History of 14 Henrietta Street

14 Henrietta Street was built in the 1740s, and its exterior is a classic Georgian style: examples of similar architecture can be found across Dublin. The 18th century was a period of economic boom in Ireland, as Dublin became the second city of the empire and the wealthy arrived. The house was first occupied by Lord Richard Molesworth and his family: the whole five-story house would have been for the one family and their household, and the interior was designed to separate public, private and domestic spheres. Subsequent owners were of similar social status: predominantly members of the Anglo-Irish gentry and their family who wanted a suitably grand house to reflect their social status.

This changed in the 1800s, when those with more professional, blue collar occupations began to buy up property like Henrietta Street. The house became a place of work, and slightly more functional than decorative.

The house changed purpose again in following the Great Famine. The population of Dublin had increased rapidly, and landlords began to buy up big houses like those on Henrietta Street to rent out in flats (or tenements) to families. 14 Henrietta Street was bought in 1876 and rented out initially as 4 separate apartments

By the time of the 1911, over 100 people lived in 14 Henrietta Street: it was squalid, cramped and dirty. It remained a tenement building until 1976, when the last tenants left: the building was crumbling.

Dublin City Council bought the house in 2000 and restored it into the building that can be visited today.

14 Henrietta Street today

The house opened to the public in September 2018: access is by guided tour only. The guides have some good stories (or legends!) about former residents and the house itself that are worth listening out for. There are several steep sets of stairs and the tour involves standing up for a long time.

Rooms have been restored to their appearance in different periods, and particularly poignant are the rooms divided up into tenement dwellings, complete with some of the belongings that would have filled the space donated by ex-residents.

Getting to 14 Henrietta Street

14 Henrietta Street is easily accessible on foot from central Dublin – it is a couple of roads up from Parnell Street, and close to the Hugh Lane Gallery. There are several bus routes which stop close by: the nearest Luas stop is Dominik (Green line).

A la Ronde history

The eccentric house of A la Ronde was built in 1796 for Jane and Mary Parminter, a pair of cousins looking to construct their own rural retreat following years of travelling around Europe. Alongside Jane’s sister Elizabeth and their friend from London Miss Colville, the women explored France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and possibly Spain and Portugal before returning to England to design their home.

Inspired by the 6th-century Byzantine Basilica of San Vitale they saw in Ravenna, Italy, a quirky geometrical building was constructed complete with 16 sides! They filled the house with their vast collection of souvenirs and over the years decorated it with oddities of their own making, such as a ‘shell gallery’, feather frieze and mosaic work.

When Jane and Mary died in 1811 and 1849 respectively, they pair were buried in the nearby Point in View chapel, specially built for them on land adjoining a la Ronde. In Mary’s extraordinarily long will, she interestingly specified that A la Ronde was to remain intact from the time of their residence, and should only be inherited by their ‘unmarried kinswomen’.

A la Ronde today

Today A la Ronde is managed by the National Trust and is a popular tourist attraction for those looking to explore some of Britain’s more unknown history. Alongside its intriguing exterior, visitors can inside admire the unusual ‘shell gallery’, a seaside-themed enclosure covered in as many as 25,000 shells arranged in intricate patterns by the cousins.

Their ‘cabinet of curiosities’ also features a host of interesting objects from shells to votive statues, and their large collection of souvenirs can of course be found throughout. Wonderful views across the Exe estuary to the east Devon coastline provide a pleasant backdrop to visits of A la Ronde, with tranquil gardens and a cafe also available to explore.

Getting to A la Ronde

A la Ronde is located 2 miles north of Exmouth in Devon off the A376, and there is free parking at the site. A number of bus services stop at the Courtlands Cross stop a 5-minute walk away, while the nearest train stations are Lympstone Village and Exmouth, both around a 30-minute walk.

Today, Abbotsford and its beautiful surrounding woodland and gardens are available to wander, situated along the banks of the River Tweed in Scotland.

