1950)

Cudworth Manor is a moated privately owned historic manor house in Newdigate Surrey.

Not a lot of space to park

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 51.16286, -0.268934 • what3words: ///wisely.shrimp.tender

Capel Village Green, Mole Valley (By grandad1950)

A quiet village green in Capel Surrey. Nice pond and a good spot to chill out

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 51.15038, -0.3216 • what3words: ///area.rooms.march

Pevensey Castle, Wealden (By grandad1950)

Dating from AD 290 it was the largest Roman Saxon fortresses in England.

TOAL restricted on the English Heritage site so best done from the car park.

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 50.81924, 0.333981 • what3words: ///tulip.called.glance

The Museum of Making, Derby (By D0c.Col)

The Museum of Making is located right next to the river Derwent and the banks along the river have been landscaped to take in the fabulous bridges, weir and old and new buildings as part of a regeneration of the area into an enjoyable parkland.

Celebrating the area’s rich history of innovation, the Museum of Making in the Derwent Valley Mills UNESCO World Heritage Site is a contemporary space telling Derby’s 300-year history of making to inspire new creativity on what is widely regarded as the site of the world’s first factory.

There are loads of places to TOAL, but parking in a city is not easy or free. I visited twice and was able to park behind the Derby Cathedral for an hour that cost £1.40.

It is in a yellow warning zone but not a problem for a <250g drone. There is also the sub station adjacent to the Museum that could give electrical interference but I kept away from it and had no issues with my signal that 100% in the 13 minutes or so I was there.

It's in a city so there is never an issue with food etc, but the museum is free to enter and they have toilets and a cafe.

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 52.92582, -1.475692 • what3words: ///hurt.vent.those


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