Waddesdon Manor. The north entrance facade.

Waddesdon Manor is a country house in the village of Waddesdon, in Buckinghamshire, England. The house was built in the Neo-Renaissance style of a French château between 1874 and 1889 for Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild (1839–1898). The Baron, a member of the Rothschild banking dynasty, chose as his architect Gabriel-Hippolyte Destailleur. Today Waddesdon is owned by the National Trust, but in recent years, following an extensive restoration, it has been, and continues to be administered by a Rothschild family trust that is overseen by Jacob Rothschild, 4th Baron Rothschild. The house was built on a barren hilltop overlooking Waddesdon village. Image File history File links Waddesdon_entrance_facade. ... Image File history File links Waddesdon_entrance_facade. ... West facade of the Notre-Dame de Strasbourg Cathedral A facade (or façade) (Pronounced fa-sa-de) is generally the exterior of a building — especially the front, but also sometimes the sides and rear. ... Holkham Hall, one of the grandest English country houses not only displayed the owners fashionable and cultivated tastes, but was the epicentre of a vast landed estate, providing employment to hundreds The English country house is generally accepted as a large house or mansion, once in the ownership of an... Waddesdon is a village in the Vale of Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, England, 6 miles from Aylesbury on the A41. ... Buckinghamshire (abbreviated Bucks) is one of the home counties in South East England. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the King (Queen) England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Unified  -  by Athelstan 967 AD  Area  -  Total 130,395 km²  50,346 sq mi  Population  -  2007 estimate... Château de Ferrières 1855 Mentmore Towers English Neo-Renaissance of the 1850s. ... Château de Chenonceau A rural château in France. ... Baron Ferdinand James Anselm de Rothschild (1839-1898) was a British MP and philanthropist, a member of the international Rothschild financial dynasty. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ... Gabriel-Hippolyte Alexandre Destailleur (1822 – 1893) was a Neo-Renaissance French architect noted for his designs and restoration work for great châteaux in France and in England. ... The standard of the National Trust The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as The National Trust, is a British preservation organization. ... Nathaniel Charles Jacob Rothschild, 4th Baron Rothschild, OM, GBE (born 29 April 1936) is a British investment banker, philanthropist and a member of the prominent Rothschild family of Jewish bankers. ... Masouleh village, Gilan Province, Iran. ...

History

The terrace, Waddesdon Manor

The Baron wanted a house in the style of the great Renaissance châteaux of the Loire Valley. Destailleur was already experienced in working in this style, having overseen the restoration of many châteaux in that region, in particular that of the Château de Mouchy. Through Destailleur's vision, Waddesdon embodied an eclectic style based on the châteaux so admired by his patron, Baron Ferdinand. The towers at Waddesdon were based on those of the Château de Maintenon, and the twin staircase towers, on the north facade, were inspired by the staircase tower at the Château de Chambord. However, following the theme of unparalleled luxury at Waddesdon, the windows of the towers at Waddesdon were glazed, unlike those of the staircase at Chambord. They are also far more ornate. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (2048x1536, 1124 KB) Photograph of the garden front of Waddesdon Manor, Buckinghamshire. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (2048x1536, 1124 KB) Photograph of the garden front of Waddesdon Manor, Buckinghamshire. ... The Renaissance (French for rebirth, or Rinascimento in Italian), was a cultural movement in Italy (and in Europe in general) that began in the late Middle Ages, and spanned roughly the 14th through the 17th century. ... Château de Chenonceau A rural château in France. ... Loire Valley (French: Vallée de la Loire) is known as the Garden of France and the Cradle of the French Language. ... Look up Eclectic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The front façade of the Château de Chambord, viewed from the south. ...

The structural design of Waddesdon, however, was not all retrospective. Hidden from view were the most modern innovations of the late 19th century including a steel frame, which took the strain of walls on the upper floors, which consequently permitted the layout of these floors to differ completely from the lower floors. The house also had hot and cold running water in its bathrooms, central heating, and an electric bell system to summon the numerous servants. The steel cable of a colliery winding tower. ... The article on electrical energy is located elsewhere. ...

Waddesdon Manor. The towers were inspired by those at the Château de Maintenon.