Abbotsford history

The Abbotsford estate was originally a small farm called Cartyhole, and was bought by Scott when his lease ran out in 1811 at the neighbouring house Ashestiel. Scott renamed the estate ‘Abbotsford’ after the nearby Melrose Abbey, and the original farmhouse was massively extended by Scott between 1816 and 1824 using his literary fortune.

Inside the mansion Scott collected ancient furniture, amassed a spectacular library overlooking the gardens and river, displayed medieval armour and weapons as well as other Scottish relics such as the Celtic Torrs horned cap. The style of Abbotsford was primarily Scottish Baronial – a miniature castle with small towers and imitation battlements that incorporated other historic objects, such as the old Tolbooth door from Edinburgh.

While the neo-medieval features of Abbotsford satisfied Scott’s love for all things historical, the house also reflected modern living. Abbotsford had early gas lighting and bells connecting the servants quarters with the rest of the house. Unfortunately, Scott soon fell into debt. The library and museum within the house were given to him as a gift from creditors.

Abbotsford was opened to the eager public in 1833 but still hosted Scott’s descendants until 2004 when the Abbotsford Trust was founded to maintain the estate.

Abbotsford today

Open 7 days a week between 10am and 5 pm, today you can step back into the historic house and chapel before wandering the beautiful gardens. Inside the house, walk the halls lined with medieval battlements and enter rooms with grand fireplaces and wallpapered in the rich colours and textures of East Asia, reflecting the period’s colonial fervour.

The gardens and house are straight from a romantic novel – the Regency gardens providing a set of secluded ‘rooms’ unlike English landscape gardens and feature a greenhouse modelled on a jousting tent. Exploring beyond the gardens you can see Scott’s passion for planting trees, which he started planting even before moving in.

Getting to Abbotsford

From Edinburgh, the drive to Abbotsford takes around an hour and 10 minutes, following the A27 from Peebles and the A7 towards Galashiels and Melrose. Exit at Tweedbank onto the B6360 and Abbotsford is on your right, with plenty of car parking.

You can also get the train to Tweedbank from Edinburgh, which takes roughly an hour, and can walk the 20 minutes over to Abbotsford.

History of Adelaide Cottage

Adelaide Cottage was rebuilt on the site of an old Head Keeper’s Lodge in 1831 in the picturesque style under the supervision of architect Sir Jeffry Wyatville, for the wife of King William IV – Queen Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen – as a summer retreat. Building materials from Royal Lodge were used in its construction and many royal experts have described the cottage as one of the most “aesthetically pleasing” residences that make up the royal estate.

The property was often frequented by Queen Victoria who would take breakfast or tea in the grounds – so much so a private carriageway was created for her. Her beloved pet dog Dash is also buried on the grounds. Another famous resident was Group Captain Peter Townsend, who was equerry to George VI from 1944-1952 and famously had a love affair with Princess Margaret. He was given the property as a grace-and-favour residence in 1944, and reportedly referred to the cottage as an “icebox” as it only had two radiators.

The 4 bedroom cottage has been a grace-and-favour property since then, and before 2018, the cottage was home to Simon Rhodes, the son of Elizabeth II’s first cousin Margaret Rhodes.

The cottage underwent major renovations in 2015 with the historical architecture still intact. At one point the cottage had elaborate decorations, with the master bedroom still reportedly boasting a ceiling covered with gilded dolphins and a rope decoration originally from the 19th century yacht Royal George, as well as having a slate roof and a marble Graeco-Egyptian fireplace.

Adelaide Cottage today

In the summer of 2022, Adelaide Cottage became the home of the Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. At the time, it was a gift from the Queen, who had the sole decision over who resided there. The family pays market rent, and have also retained their other two residences; Apartment 1a at Kensington Palace and Anmer Hall in Norfolk.

The move was driven by William and Kate’s desire to give their children a more rural and private upbringing, away from living in the tourist attraction of Kensington Palace in London. The cottage is also closer to Princess Kate’s parents, brother and sister, and means George, Charlotte and Louis can attend school nearby together and live as normal a life as possible.

