There are plenty of grand country houses dotted around the English countryside. It's somewhat less usual to find one that's lacking its roof, but when you're making use of an English Heritage membership, that's hardly uncommon either.
Possibly the most surprising thing about this ruin is how recently it was not ruined at all. It was only 1919 when Sutton Scarsdale was last put on the market, but apparently big houses weren't selling well, and no buyer came forwards.
What happened next is astonishing: some of the interior was ripped out and shipped to the USA, where it can now be seen in the Philadelphia Art Museum! I hope I'll have chance to visit there one day, and wander around the same room for a second time.
Meanwhile, back in Derbyshire, we have to make do with a few left-behind pieces of plasterwork.
12 comments:
I love this, so much scope for the imagination!! :D
The details are intricate in the ruins, well aged building.
Strange and sad........
I LOVE this place.
I went last year for my birthday - and blogged about it here: http://houndini.wordpress.com/2010/03/18/sutton-scarsdale/
I'm wanting to go back sometime soon with my beau and a fine picnic!
Not far from us! Just down the road, in fact.=)
Have you also seen Hardwick Old Hall? Similar sort of thing. Lots of history, ruins and bits of VERY fancy plasterwork.
What a story! Who knew such things happen...ripping out the interior? Unbelievable!
I have a feeling that a lot of buildings and interiors got shipped out of the country after the first world war. We couldn't afford to hang on to it, and in so many cases the heir had died on the Somme - along with half the men from the estate...
I love ancient buildings. They tell so many stories.
Wow, fascinating. There is a real spirit to buildings.
Something else for my bucket list.
The ruins (and recent ones) are fascinating.
This makes me want an English castle.
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