Back in the 1700s, Appuldurcombe House was once the grandest house on the Isle of Wight and even today it still looks an imposing building. One where you could imagine lords and ladies dancing in the ballroom or sipping tea in the drawing room.
It has even been described by English Heritage as an important example of English baroque architecture. But look in the window, venture round the back, enter a room and this magnificent mansion is but mostly an empty shell with only the east front having been restored and reroofed.
But it's a fascinating shell nevertheless.
Like the front of the mansion, the landscaped grounds are also impressive. No wonder as they were designed by the famous landscape architect Capability Brown, back in the 1770s.
This house must have many a story to tell through the years. One colourful aristocrat was Sir Richard Worsley, the 7th baronet, who inherited the manor in 1768.
Sir Richard was an avid collector and at one time he was believed to have had the biggest collection of ancient Greek sculpture.
While he may have many beautiful, historical objects to admire, his marriage was unhappy. His wife Seymour eloped with Captain George Bisset and Sir Richard proceeded to sue George in return. In the 1782 court case Sir Richard's wife admitted to having had 27 lovers and, considering that Sir Richard had previously helped George spy on Seymour while she was getting dressed, he was compensated a single shilling.
Appuldurcombe was damaged by a German landmine during the Second World War and is now owned by English Heritage. According to Wikipedia, Appuldurcombe is 'one of the supposedly most haunted places on the island'. We didn't see anything out of the ordinary on our daytime visit but I wouldn't like to be there on my own at night...
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