Norris Castle is located on the
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight ( ) is a Counties of England, county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the List of islands of England#Largest islands, largest and List of islands of England#Mo ...
. It was designed by
James Wyatt
James Wyatt (3 August 1746 – 4 September 1813) was an English architect, a rival of Robert Adam in the neoclassical and neo-Gothic styles. He was elected to the Royal Academy in 1785 and was its president from 1805 to 1806.
Early life
W ...
for
Lord Henry Seymour. The estate adjoins
Osborne House
Osborne House is a former royal residence in East Cowes, Isle of Wight, United Kingdom. The house was built between 1845 and 1851 for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert as a summer home and rural retreat. Albert designed the house himself, in ...
, country home to
Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previo ...
. On the other side of Norris Castle sits the
Spring Hill estate, bought by William Goodrich in 1794. Norris Castle was built in 1799 and sits in 225 acres of land, with a mile of waterfront.
The Castle is a Grade I
listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
.
The parks and gardens at Norris Castle are the Isle of Wight's only Grade I landscape listed by
Historic England
Historic England (officially the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England) is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. It is tasked w ...
. The landscape at Norris Castle is thought to have been designed in 1799 by
Humphry Repton
Humphry Repton (21 April 1752 – 24 March 1818) was the last great English landscape designer of the eighteenth century, often regarded as the successor to Capability Brown; he also sowed the seeds of the more intricate and eclectic styles of ...
, and it includes a castellated walled garden.
Despite its grandeur, the castle's condition has long suffered due to lack of funding for its upkeep.
[Isle of Wight County Press dated 17 May 1975, Page 14]
At the present time, the castle is closed to the public, awaiting restoration.
Features
Norris Castle has a
galleted facade with
crenellations
A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet (i.e., a defensive low wall between chest-height and head-height), in which gaps or indentations, which are often rectangular, occur at interv ...
, but all of this is for show, as the castle has no defensive fortifications. The building's original function was as a residence. The main castle has 15 bedrooms, a grand hall, a circular drawing room and extensive cellars.
The estate includes a two-bedroom Lodge Cottage, four-bedroom Farmhouse, three-bedroom Farmhouse Cottage and a two-bedroom Landing House.
James Wyatt also designed the farmyard buildings that are further inland, which have a similar design to the castle itself.
There are also extensive traditional farm buildings and stabling, a walled garden, a modern two-bedroom farm building and parkland and woodland.
Owners
Lord Henry Seymour (1795 - 1830)
The first owner and builder of Norris Castle was the politician,
Lord Henry Seymour, who bought the estate in 1795, at the age of 49. Having retired, he spent the rest of his life building and improving the Norris Castle estate. It is said that it cost £195,000 to originally build. He had a reputation for both eccentricity and benevolence. His personal habits were also said to be those of extreme simplicity and frugality.
[Isle of Wight County Press dated 18 February 1939, Page 11]
There is an account of a visit by J and H Oldershaw to the island in 1826 and their reminiscences of Lord Seymour. They described him as an eccentric character and an old retired bachelor, who by accounts had not left the island for 20 or 30 years. They said that his normal attire of blue jacket and trousers, together with
hobnail
In footwear, a hobnail is a short nail with a thick head used to increase the durability of boot soles.
Uses
Hobnailed boots (in Scotland "tackety boots") are boots with hobnails (nails inserted into the soles of the boots), usually installe ...
ed boots, made him look more like a
labourer
A laborer (or labourer) is a person who works in manual labor types in the construction industry workforce. Laborers are in a working class of wage-earners in which their only possession of significant material value is their labor. Industries e ...
, for which he was frequently mistaken. He would often work in hedges and ditches with his men and would even go into town in his dung cart. He would also play jokes on his visitors by pretending to be a labourer, whilst showing them around the estate. He was even known to accept money from them, which he would give to his servants, saying "Here you are. I have got you something today!".
After completing his work on the estate, Lord Seymour opened the castle up to the public, to allow them to share its charm and magnificent views. After his death in 1830 at the age of 84, the castle remained closed to the public for over 140 years, when it was opened up again in 1975.
In August 1830, the Dauphiness and Duchess De Berri, accompanying the expatriated
King of France, visited Norris Castle. The king had abdicated on 2 August and left France for England on 16 August, when it seemed that their safety was in jeopardy from angry mobs of French citizens. One of their first ports of call was Cowes and East Cowes. The Princesses were said to be charmed by the scenery of the island, although they complained of their 'stinted' lodgings at the Fountain Hotel. They did however, indicate that they would like to take up residence at Norris Castle.
Lord George Seymour (1830 - 1839)
Following the death of Lord Henry Seymour, the estate passed to his brother,
Lord George Seymour
Lord George Seymour-Conway (21 July 1763 – 10 March 1848), known as Lord George Seymour, was a British politician.
A member of the Seymour family headed by the Duke of Somerset, Seymour was the seventh son and youngest child of Francis Seymo ...