Once his château was complete, Baron Ferdinand installed his extensive collections of French 18th-century tapestries, boiseries, furniture and ceramics, English and Dutch paintings and Renaissance works of art. Extensive landscaping was carried out and the gardens enhanced with statuary, pavilions and an aviary. The grounds were laid out by the French landscape architect Lainé. An attempt was made to transplant fully-grown trees by chloroforming their roots, to limit the shock. While this novel idea was unsuccessful, many very large trees were successfully transplanted, causing the grounds to be such a wonder of their day that, in 1890, Queen Victoria invited herself to view them. The Queen was, however, more impressed by the electric lighting in the house than the wonders of the park. Fascinated by the invention she had not seen before, she is reported to have spent ten minutes switching a newly electrified 18th-century chandelier on and off. Image File history File links Waddesdon_towers. ... Image File history File links Waddesdon_towers. ... There is an album by Carol King called Tapestry A tapestry cushion, depicting pansies Tapestry is a form of textile art. ... Mentmore Towers The boiseries were from from the Hôtel de Villars, Paris, and are inset with paintings and Genoese velvet Boiserie (often used in the plural boiseries) is the term to used to define ornate and intricately carved panelling. ... Look up furniture in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Ancient Egyptian ceramic art: Louvre Museum. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the King (Queen) England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Unified  -  by Athelstan 967 AD  Area  -  Total 130,395 km²  50,346 sq mi  Population  -  2007 estimate... The Renaissance (French for rebirth, or Rinascimento in Italian), was a cultural movement in Italy (and in Europe in general) that began in the late Middle Ages, and spanned roughly the 14th through the 17th century. ... Central Park, like all parks, is an example of landscape architecture. ... Charlie Chaplin Statue A statue is a sculpture depicting a specific entity, usually a person, event, animal or object. ... Pavilion may refer to a type of building: Pavilion (structure) or to a specific building: Pavilion, New York London Pavilion Royal Pavilion Balboa Pavilion Pavilion is a brand name of computers and notebooks made by Hewlett-Packard. ... An aviary is a large enclosure for confining birds. ... For the song Chloroform by Spoon, see A Series of Sneaks Chloroform, also known as trichloromethane and methyl trichloride, is a chemical compound with formula CHCl3. ... Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837, and the first Empress of India from 1 May 1876, until her death on 22 January 1901. ...

When Baron Ferdinand died in 1898, the house passed to his sister Alice de Rothschild, who further developed the collections. Baron Ferdinand's collection of Renaissance works and a collection of arms were both bequeathed to the British Museum as "The Waddesdon Bequest". During World War II, children under the age of five were evacuated from London and lived at Waddesdon Manor. Alice Charlotte von Rothschild (February 17, 1847 - May 3, 1922) was a socialite and member of the prominent Rothschild banking family of Austria. ... The British Museum in London is one of the worlds greatest museums of human history and culture. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

Following Alice de Rothschild's death in 1922, the property and collections passed to her great-nephew James A. "Jimmy" de Rothschild of the French branch of the family, who further enriched it with objects from the collections of his late father Baron Edmond James de Rothschild of Paris. James Armand Edmond de Rothschild, DCM, DL, (1878–1957[1][2]) was a French-born British politician and philanthropist, from the wealthy Rothschild international banking dynasty. ... Baron Edmond James de Rothschild (born August 19, 1845 - died November 2, 1934) was a philanthropist and activist for Jewish affairs and a member of the prominent Rothschild family. ... City flag City coat of arms Motto: Fluctuat nec mergitur (Latin: Tossed by the waves, she does not sink) Paris Eiffel tower as seen from the esplanade du Trocadéro. ...

Waddesdon Manor. One of the twin staircase-towers modelled on the staircase towers of Château de Chambord.

When James de Rothschild died in 1957, he bequeathed Waddesdon Manor, 200 acres of grounds and its contents to the National Trust, to be preserved for posterity. The Trust also received their largest ever endowment from him: £750,000. Image File history File links Waddesdon_Staircase_Tower. ... Image File history File links Waddesdon_Staircase_Tower. ... The front façade of the Château de Chambord, viewed from the south. ...

A nearby ancillary property, The Pavilion at Eythrope, had been constructed for Alice de Rothschild by the architect George Devey. This became the home of James de Rothschild's widow, Dorothy de Rothschild, usually known as "Mrs James"; she took a very keen interest in Waddesdon for the remainder of her long life. Eythrope and the rest of the Waddesdon estate remain the property of her heir, the 4th Lord Rothschild. Eythrope (previously Ethorp) is a hamlet and country house in the parish of Waddesdon, in Buckinghamshire, England. ... George Devey was born in London in 1820, the second son of Frederick and Ann Devey. ... Dorothy de Rothschild (1895 – 1988) was an English philanthropist and activist for Jewish affairs who had married into the Rothschild international financial dynasty. ...

