Brantwood facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Brantwood |
|
|---|---|
Photograph taken from the Gondola on Coniston Water
|
|
| Location | Overlooking Coniston Water, Cumbria, England, United Kingdom |
| OS grid reference | SD 312 958 |
| Built | Late 18th century |
| Built for | Thomas Woodville |
|
Listed Building – Grade II*
|
|
| Designated | 25 March 1970 |
| Reference no. | 1335727 |
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
Brantwood is a special old house in Cumbria, England. It sits high up, looking over a beautiful lake called Coniston Water. Many important people have lived in this house over the years. Today, Brantwood is a museum. It is looked after by a group called a charitable trust. The museum is all about John Ruskin, who was a famous writer and artist. He was one of the last people to own Brantwood. This historic house is also officially recognized as a Grade II* listed building. This means it is a very important historical place.
Contents
The Story of Brantwood
The name "Brant" comes from an old Norse word. It means "steep." This makes sense because the house and its land are on a steep, wooded hill. This spot was a popular viewing point in the 1700s. People visiting the Lake District loved the view.
The first house was built here in the late 1700s. It was built by Thomas Woodville. It had about 6 to 8 rooms. Over time, the house and its land grew bigger. This happened around 1833. In the mid-1800s, a man named Josiah Hudson lived there. He was the father of Charles Hudson, a famous early mountain climber.
Famous People at Brantwood
In 1852, a talented man named William James Linton lived at Brantwood. He was a wood engraver, poet, artist, and social reformer. He bought the house the next year. From 1858 to 1864, Linton rented the house to Gerald Massey. Massey was a poet and studied ancient Egypt. Linton later moved to America in 1867.
In 1869, George William Kitchin moved into Brantwood. He later became a dean at Durham Cathedral.
John Ruskin's Home
In 1871, John Ruskin bought Brantwood. It is said he had never seen the house before. But Ruskin and Kitchin were friends from Oxford. So, Ruskin probably knew about the property. Before moving in, Ruskin made many changes. He had the house repaired. He added a small tower, called a turret. He also built a small house for his valet and his family. The garden was also improved.
While living at Brantwood, Ruskin taught special classes. These were like teaching seminars today. He held them three times a week. Each day, he taught a different subject. These subjects were Art, Literature, and Sociology.
Ruskin filled Brantwood with amazing things. He had paintings by famous artists like Thomas Gainsborough and J. M. W. Turner. He also had art from the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. Besides art, he collected minerals, pottery, and seashells. His cousin, Joan Agnew, and her artist husband, Arthur Severn, also lived there. Their family grew up in the house.
A frequent visitor was W. G. Collingwood. He was a painter, archaeologist, and translator of old Nordic stories. He lived nearby. In 1878, a new dining room was added to the house. Around 1890, a second floor was built. This gave more rooms for the Severn family. A studio was also built for Arthur Severn. The land around the house also became larger.
The Brantwood Trust
John Ruskin passed away in 1900. His house and land went to the Severn family. Ruskin had wanted the house to be open to visitors. He wanted people to see his home and collections for 30 days a year. However, the Severns did not follow his wishes. They sold many of his best paintings. After Arthur Severn died in 1931, the rest of the house's contents were sold.
But then, Emily Warren stepped in. She was John Ruskin's last student. She started a successful effort to save Brantwood. She wanted it to become a museum. John Howard Whitehouse bought the house. He was the founder of Bembridge School. He also started the Birmingham Ruskin Society. In 1951, he created the Brantwood Trust. This is a registered charity. Its job is to take care of Brantwood for future generations.
Exploring the House and Grounds
Brantwood house is listed as Grade II*. This means it is very important. Several rooms are open for visitors to see.
Inside the House
- The drawing room still has Ruskin's special desk. It also has his bookcase and a cabinet for his shells. The wallpaper is a copy of a design Ruskin made. A drawing by Ruskin of St. Mark's in Venice hangs above the shell cabinet.
- Next to it is Ruskin's study. This is where he worked. It has a painting by Samuel Prout.
- The dining room was built in 1878. It has seven tall, narrow windows. These windows offer beautiful views of the Coniston mountains. A portrait of Ruskin as a 3-year-old, painted by James Northcote, is in this room.
- The old dining room has some of Ruskin's early drawings.
- Upstairs, in the small tower, is Ruskin's bedroom.
Around the Grounds
There are four more listed buildings on the Brantwood grounds. The lodge and the old stable are listed at Grade II*. The former coach house, another outbuilding, and an ice house are listed at Grade II.
In the Linton Room, there is a special musical instrument. It is called "The Musical Stones." It is a lithophone, which means it is made of stone. Visitors are allowed to play it!
Ruskin used the garden to try out different ways of growing plants and managing water. It has many steep, winding paths. After he died, more decorative plants and trees were added. The garden became overgrown for a while. But it was rediscovered in the 1980s. Since then, much of it has been restored. The entire property covers about 250 acres. It includes the lakeshore, grassy fields, oak woods, and open moorland.
See also