, who was 67 at the time. George Seymour was a politician who represented
Orford between 1784 and 1790 and
Totnes
Totnes ( or ) is a market town and civil parish at the head of the estuary of the River Dart in Devon, England, within the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is about west of Paignton, about west-southwest of Torquay and abo ...
between 1796 and 1801.
He kept the Castle for nine years, before selling it in 1839 to Robert Bell.
Mr Robert Bell (1839 - 1880)
Mr Robert Bell was a newspaper tycoon, who owned amongst others, the
Weekly Dispatch, which he founded in 1801. In 1928 the newspaper was renamed to the Sunday Dispatch, which in turn was merged with the
Sunday Express in 1961.
One of the accomplishments of Mr Bell, was that it was he who built the mile long sea wall, which both protects the estate's coastline and also gives a view of the castle. The cost of building the wall was said to be over £20,000.
In 1940, a pair of silver 7-light candelabra engraved with the inscription "Presented by Her Royal Highness the
Duchess of Kent
Duchess of Kent is the principal courtesy title used by the wife of the Duke of Kent. There have been four titles referring to Kent since the 18th century. The current duchess is Katharine, the wife of Prince Edward. He inherited the dukedom ...
to Robert Bell,
Esq., Norris Castle, 1859" was sold at
Christie's for £40 11s. 6d.
Norris Castle was sold to the Duke of Bedford by Robert Bell in 1880.
The Duke and Duchess of Bedford (1880 - 1897)
In 1880, Elizabeth Russell, the
Duchess of Bedford
{{Notability, date=September 2022
Duchess of Bedford is a title given to the wife of the Duke of Bedford, an extant title in the peerage of England which was first created in 1414.
Duchesses of Bedford
;1st creation (1414)
* Anne of Burgundy (140 ...
was appointed
Mistress of the Robes
The mistress of the robes was the senior lady in the Royal Household of the United Kingdom.
Formerly responsible for the queen consort's/regnant's clothes and jewellery (as the name implies), the post had the responsibility for arranging the rota ...
to Queen Victoria. So that they could be near Osborne, her husband, Francis Russell, the
Duke of Bedford
Duke of Bedford (named after Bedford, England) is a title that has been created six times (for five distinct people) in the Peerage of England. The first and second creations came in 1414 and 1433 respectively, in favour of Henry IV's third so ...
bought Norris Castle in 1880.
In July 1887, the
Frederick III, German Emperor and
Victoria, Princess Royal
Victoria, Princess Royal (Victoria Adelaide Mary Louisa; 21 November 1840 – 5 August 1901) was German Empress and Queen of Prussia as the wife of German Emperor Frederick III. She was the eldest child of Queen Victoria of the United Kingd ...
, spent about a month in this castle. Princess Victoria was the eldest daughter of Queen Victoria. Prince Fredrick was suffering from his throat problem and was under treatment of the famous British Laryngologist
Morell Mackenzie
Sir Morell Mackenzie (7 July 1837 – 3 February 1892) was a British physician, one of the pioneers of laryngology in the United Kingdom.
Biography
Morell Mackenzie was born at Leytonstone, Essex, England on 7 July 1837. He was the eldest of ni ...
and after an operation on 28 June 1887, Prince Fredrick came to stay in this castle for a rest and recovery. Later, the throat problem of Prince Frederick was proved to be a rare case of Laryngeal Cancer and he succumbed to his illness on 15 June 1888, just after 99 days of ruling as the German Emperor Kaiser Frederick III
In July 1890,
Viscount Cantelupe and his bride spent their honeymoon at Norris Castle, as guests of the Duke and Duchess. The Viscount was killed at sea in 1915, whilst on active service during the First World War.
The Duke of Bedford died in 1891, at the age of 71, in Eaton Square, London. He committed suicide by shooting himself, when said to be in a state of temporary insanity, whilst suffering from
pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severi ...
. The Duchess died in 1897, at the age of 78, in Latimer House,
Buckinghamshire.
Lord Ampthill (1897 - 1903)
Following the death of the Duchess of Bedford, the estate was inherited by the late Duke of Bedford's nephew, the 28 year old
Sir Arthur Oliver Villiers Russell , who was the 2nd Baron Ampthill. He immediately declared that he wished to sell the estate and the aging Queen Victoria again considered buying it. This of course never happened.
Lord Ampthill served as the
Governor of Madras
This is a list of the governors, agents, and presidents of colonial Madras, initially of the English East India Company, up to the end of British colonial rule in 1947.
English Agents
In 1639, the grant of Madras to the English was finalized b ...
from October 1900 to February 1906 and acted as the
Viceroy of India
The Governor-General of India (1773–1950, from 1858 to 1947 the Viceroy and Governor-General of India, commonly shortened to Viceroy of India) was the representative of the monarch of the United Kingdom and after Indian independence in 19 ...
from April to December 1904.
In 1898, it was reported that a peacock belonging to Lord Ampthill had been shot and stolen from the Norris Castle estate.
