Chiddingstone Castle of two romantics, Henry Streatfield in the 1800s and Denys Eyre Bower in the 1950s.

 

with DEDICATION TO AMERICAN MARRIAGE WHO HELPED TO FIND THE WAY BACK HOME 

[I was walking to this castle from Hever castle where I spend most of day. The walk was through footpath in the forest. I enjoyed walking and visiting Chiddingstone Castle. Unfortunately when I liked to back I lost this footpath and walking around this castle few times. The time was going very fast and it was time for come back home. I can say I'm lucky. I met wonderful American people who helped me. They offered to lift me to train station where I could caught the train to Chertsey. We sat together  chatting about castles ruins and beautiful area Kent. It was so nice afternoon. Unfortunately I didn't ask them about names but I'm very thankful to get their help.]

THANK YOU MY DEAREST STRANGERS

 

Chiddingstone Castle is situated in the village of Chiddingstone. The castle itself dates from the early 19th century, but incorporates elements of earlier buildings on the same site. From the early 16th century to the end of the 19th century it was the seat of the Streatfeild family. Since 1977, the castle and its 35 acres (140,000 m²) of grounds have been held in trust for the nation by the Denys Eyre Bower Bequest and both are open to the public.

 

he first significant building to occupy the site of the castle was a timber-framed dwelling, inhabited from the early 16th century by Richard Streatfeild, an iron master and wool merchant. Little remains of this first structure as, in 1679, Henry Streatfeild (1639-1719) had the house rebuilt in red brick in the Restoration style. The building was known as High Street House or High Street Mansion since it fronted the village high street. Remodelling of the house's grounds in the 19th century resulted in the current diversion of the road through the village

 

 In the early 19th century, Henry Streatfeild (1757-1829), the son of Henry Streatfeild (1706-1762) and Lady Anne Sidney, commissioned William Atkinson to rebuild the house in the Gothic style however Atkinson's design was not completed and, in 1835, Streatfeild's son, also Henry Streatfeild (1784-1852), engaged the architect Henry Kendal to carry out further work. Although the Streatfields owned the house, now renamed Chiddingstone Castle, until it was sold to Lord Astor in 1938, the family did not live there after 1900. During the Second World War, the castle hosted members of the Canadian Forces before becoming Long Dene School until 1954

The Victorian Orangery

 In 1955, the castle was purchased by Denys Eyre Bower (1905-1977), a former bank clerk and antiques dealer, in order to display his collections. Bower was born in Crich, Derbyshire and started collecting at a young age. Bower initially worked as a bank clerk before taking over Cavendish Hood antiques dealers in Baker Street, London in 1943. The redevelopment of Baker Street led to Bower moving to Chiddingstone Castle where he intended to show his collections to the public.  However, in 1957 Bower was convicted of attempted murder of his girlfriend and attempted suicide and sentenced to life imprisonment.  Released in 1962 after successful efforts by solicitor Ruth Eldridge to prove a miscarriage of justice, Bower returned to Chiddingstone Castle which, with the help of Eldridge and her sister Mary, he continued to open to visitors until his death in 1977

The White Rose Drawing Room

Print Room

The Egyptian collection at Chiddingstone Castle holds some unique and rare objects such as a red porphyry head of a queen from the Ptolemaic Period, an outstanding collection of shabti figures which were placed inside tombs as workers for the afterlife, a 5,000 year old funerary boat, and a fantastic collection of drink and food vessels ranging from the Predynastic Period to the New Kingdom.Denys Eyre Bower became interested in the subject in 1922, when the tomb of Tutankhamen was discovered by Howard Carter. Amongst the objects now exhibited is a letter from the great British archaeologist William Flinders Petrie to Denys in response to his conservation enquiry.

The castle currently holds 8,000 objects, including: Japanese lacquer, armour and swords; Ancient Egyptian aretefacts; Royal Stuart and Jacobite portraits, letters, manuscripts, pamphlets and memorabilia; and Buddhist objects. Other miscellaneous objects comprising barrel organs, tapestries and furniture complete the collection