Castle Goring facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Castle Goring |
|
|---|---|
Castle Goring's Gothic north side
|
|
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Greco-Palladian and Gothic |
| Town or city | Worthing, West Sussex |
| Country | England |
| Completed | 1797–1798 |
| Cost | £90,000 adjusted for inflation: £7.36 million |
| Client | Sir Bysshe Shelley |
| Owner | Lady Colin Campbell |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | John Rebecca |
Castle Goring is a very special country house in Worthing, West Sussex, England. It's about 4.5 miles (7.2 km) northwest of the town center. This amazing building is one of only two in Worthing with a "Grade I listed" status. This means it's considered to be of "exceptional interest" by the government.
An expert named Ian Nairn said Castle Goring perfectly shows the interesting style of the 1790s. It was designed by John Rebecca for Sir Bysshe Shelley, 1st Baronet. The famous poet Percy Bysshe Shelley was supposed to live here. Sadly, he drowned at age 29 in Italy, so he never got to own the house.
In 1845, Mary Shelley, the poet's wife, sold the house. She sold it to Vice-Admiral Sir George Brooke-Pechell. He had been renting the house since 1825. Today, Lady Colin Campbell owns Castle Goring.
Contents
Where is Castle Goring Located?
Castle Goring is found next to the A27 road that goes from Worthing to Chichester. It's in the northwest part of Worthing. The house is also inside the beautiful South Downs National Park. It sits right next to an ancient woodland called Titnore Wood.
When it was built in the 1790s, the house was far from the town. Now, Worthing has grown. The Castle Goring estate is close to the West Durrington area of the town.
What Does Castle Goring Look Like?
.jpg)
Castle Goring is very unique because it has two completely different styles! The north side of the house looks Gothic. Many people think it looks like Arundel Castle, which is about 8 km (5 miles) away.
But the south side is totally different. It has a Greco-Palladian style and is made of yellow brick. People say this side looks like the Villa Lante near Rome, Italy.
English Heritage, a group that protects old buildings, says Castle Goring is a great example of the "carnival-style" from that time. This means it mixes different styles in a fun and unusual way.
Since the building is privately owned, we don't know much about the inside. However, there is a glass dome in the middle of the house. It sits above a spiral staircase. The owners usually don't let visitors inside. So, there aren't many public photos of the building's interior.
In 2016, the current owner, Lady Colin Campbell, allowed the inside of the house to be filmed. It was shown in an ITV documentary called Lady C and the Castle. The castle's inside and outside were also shown on the ITV show Through the Keyhole in 2017. More views of the inside, including the old glass dome, were seen on Salvage Hunters in 2017.
A Brief History of Castle Goring
Castle Goring was designed by John Rebecca. It was one of the first buildings he designed in the Georgian era around Worthing. Worthing was a popular resort town back then.
Sir Bysshe Shelley's son, Sir Timothy Shelley, preferred to live at another house. It was planned that Sir Timothy's son, the famous poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, would live at Castle Goring. But, as mentioned, he died young and never moved in.
In 1825, Sir Timothy Shelley rented the house to Captain Sir George Brooke-Pechell. Sir George later became a Vice Admiral. In 1845, Mary Shelley, the poet's widow, sold the house to Sir George Brooke-Pechell.
The house stayed with the Somerset family for a long time, until 2013. Then, Lady Colin Campbell bought the property. She is the current owner.
The Future of Castle Goring
At the start of the 21st century, Castle Goring was in bad shape. It was falling apart and was put on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register. This list shows important buildings that are in danger. Castle Goring was in the highest risk category. This meant it was in "immediate risk of further rapid deterioration."
Worthing Borough Council had to use legal powers to get inside the building. A full check of Castle Goring was done in 2003. A report in 2004 explained what repairs were needed to save the building.
In 2013, Lady Colin Campbell bought the house. In 2015, she went on the TV show I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! She said she wanted to earn money to fix the castle's roof.
Good news! The Heritage at Risk Register now says that the castle can be used for weddings and conferences. Repairs to the roof, stairs, and wooden parts have been done. This means the castle is now in a much better state.
See also
- Listed buildings in Worthing
- Shelley Baronets