In July 1899, it was reported that he let out Norris Castle for the summer to the eccentric
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
millionaire
A J Drexel, for the yachting season. At around the same time, Lord Ampthill put Norris Castle up for sale. Drexel was a frequent visitor to Cowes and berthed his 'palatial' steam yacht Margarita there for a long time. The Margarita was 323 feet in length, being at the time, the largest steam yacht built on the
Clyde Clyde may refer to:
People
* Clyde (given name)
* Clyde (surname)
Places
For townships see also Clyde Township
Australia
* Clyde, New South Wales
* Clyde, Victoria
* Clyde River, New South Wales
Canada
* Clyde, Alberta
* Clyde, Ontario, a tow ...
,
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
. She weighed over 1800 tons.
Whilst still awaiting sale, the castle was later occupied for a while by
Lady Dudley and also by Captain John Orr-Ewing and his wife Ellen Clarissa Kennard.
[Isle of Wight County Press dated 3 January 1903, Page 5] John, a captain in the
4th Dragoon Guards
The 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1685 as the Earl of Arran's Regiment of Cuirassiers. It was renamed as the 4th (Royal Irish) Dragoon Guards in 1788 and service for two centuries, inclu ...
and a noted yachtsman, was the son of
Sir Archibald Orr-Ewing. Ellen was a noted singer, who 'gracefully performed' the opening ceremony of an Egyptian themed fund raising event at Victoria Hall, Cowes, in 1902. She was accompanied by their daughter Jean.
In January 1903, it was reported that Lord Ampthill had sold the castle to a
syndicate
A syndicate is a self-organizing group of individuals, companies, corporations or entities formed to transact some specific business, to pursue or promote a shared interest.
Etymology
The word ''syndicate'' comes from the French word ''syndicat ...
, although it was said that Captain and Mrs Orr-Ewing would be staying on for a time.
This was proved to be the case, as in March 1903, the Orr-Ewings hosted what was thought to be the first
fox hunt
Fox hunting is an activity involving the tracking, chase and, if caught, the killing of a fox, traditionally a red fox, by trained foxhounds or other scent hounds. A group of unarmed followers, led by a "master of foxhounds" (or "master of hou ...
held at Norris castle. The hunt covered a lot of ground, as they chased a fox from
Whippingham Station to
Staplers.
The 'Syndicate' (1903 - 1908)
At the time of the sale, it was reported that Lord Ampthill was probably wise to sell the castle at that time, as it was indicated that Norris Castle had started to fall into a state of disrepair. It was predicted that over the next few years there would be rapid development of the estate, by the building company that had taken over ownership.
In March 1904, there was an extensive burglary at Norris Castle, at a time when Captain Orr-Ewing was away from home. Mrs Orr-Ewing was awakened in the early hours of the morning by hearing a noise downstairs. On going downstairs, she discovered that the house had been burgled, but the perpetrators had already fled the scene. Entry had been gained by breaking ground-floor windows and articles of considerable value had been taken. These included Captain Orr-Ewing's silver yachting trophies inscribed with Nyama (the name of his yacht), two hammer-less guns in a leather case, inscribed with the monogram "Sir W Orr-Ewing", silver boxes, a gilt clock and articles of clothing. A week later, much of the stolen articles were recovered when they were found abandoned in the estate's grounds. The Orr-Ewing's moved out of Norris Castle shortly after.
In July 1904, it was reported that the castle was occupied for a time by the American businessman,
John Morgan Richards and his wife. Their daughter, Pearl Mary Craigie, was a famous novelist, who wrote under the pseudonym
John Oliver Hobbes
Pearl Mary Teresa Richards (November 3, 1867 – August 13, 1906) was an Anglo-American novelist and dramatist who wrote under the pen-name of John Oliver Hobbes. Though her work fell out of print in the twentieth-century, her first book ''Som ...
. By 1906, when their daughter died suddenly of heart failure at the age of 39, they were living at
Steephill, Isle of Wight.
In July 1904, Norris Castle was put up for sale again, by auction. The estate was described as a "grand opportunity for development into a seaside resort with practically every house overlooking the world-renowned yacht anchorage and
Solent
The Solent ( ) is a strait between the Isle of Wight and Great Britain. It is about long and varies in width between , although the Hurst Spit which projects into the Solent narrows the sea crossing between Hurst Castle and Colwell Bay t ...
, through which the shipping of the world passes." However, the castle failed to sell and was withdrawn from the auction when the bidding only reached £38,000.
In February 1906, it was proposed that the Norris Castle estate be turned into a golf club, to rival any in the world. It was thought that there was much to commend a venture that would bring both the yachting world and golfing world together at Cowes; and that the course would be particularly attractive to those that sail. It was said that having no golf course in Cowes, was a serious handicap for any fashionable seaside resort. It was proposed that Norris Castle itself be used as a 'Dormy house' for the club. The famous golfer,
James Paxton, had already designed a 5700-yard, eighteen-hole course, which could be extended, if needed. It was suggested that there would be a landing stage for yachtsmen and even perhaps a large pier to take railway steamers. History shows that the club was never built at Norris Castle, However, since 1892, there had been a two-hole course at the nearby
Osborne House estate, which was enlarged to nine holes in 1904.