Getting to Adelaide Cottage

Adelaide Cottage is a private royal residence and as such as not open to visitors, but Windsor Castle is nearby and offers royal fans numerous exhibitions and tours.

Althorp House and Estate history

Althorp House first became the seat of the Spencer family in 1508, when Sir John Spencer purchased the land with money from his successful sheep-rearing business, building the eminent house in the process. Over the years Althorp has passed through 19 generations of Spencer, welcoming kings from Charles I to Edward VII through their halls.

In the 18th century, Althorp became a hub for lavish parties and meetings of high society under John Spencer, 1st Earl Spencer. One such party in 1755 for the Earl’s 21st birthday saw France’s top chefs brought in to cater for his guests, with 11,000 pints of beer drank and his secret marriage to Margaret Georgiana Poyntz undertaken!

His daughter Georgiana Spencer, Duchess of Devonshire would similarly become known for her lavish lifestyle and socialite status, yet lived an infamously loveless marriage to the Duke of Devonshire. Her life has often been compared to that of her ancestor Diana Spencer, Princess of Wales who too grew up at Althorp.

Diana amassed worldwide renown after marrying Prince Charles in 1981, and over the years touched many lives with her charity work and activism. When in 1997 the Princess tragically died in a car accident, her body was laid to rest at Althorp on an island in the centre of Round Oval lake.

Althorp House and Estate today

Today visitors to Althorp can wander through the grand house and explore the Spencer family’s private apartments, as well as view the fascinating interiors and art collections on display.

The Picture Gallery in particular offers a stunning collection of 17th century portraiture, while the Library is home to towers of books once the finest private collection in the world, before many were sold to build up the John Rylands Library at University of Manchester.

Outside the sizeable gardens, stables, and parkland also offer a peaceful walk amongst a mix of terrains and habitats – you might even spot a rare black fallow deer!

Getting to Althorp House and Estate

Althorp House is located in Northamptonshire following minor roads off the A4500, with the entrance to the free visitor carpark at the West Gate. Northampton train station is 5 miles away, from which a taxi or Stagecoach number 96 can take you to the house, whose nearest bus stop is Althorp, East Lodge. There you are required to use the interactive gate panel, after which the estate minibus will take you directly to the house.

From photographs and manuscripts to items belonging to Robert E. Lee and ‘Stonewall’ Jackson and other artefacts, the The American Civil War Museum offers a comprehensive insight into life in the Confederate States.

History of The American Civil War Museum

The American Civil War Museum is a multi-site museum in the Greater Richmond Region of central Virginia, dedicated to the history of the American Civil War. It is made up of three sites: The White House of the Confederacy, American Civil War Museum at Historic Tredegar in Richmond, and American Civil War Museum at Appomattox.

In 2013, the Museum of the Confederacy and the American Civil War Museum merged, creating the museum in its current state. The Museum of the Confederacy was founded in 1894, 29 years after one of the final battles of the war in Appomattox. I contains more than 15,000 documents and artefacts along with 500 original wartime battle flags from the Confederate States of America.

Beyond its three levels of galleries, the The American Civil War Museum also has one exhibit of special interest – the original White House of the Confederacy. Built in 1818, the house was the official seat of President Jefferson Davis during the Confederacy. The neoclassical building, which forms part of the museum complex, has been restored and can be toured.

The final site, The American Civil War Museum in Appomattox, opened in 2012. It tells the stories of the closing days of the Civil War, and the beginnings of the United States’ journey toward reunion.

The final site, Historic Tredegar, is home to the American Civil War Museum and traces its roots to 1836, when the iron works it now encloses were founded. In 2019, the museum opened a site of more than 7,000 square feet of new gallery space for permanent and changing exhibitions.

The American Civil War Museum Today

Today, all of the museums which make up the American Civil War Museum are popular sites, containing a huge amount of artefacts which relate to America’s often divided history, past and present.

It is worth taking the time to visit all three sites, if possible.

