Guess the Place

[CAT]

I don’t know about the mislabelled painting grandarog, but my pic is definitely of Olantigh (Towers) north of Wye as identified by Diapason.


Well done and over to you Diapason

[grandarog]

Bit strange this one .
Internet attributes the Painting as being Raynham Hall ,Norfolk.
Looking further it is obviously mis-labelled.

[Diapason]

Olantigh House, near Wye.

[CAT]

The house in my pic, which is from the early nineteenth century, suffered a catastrophic fire in the early twentieth century and was largely reconstructed from the ruins, but on a smaller scale using the colonnade and pediment of the earlier façade.   

[CAT]

Not Chevening Pete and kind of central east(ish) Kent. Not too far from a 'failed' medieval market town.

[pete.mason]

Chevening?

[John Walker]

East Kent ?  (I'll be kicking myself if it is )

[CAT]

Many thanks shoot999.


I was unaware of the Hamilton link, so thanks for that.


Next one is clearly a good sized country house, still standing, but were?

[shoot999]

Would that be the Buckmore Park Kart racing track beside the M2?

Spot on. Used to live just down the road before the motorway was built. Owned by the late, great John Surtees at one time. And one of the tracks where Lewis Hamilton first came to the notice of the racing community.


Over to you.

[CAT]

Would that be the Buckmore Park Kart racing track beside the M2?

[shoot999]

Thank you for that CAT. Busy hunting old ruins until you gave the better condition clue. And remembered a similar configuration as a backdrop to 'The Alan Clark Diaries' series.


On to the next.

[CAT]

I was surprised you didn't get it JohnWalker, its the sort of place where lots of local people went to once. I vaguely remember the peacocks, but more so the two large dogs that snapped, snarled and foamed at passers by when the grounds were closed. Happy days.

[John Walker]

I should have recognised those towers.  My family used to go there on Sundays in the 60s/70s.  They served tea and cake beside this gateway.  We could walk around the grounds and along the ramparts.  I seem to remember there was a peep hole down into one of the towers where a 'prisoner' was chained up.  There were also peacocks roaming the grounds that would grab your cake if given the chance.

[CAT]

You have it shoot999. It is indeed the main eastern gateway to Saltwood Castle. Regarded as the location of the plotting by the four knights whom later killed Thomas Beckett at Canterbury Cathedral on 28th December 1170.


Formerly the home of both Bill Deedes MP and later Kenneth Clark MP and after, his son Alan Clark MP who was buried in the grounds. Formerly the grounds, and parts of the castle, including the great hall, were open to the public, but sadly no longer. It is still possible to view the outer walls from public footpaths that run alongside though.


Over to you shoot999

[shoot999]

Saltwood Castle Hythe?