In July 1907, it was stated that Norris Castle had been unoccupied for several years and that it was doubted that it was in a state capable of occupation. At that time, it was also described as 'empty and dismantled'.
Norris Castle was put up for auction again in August 1907, but was withdrawn from sale when the bidding only reached £28,000.
Messrs Alfred and Benjamin Densham (1908 - 1909)
It is likely that the Densham family only owned the castle for a short time around 1908/09. They were the brothers Alfred and Benjamin Densham, together with Alfred's eldest son Leigh.
[Isle of Wight County Press dated 23 January 1909, Page 4][Norris Castle Heritage Assessment by Ettwein Bridges, Architects]
Alfred Densham was of Bourton Hall, Totnes and Benjamin Densham was of Bramley Croft, Hindhead, which was said to be a 'splendid house'.
They were two of the proprietors of the
Mazawattee Tea Company
The Mazawattee Tea Company, founded in 1887 by the Densham family, was one of the most important and most advertised tea firms in Britain during the late 19th century. Traditionally the origin of tea-drinking lies in China and the famous Tea Clip ...
, which was one of the most important and most advertised tea firms in England during the late 19th century. It was stated that in February 1909, an application was to be put before the Newport licensing authorities for an alcohol license for Norris Castle, which was to be converted into a residential hotel.
At one time, there were also rumours that the estate was to be developed for housing.
However, in August 1909, it was indicated that Leigh Densham had taken over ownership of the castle.
[Isle of Wight County Press dated 7 August 1909, Page 7] Leigh was Alfred Densham's eldest son, who was obviously a man of many talents. He was a keen yachtsman, who often competed at Cowes. Leigh Densham was at one time in partnership with Charles Sibbick, of Thetis Road, Cowes, Isle of Wight, in the business Charles Sibbick & Co, yacht designers and builders. However, the partnership was dissolved in 1899. In 1901, Captain John Orr-Ewing had a 36-foot yacht, named simply 'D', built for him by Charles Sibbick.
Leigh Densham was also involved in many amateur dramatic productions, often in a leading role. In 1895, he appeared in the title role at the Theatre Royal, Bournemouth, in an amateur production by a company under his own stage management. A keen horseman and fox hunter, he was at one time Master of the Ashburton Harriers, which hunted in
Dartmouth. He also went on to be master of the Dart Vale Harriers. In October 1902, he fell from his horse whilst jumping hurdles when out hunting. His horse rolled over him, leaving him with a broken collar bone.
In August 1909, the grounds of Norris Castle were opened up for the public to view a grand
Naval Review
A fleet review or naval review is an event where a gathering of ships from a particular navy is paraded and reviewed by an incumbent head of state and/or other official civilian and military dignitaries. A number of national navies continue to ...
. It was said that for this much appreciated concession, the public were indebted to Mr Leigh Densham, the owner of the fine old mansion and grounds.
Leigh Densham ultimately sold the castle in October 1909.
[Isle of Wight County Press dated 23 October 1909, Page 5]
Sir Horatio Davies K.C.M.G, MP (1909 - 1912)
Lieutenant Colonel Sir
Horatio David Davies ,
MP bought Norris Castle in October 1909, at the age of 61. He was an
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members t ...
of the city of London, became the
Sheriff of London and Middlesex
Two sheriffs are elected annually for the City of London by the Liverymen of the City livery companies. Today's sheriffs have only nominal duties, but the historical officeholders had important judicial responsibilities. They have attended the ju ...
in 1887 and
Lord Mayor of London
The Lord Mayor of London is the mayor of the City of London and the leader of the City of London Corporation. Within the City, the Lord Mayor is accorded precedence over all individuals except the sovereign and retains various traditional pow ...
in 1897. He was also a former owner of
Crosby Hall.
Shortly after buying Norris, Davies held a grand auction in the castle, selling a lot of its contents, which came to some 500 lots. This included furniture used by Queen Victoria when she resided at the castle before her marriage. An antique shaped fire-screen with gilded frame and needlework panel, worked on by the Queen when she was a girl, sold for £5 15s. A full-size billiard table was also sold for £32.
Sir Horatio Davies died only three years after purchasing the castle, in 1912.
Sir Richard Burbidge (1914 - 1917)
Following the death of Horatio Davies, the estate was then bought by the 65 year old Sir
Richard Burbidge
Sir Richard Burbidge, 1st Baronet (2 March 1847 – 31 May 1917) was an England, English merchant.
Biography
He was born in Wiltshire, educated at Devizes and Melksham, and at the age of 13 was apprenticed to a provision merchant in Oxford Street ...
, who had also recently bought the adjoining Osborne Cottage from
Princess Henry of Battenberg, youngest child of Queen Victoria. Burbidge said that he would continue to live in Osborne Cottage, but intended to let out the castle. In 1915, he was sworn in as a
Justice of the peace at the London Sessions. He went on to become 1st
Baronet
A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14t ...
of Littleton Park.