Jacob Rothschild, 4th Lord Rothschild, has recently been a major benefactor of Waddesdon Manor, and, through the private family charitable trust, he has overseen a major restoration, and introduced new collections, thus enhancing the visitor attractions. In an unprecedented arrangement, he has been given authority by the National Trust to run Waddesdon Manor as a semi-independent operation.

In a burglary on 10 June 2003, approximately 100 French gold snuff boxes and bejewelled trifles were stolen from the collection. None were recovered intact, though fragments of a few were found amid melted gold in the burnt wreckage of a motor vehicle close to the Manor. These priceless artefacts, many encrusted with diamonds, had belonged to, among others, Marie Antoinette and Madame de Pompadour. They were irreplaceable. June 10 is the 161st day of the year (162nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the gemstone. ... Marie-Antoinette, Queen of France and Archduchess of Austria (born November 1755 – executed 16 October 1793) Daughter of Maria Theresa of Austria, wife of Louis XVI and mother of Louis XVII. She was guillotined at the height of the French Revolution. ... This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Waddesdon Manor in film

Several films have been shot at Waddesdon Manor, including the Carry On film Don't Lose Your Head, the Indian film Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham and in 2006 The Queen, in which interiors and the gardens doubled for Buckingham Palace. The Carry On films were a long-running series of British low-budget comedy films, directed by Gerald Thomas and produced by Peter Rogers. ... Dont Lose your head is the thirteenth Carry on Film it is set in France and England during the time of the French revolution. ... Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (Devanagari : कभी खुभी कभी ग़म - Sometimes Laughter, Sometimes Tears) is a Bollywood film released in India and countries with large NRI populations on December 14, 2001. ... The Queen is an Academy Award-winning British 2006 film directed by Stephen Frears and written by Peter Morgan. ... Buckingham Palace and the Victoria Memorial. ...

Waddesdon Manor was also used as Snow White's and Prince Wendell's castle in the TV miniseries The Tenth Kingdom. Computer-generated imagery was used to make it look larger. Snow White in her coffin, Theodor Hosemann, 1852. ... Prince Wendell (now King Wendell) is a fictional character in the Hallmark Entertainments and NBCs 2000 Mini-series The 10th Kingdom by Simon Moore. ... A miniseries (sometimes mini-series), in a serial storytelling medium, is a production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. ... The 10th Kingdom is a seven-hour United States television movie written by Simon Moore. ... Computer-generated imagery (CGI) is the application of the field of computer graphics (or more specifically, 3D computer graphics) to special effects. ...

Station

The manor and its local area were once served by a station, part of the Metropolitan Railway section between Aylesbury and Verney Junction that was closed when the line became incorporated into London Underground in 1936. At the other end of the estate the manor also once had a halt on the Brill Tramway which was closed down at about the same time. Waddesdon is a village in the Vale of Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, England, 6 miles from Aylesbury, on the A41. ... The Metropolitan Line is a line of the London Underground. ... Aylesbury railway station is the only railway station in Aylesbury. ... Verney Junction is a hamlet in the parish of Middle Claydon in north Buckinghamshire, England. ... The London Underground is an electric railway system that covers much of Greater London and some neighbouring areas. ... Quainton Road station in 2006, showing the platform used by the Brill trams The Brill Tramway (or Brill branch), originally known as the Wotton Tramway, was the common name for a far-flung and little used section of the Metropolitan Railway in Buckinghamshire, England. ...

See also

• Rothschild properties in Buckinghamshire

Of all the landowners in the Buckinghamshire area, none have had more impact on the landscape than the de Rothschild family. ...

Further reading

• Mrs James de Rothschild, Rothschilds at Waddesdon Manor (Collins, 1979) ISBN 0-00-216671-2
• Michael Hall and John Bigelow Taylor, Waddesdon Manor: The Heritage of a Rothschild House (Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 2002) ISBN 0-8109-0507-8

Gnomes 30th Anniversary Edition from Harry N. Abrams, Inc. ...

External links

• Waddesdon Manor at the National Trust
• Waddesdon Manor
• Waddesdon Manor Quicktime Virtual Reality image of Waddesdon Manor

Coordinates: 51°50′32″N, 0°56′16″W Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...