Cragside is a country house near Rothbury in Northumberland, England. Built into a rocky hillside above a 404 hectare forest garden, it was the country home of William George Armstrong and has been in the care of the National Trust since the late 1970s. It was the first house in the world to be lit using hydroelectric power. Photo of Cragside from valley bottom, taken by me. ... In Britain (and also in Ireland) the term country house generally refers to a large house which was built on an agricultural estate as the private residence of the landowner. ... Rothbury is a town in Northumberland, England, located on the River Coquet near the Simonside Hills and the Northumberland National Park. ... For other places with this name, see Northumberland Northumberland is a county in England, on the border with Scotland. ... Royal motto: Dieu et mon droit (French: God and my right) Englands location within the UK Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area  - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 1st UK 49,138,831 377/km² Religion... A hectare (symbol ha) is a metric unit of surface area, equal to 100 ares (the name is a contraction of the SI prefix hecto + are). ... William George Armstrong, 1st Baron Armstrong (November 26, 1810 - December 27, 1900) was an English industrialist, the effective founder of the Armstrong-Siddeley manufacturing empire. ... The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is an organisation which works to preserve and protect coastline, countryside and buildings in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. ... Events and trends Although in the United States and in many other Western societies the 1970s are often seen as a period of transition between the turbulent 1960s and the more conservative 1980s and 1990s, many of the trends that are associated widely with the Sixties, from the Sexual Revolution... Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is a form of hydropower, (i. ...

Cragside, named after Cragend Hill above the house, was built in 1863 as a modest, two-storey country lodge, but was subsequently extended to designs by Norman Shaw, transforming it into an elaborate mansion in the Free Tudor style. At one point, the building included an astronomical observatory and a scientific laboratory. 1863 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... Richard Norman Shaw (1831 - 1913) was a successful Victorian architect. ... Categories: Stub | Astronomical observatories ...

In 1868, a hydraulic engine was installed, with water being used to power labour-saving machines such as laundry equipment, a rotisserie and a hydraulic lift. In 1870, water from one of the estate's lakes was used to drive a Siemens dynamo in what was probably the world's first hydroelectric power station. The resultant electricity was used to power an arc lamp installed in the Gallery in 1878. The arc lamp was replaced in 1880 by Joseph Swan's incandescent lamps in what Swan considered 'the first proper installation' of electric lighting. 1868 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Hydraulics is a branch of science and engineering concerned with the use of liquids to perform mechanical tasks. ... Rotisserie is a style of roasting where meat is skewered and revolves over a flame or spit. ... A modern elevator has buttons to allow passengers to select the desired floor. ... 1870 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Siemens AG (NYSE: SI) is the worlds largest electronics company. ... Generator redirects here. ... Oil power plant in Iraq A power station (also power plant) is a facility for the generation of electric power. ... 1878 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1880 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Sir Joseph Wilson Swan (October 31, 1828 - May 27, 1914) was a physicist and chemist born in Sunderland, England However he is most famous for the development of the light bulb. ... The incandescent light bulb uses a glowing wire filament heated to white-hot by electrical resistance, to generate light (a process known as thermal radiation). ...

The generators, which also provided power for the farm buildings on the estate, were constantly extended and improved to match the increasing electrical demand in the house.

The house is surrounded by one of Europe's largest rock gardens, and a large collection of mostly coniferous trees, among which one Douglas-fir 59 m tall is the tallest tree in England. World map showing location of Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. ... A rock garden, also known as a rockery or an alpine garden, is a type of garden that features extensive use of rocks or stones, along with plants native to rocky or alpine environments. ... Orders & Families Cordaitales † Pinales   Pinaceae - Pine family   Araucariaceae - Araucaria family   Podocarpaceae - Yellow-wood family   Sciadopityaceae - Umbrella-pine family   Cupressaceae - Cypress family   Cephalotaxaceae - Plum-yew family   Taxaceae - Yew family Vojnovskyales † Voltziales † The conifers, division Pinophyta, are one of 13 or 14 division level taxa within the Kingdom Plantae. ... The coniferous Coast Redwood, the tallest tree species on earth A tree can be defined as a large, perennial, woody plant. ... Species See text. ... Royal motto: Dieu et mon droit (French: God and my right) Englands location within the UK Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area  - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 1st UK 49,138,831 377/km² Religion...

External links

• Cragside House, Gardens and Estate (The National Trust) (http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/hbcache/property178.htm)
• Cragside (The Heritage Trail) (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cragside&action=submit)
• Cragside History and Pictures (http://www.ejr.ndo.co.uk/crag.html)