Burbidge was the Managing Director of
Harrods at the time. By 1916, he had increased its profits from £16,000 to £200,000 per year.
Following the outbreak of the First World War, the estate was used to billet Canadian troops and their horses. Most of the men were encamped in tents, except for a few officers who had quarters
in the castle itself. It is said that there are some unusual yellow daisies in the Norris fields, which are supposed to have come from seeds from the imported Canadian hay.
Sir Richard died in 1917.
Major Arthur Birkbeck (1917 - 1955)
The estate passed to Major Arthur Birkbeck, who held the castle until his death in 1945. His wife, Florence, then retained Norris Castle until her death, sometime between 1952 and 1955. Arthur Birkbeck was a major in the
2nd South Midland Brigade,
Royal Field Artillery. He resigned his commission and was granted permission to retain his rank and to wear the prescribed uniform in 1911.
In 1926, four men were charged at the County
Petty Sessions
Courts of petty session, established from around the 1730s, were local courts consisting of magistrates, held for each petty sessional division (usually based on the county divisions known as hundreds) in England, Wales, and Ireland. The session ...
with causing damage to growing daffodils at Norris Castle, by picking them. However, the benevolent Major Birkbeck said that he forgave them and wanted to withdraw the summons. He also very generously gave them jobs at the castle. The Chairman of the Bench discharged the defendants, saying that he had brought the case as a deterrent to others and said that any future case would have to be dealt with severely.
A similar case arose in 1927, when three men were charged with causing willful damage to growing grass, by treading it down. They said that they did not believe that they were doing damage, as they were following a path. They were each fined 2s. 6d., and ordered to pay 8d. damages.
In November 1927, Major Birkbeck applied for a slaughter-house license at the castle. Although the estate grounds proved to be satisfactory, the application was deferred to a later date.
In 1932, Major Birkbeck presented to the Cowes and East Cowes Councils a proposal to build an 'opening bridge' over the
River Medina
The River Medina is the main river of the Isle of Wight, England, rising at St Catherine's Down near Chale, and flowing northwards through the county town Newport, towards the Solent at Cowes. The river is a navigable tidal estuary from Newpo ...
, on or near the site of the
Chain Ferry. The scheme, which was estimated to cost around £35,000, was rejected by the
Harbour Commissioners on the grounds that it would cause a probable obstruction to navigation.
During the Second World War, the castle was used as a barracks for army troops.
In 1947, there was a daring robbery at Norris Castle, in which the elderly Florence Birkbeck suffered a fractured jaw when she was brutally coshed on the head by one of possibly three robbers. She was alone in the house during the evening, with her sister Mary Elizabeth Law. The robbers wore masks and forced their way into the castle saying "This is a hold up", demanding money and jewellery. They had already cut the castle's telephone lines. Mrs Law was in her bathroom, washing her hair, but the robbers dragged her by her hair downstairs to join Mrs Birkbeck. A scuffle then took place, which resulted in Mrs Birkbeck being coshed. The robbers then took three valuable rings from Mrs Blrkbeck's fingers and from two safes, they took about £100 and more jewellery. They were then interrupted by the arrival of Mr C Cassell, the estate
bailiff and made their escape, but left behind in their hurry, a dark brown
trilby
A trilby is a narrow-brimmed type of hat. The trilby was once viewed as the rich man's favored hat; it is sometimes called the "brown trilby" in Britain Roetzel, Bernhard (1999). ''Gentleman's Guide to Grooming and Style''. Barnes & Noble. and ...
hat, bearing a London maker's name. One had a southern accent and the other a
Cockney
Cockney is an accent and dialect of English, mainly spoken in London and its environs, particularly by working-class and lower middle-class Londoners. The term "Cockney" has traditionally been used to describe a person from the East End, or ...
accent. Due to her injury, Mrs Birkbeck had to remain in the
Frank James Hospital for some time afterwards.
Following the death of Mrs Birkbeck, an auction was held at the castle in July 1955, for the whole of their furniture and effects. At the same time, the castle itself was put up for sale, either for private sale or for auction at a later date. In due course, the castle went to auction in September 1955. The advertisement stated that if the estate didn't sell as a whole, then it would be offered as a number of lots. These included Norris Castle and 34 acres, Norris Castle Farm and 102 acres, Norris Castle Wood and 50 acres, Queen Victoria's Tea House, The Lodges, Four Cottages, New Barn Lodge, some work-shops, the gravel pit and some enclosures suitable for residences.
On 5 November 1955, it was announced that the Norris Castle estate had been sold to an 'Island lady' who at the time, did not want her identity disclosed.
Mrs Catherine Annie Briscoe George (1955 - 1961)
In fact, in May 1956, it was reported that the estate had indeed been broken up and sold as nineteen separate lots. It was also announced that planning permission had already been granted for Norris Castle itself to be converted into a hotel, although there was some doubt whether the plan would be pursued. Following the sale, Norris Castle was reduced from its original 228 acres to occupying only 34 acres. It later became apparent that the new owner was Mrs Catherine Annie Briscoe George.
[Isle of Wight County Press dated 6 April 1963, Page 10]
When she bought the castle, it was in a very poor state of repair, following its wartime army occupation. However, Mrs Briscoe George, and later her daughter, worked tirelessly to restore the castle.
She was the widow of Albert Joseph George and the younger daughter of John Jonathan Briscoe and Agnes Ralph Briscoe. Catherine's elder daughter, Veronica, married
Viscount Selby in 1933. Catherine Briscoe George also owned a number of other properties, including Blackburne House,
Mayfair and Bridge House,
Starbotton, Yorkshire.
Mrs Briscoe George died in March 1963, at the age of 85.
Mrs Joan Denyer Lacon, later Coventry (1961 - 2016)
In March 1961, the Norris Castle estate passed to Mrs Briscoe George's daughter, Joan Lacon and her husband, Commander Reginald Lacon, RN (retired). He fought in the Second World War, and he was
mentioned in dispatches four times. He gained the rank of Commander and was decorated with the award of the
Distinguished Service Cross The Distinguished Service Cross (D.S.C.) is a military decoration for courage. Different versions exist for different countries.
*Distinguished Service Cross (Australia)
The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) is a military decoration awarded to ...
(D.S.C.)
and bar
A medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It most commonly indicates the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on th ...
in 1941.
Within a week of taking over ownership, there was a great fire at the castle, which completely burnt out one of the bedrooms. Seven other downstairs rooms were damaged by the heat and the smoke. The damage was put at around £2,000. Firemen were called out at 9.30 a.m. and used breathing apparatus, because of the dense smoke. The castle had been unoccupied at the time and the fire was discovered when Mrs Lacon arrived to take up residence there.
In 1975, the Lacons opened the castle to the public for the first time in over 140 years. The reason for this was to help pay for the huge cost of keeping Norris Castle maintained. By this time, the Commander and Mrs Lacon also managed to reunite the castle with its original lands, sold off as nineteen separate lots, when it was auctioned in 1955. This brought the size of the estate back to 225 acres.
The Lacons put in a huge amount of work into the estate, saying that "What the public will see, represents years and years of self-sacrifice. We do it because we love the place. We have had a lot of fun doing it, but we have done it on a shoestring". The public opening ceremony was conducted by
jockey and best-selling author
Dick Francis
Richard Stanley Francis (31 October 1920 – 14 February 2010) was a British steeplechase jockey and crime writer whose novels centre on horse racing in England.
After wartime service in the RAF, Francis became a full-time jump-jockey, wi ...
.
Work that still needed doing by that time was that the building's original and extensive roof needed renewing, the lengthy potholed driveway needed resurfacing, the mile-long crumbling sea wall needed renewing, the massive complex of farm and stable buildings needed restoration and an extensive tree-planting programme was required, to offset the ravages of
beech and
Dutch elm disease
Dutch elm disease (DED) is caused by a member of the sac fungi (Ascomycota) affecting elm trees, and is spread by elm bark beetles. Although believed to be originally native to Asia, the disease was accidentally introduced into Americas, America ...
.
The Commander and Mrs Lacon were divorced in 1976 and Mrs Lacon went on to marry Major Digby Coventry in 1991. He also fought in the Second World War and was also mentioned in dispatches. He gained the rank of Major in the Royal Artillery and was decorated with the award of the Belgian
Croix de Guerre, avec palme. He was also decorated with the award of the
Chevalier, Order of Leopold of Belgium, with palm.
When Joan Coventry died in 2006, Major Coventry continued to occupy the castle until his death in September 2014.
Norris Castle Estate (Group) Ltd (2016 - )
In February 2016, Norris Castle was bought for £4.7 million, with the intention that it be renovated and opened as a luxury hotel. The owning company is Norris Castle Estate (Group) Ltd. The selling agent set a guide price of £1 million, with the proviso that the estate would need millions spent to restore it.
At the current time, the project is in its planning and consultation stages.
History
Etymology
The name 'Norris' is derived from the name of an early landowner, named Richard Le Norey, who held the estate during the
reign
A reign is the period of a person's or dynasty's occupation of the office of monarch of a nation (e.g., Saudi Arabia, List of Belgian monarchs, Belgium, Co-prince of Andorra, Andorra), of a people (e.g., List of Frankish kings, the Franks, List of ...
of
King Edward I
Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he ruled the duchies of Aquitaine and Gascony as a vassal ...
. But the story of Norris Castle really originates centuries later in 1795, when the Norris farmland was bought by Lord Henry Seymour. Shortly afterwards, he commissioned James Wyatt to build him a new residence there. Wyatt designed and built the house in the style of a castle between 1795 and 1805, using locally mined stone. In the 200 years since it was built, the building remains virtually unaltered.
[The Norris Castle Estate, document prepared by Spence Willard and Knight Frank, 2016]
Visiting royalty
The
prince regent
A prince regent or princess regent is a prince or princess who, due to their position in the line of succession, rules a monarchy as regent in the stead of a monarch regnant, e.g., as a result of the sovereign's incapacity (minority or illness ...
and First Gentleman of Europe, later
King George IV
George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from the death of his father, King George III, on 29 January 1820, until his own death ten ye ...
visited the castle in 1819 as the guest of Lord Henry Seymour. The king was on the island to make use of his yacht. Lord Seymour's personal habits were said to be those of extreme simplicity and frugality, but he nether-the-less held a banquet for the king which was said to be 'splendid in the extreme and attended with circumstances of unusual conviviality'.
In August 1831, the
Duchess of Kent
Duchess of Kent is the principal courtesy title used by the wife of the Duke of Kent. There have been four titles referring to Kent since the 18th century. The current duchess is Katharine, the wife of Prince Edward. He inherited the dukedom ...
, with her 12-year-old daughter the
Heiress Presumptive
An heir presumptive is the person entitled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of an heir apparent or a new heir presumptive with a better claim to the position in question.
...
Princess Victoria, who indeed went on to become the future
Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previo ...
, also resided at the castle for quite some time. The young princess was said to have been able to live a life of unaccustomed freedom, walking her dog and riding her pony. She was also said to frequently enjoy country rambles and listening to the stories of the sailors and the coastguardsmen, as she lingered about the shore.
On their arrival to the island, the royals were welcomed with great ceremony in
Newport. A huge flag, entirely made of lace, was suspended from the Newport Toll-gate, with the words "Welcome, welcome to our Isle." The flag was made at Broadlands House, the Newport lace factory; and the Broadlands House band was also there playing music amongst the cheering crowds. A grand reception was later held in Newport Town Hall, where the royals were welcomed by the
Mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...
,
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members t ...
and
Chief Burgesses of Newport. Afterwards, they were due to visit the nearby
Carisbrooke Castle
Carisbrooke Castle is a historic motte-and-bailey castle located in the village of Carisbrooke (near Newport), Isle of Wight, England. Charles I was imprisoned at the castle in the months prior to his trial.
Early history
The site of Carisb ...
, but due to rain, they returned to Norris Castle.
The two royals also visited Norris Castle again in 1833.
The old copper bath that Queen Victoria used as a child is still there, although for quite some time in the 1970s it was out in the courtyard, being used as a rainwater butt.
Queen Victoria visited the castle yet again in 1843, as a guest of Robert Bell, accompanied by her husband,
Prince Albert. The royal couple disembarked, quite unexpectedly, from the Royal Barge captained by
Lord Adolphus FitzClarence at the
Coastguard
A coast guard or coastguard is a maritime security organization of a particular country. The term embraces wide range of responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to ...
Station, East Cowes. They then were shown into a carriage and taken to her 'favourite Norris Castle', where she went straight to her former apartments and joyously told the Prince Consort that "this was my room, and this was mine also".
Not long afterwards, in 1844, Queen Victoria tried to buy the property from the then owner, Robert Bell, who was a newspaper
tycoon
A business magnate, also known as a tycoon, is a person who has achieved immense wealth through the ownership of multiple lines of enterprise. The term characteristically refers to a powerful entrepreneur or investor who controls, through perso ...
. However, she baulked at his asking-price and bought the nearby
Osborne House
Osborne House is a former royal residence in East Cowes, Isle of Wight, United Kingdom. The house was built between 1845 and 1851 for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert as a summer home and rural retreat. Albert designed the house himself, in ...
estate instead.
However, Queen Victoria went on to become a frequent visitor to Norris Castle, particularly after 1880, when it was under the ownership of the Duchess of Bedford, her Mistress of the Robes. She would always delight in remembering her earlier visits as a child. In 1845, Queen Victoria used the castle as lodgings for
William II the
King of the Netherlands.
In 1881, The Duke and Duchess of Bedford lent Norris Castle to
Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein
Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein (Frederick Christian Charles Augustus; 22 January 1831 – 28 October 1917) was a minor Danish-born German prince who became a member of the British royal family through his marriage to Princess Helena ...
, the Danish-born German Prince; and his wife,
Princess Helena of the United Kingdom
Princess Helena (Helena Augusta Victoria; 25 May 1846 – 9 June 1923), later Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein, was the third daughter and fifth child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.
Helena was educated by private tutors chosen ...
. She was the fifth child of Queen Victoria.
In June 1903,
Princess Henry of Battenberg took lunch with Captain and Mrs Orr-Ewing at Norris Castle, before opening the new
Frank James Memorial Hospital at East Cowes.
The
German Kaiser Wilhelm II and his wife
Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein were also frequent visitors. So much so that Wilhelm had his own shower bath installed, which still remains today.
The
German Emperor Frederick III
Frederick III (german: Friedrich Wilhelm Nikolaus Karl; 18 October 1831 – 15 June 1888), or Friedrich III, was German Emperor
The German Emperor (german: Deutscher Kaiser, ) was the official title of the head of state and hereditary ...
and his wife, the
Empress were also frequent guests. The Empress was Queen Victoria's eldest child.
In August 1935, Her Majesty
Queen Mary visited Norris Castle, whilst her husband,
King George V
George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936.
Born during the reign of his grandmother Qu ...
was 'deriving the maximum pleasure from his favourite sport of racing on the
Britannia
Britannia () is the national personification of Britain as a helmeted female warrior holding a trident and shield. An image first used in classical antiquity, the Latin ''Britannia'' was the name variously applied to the British Isles, Great ...
'. Queen Mary was received by Major and Mrs Birkbeck and shown around the castle. She inspected the rooms previously used by the late Queen Victoria and the ex-Emperor of Germany and was deeply interested in the many improvements that Major Birkbeck had made to the castle. She also walked through the beautiful gardens.
The Great Fire
In 1889, there was a 'great fire' at Norris Castle. The superintendent of the Cowes Fire Brigade said that it was the most serious fire that they had had to contend with for some years. He also said that there was some additional interest and honour lent to the occasion, as royalty were present for some considerable time watching the brigade at work. The bill that was presented by the Fire Brigade for attending the fire was put at £48 18s 6d.
TV Appearances
Norris Castle was used extensively in the filming of
Doctor Who and
the Sea Devils
''The Sea Devils'' is the third serial of the ninth season of the long-running British science fiction television series '' Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in six weekly parts on BBC1 from 26 February to 1 April 1972. It was written by M ...
in October 1971. In those episodes, The Doctor was played by
Jon Pertwee, with
Katy Manning
Catherine Ann "Katy" Manning (born 14 October 1946) is an English- Australian actress, television presenter, voice artist and former model. Although she has made many appearances on both screen and stage, Manning is best known for her part as t ...
playing his companion
Jo. The episodes featured other Isle of Wight locations as well, including
No Mans Land Fort.
The Norris Castle ferries
As part of their fleet of 'Castle' series ferries operating to and from the Isle of Wight,
Red Funnel
Red Funnel, the trading name of the Southampton Isle of Wight and South of England Royal Mail Steam Packet Company Limited,[River Medina
The River Medina is the main river of the Isle of Wight, England, rising at St Catherine's Down near Chale, and flowing northwards through the county town Newport, towards the Solent at Cowes. The river is a navigable tidal estuary from Newpo ...]
between 1938 and 1939. It was built by the
Cowes boatbuilder, Clare Lallow and launched in July 1938. During the Second World War, it was requisitioned by the
Admiralty
Admiralty most often refers to:
*Admiralty, Hong Kong
*Admiralty (United Kingdom), military department in command of the Royal Navy from 1707 to 1964
*The rank of admiral
*Admiralty law
Admiralty can also refer to:
Buildings
* Admiralty, Traf ...
for service in the
Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western Europe, Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa ...
and never returned. After the war, Red Funnel never resumed the river service.
The MV Norris Castle II, was built in 1942 (acquired 1947) and operated as a car ferry until 1962. She was 180 feet long and displaced 473 tonnes. Norris was originally designed as an
LCT 828 landing craft for the D-day
Normandy landings
The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allies of World War II, Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and ...
. As she could load from both the front and side, she was used on the
Southampton
Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
to
East Cowes
East Cowes is a town and civil parish in the north of the Isle of Wight, on the east bank of the River Medina, next to its west bank neighbour Cowes.
The two towns are connected by the Cowes Floating Bridge, a chain ferry operated by the Isle ...
service. In 1962, she was sold to a service in the Greek Islands.
The MV Norris Castle III, was built in 1968 and operated as a car ferry until 1994. Mrs Joan Lacon named the ship, owner of the real Norris Castle at the time. During the ship's service, she was converted to a
Roll-on/roll-off
Roll-on/roll-off (RORO or ro-ro) ships are cargo ships designed to carry wheeled cargo, such as cars, motorcycles, trucks, semi-trailer trucks, buses, trailers, and railroad cars, that are driven on and off the ship on their own wheels or using ...
ferry with
mezzanine decks. She was 191 feet long and displaced 734 tonnes. In gale-force winds in 1981, when turning in the River Medina, she was blown on to the Cowes floating bridge, but there was no real damage done to either vessel. On the arrival of
MV Red Osprey in 1994, she was sold to
Jadrolinija
Jadrolinija is a Croatian sea shipping company. It is a state-owned company and its main mission is connecting Croatian islands to the mainland by operating regular passenger and cargo transport services. The company mainly operates car ferries on ...
for service in
Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capit ...
.
she was renamed to Lovrjenac, but was scrapped in 2008.
References
External links
{{commons category, Norris Castle
Information and photos of the castle* http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-418622-norris-castle-east-cowes
Country houses on the Isle of Wight
Grade I listed buildings on the Isle of Wight
Mock castles in England
East Cowes