Getting to The American Civil War Museum

From the centre of Virginia, the American Civil War Museum: Historic Tredegar is an hour and a half drive via US-60 E road. The American Civil War Museum in Appomattox is only an 18 minute drive from the centre of Virginia, and an hour and 40 minutes from the Historic Tredegar site.

History of Andrew Johnson National Historic Site

Andrew Johnson was a southerner and a Democrat, who worked as a tailor prior to his political career and had little education. As Vice President to Abraham Lincoln, Johnson succeeded Lincoln upon his assassination and served from 1865 to 1869. He was the first US President who hadn’t studied law or been a war hero.

Johnson’s presidency was beset with problems (mainly concerning Reconstruction and the Constitution), including a fierce dispute with the Republicans which culminated in his impeachment and subsequent acquittal in 1868 under the Tenure of Office Act. Despite the negative press he often receives, Johnson’s administration also saw the US purchase Alaska, annex Midway Island, and he started the first of the White House’s famous Easter Egg Rolls.

Andrew Johnson National Historic Site today

The Andrew Johnson National Historic Site allows visitors to tour the President’s old home, which is now furnished with his original belongings. The tour offers an insight into Andrew Johnson’s early life and his work in trying to reunify his country. You can visit his old tailor shop, see original graffiti done by soldiers during the Civil War and even take part in a reconstruction of his impeachment proceedings in the museum.

Nearby is the National Cemetery, a resting place for veterans and where Andrew Johnson is buried with his family. The best way to plan your trip is to start at the visitors’ centre, which houses the museum and which contains itinerary ideas. Free guided tours run regularly, but it’s also possible to visit as part of a self-guided tour.

The site is open year round, with varying hours for summer and winter. Check weather conditions before venturing in the winter as inclement weather can sometimes cause the site close.

Getting to the Andrew Johnson National Historic Site

The Andrew Johnson National Historic Site is in Greeneville, Tennessee, just off North Main Street. Greeneville is about 12 miles off Route 81. There’s parking in town, but note that the road is narrow and the hill is steep – it’s not suitable for buses or campervans. There’s no public transportation in or around Greeneville, so you’ll need your own transportation.

Although known as Anne Frank’s House, the site was originally her father’s office building and all eight inhabitants lived in a secret annex in the attic hidden by a moveable bookcase.

Anne Frank’s House history

Anne Frank was born in the German city of Frankfurt am Main in 1929. Due to the rampant antisemitic sentiments in Germany, Anne’s parents, Otto and Edith Frank, decide to move to Amsterdam. There, Otto founded a company that traded in pectin, a gelling agent for making jam.

On 1 September 1939, when Anne was 10 years old, Nazi Germany invaded Poland, and so the Second World War began. Not long after, on 10 May 1940, the Nazis also invaded the Netherlands. Five days later, the Dutch army surrendered. Slowly but surely, the Nazis introduced more and more laws and regulations that made the lives of Jews more difficult.

When Anne’s older sister Margot received a call-up to report for a so-called ‘labour camp’ in Nazi Germany on 5 July 1942, her parents were suspicious. They did not believe the call-up was about work and decided to go into hiding the next day in order to escape persecution.  In the spring of 1942, Anne’s father had started furnishing a hiding place in the annex of his business premises at Prinsengracht 263. He received help from his former colleagues. Before long, they were joined by four more people.

On her thirteenth birthday, just before they went into hiding, Anne was presented with a diary. During the two years in hiding, Anne wrote about events in the Secret Annex, but also about her feelings and thoughts.

When the Minister of Education of the Dutch government in England made an appeal on Radio Orange to hold on to war diaries and documents, Anne was inspired to rewrite her individual diaries into one running story, titled Het Achterhuis (The Secret Annex).

Anne started rewriting her diary, but before she was done, she and the other people in hiding were discovered and arrested by police officers on 4 August 1944 and subsequently imprisoned in concentration camps.

Despite the raid, part of Anne’s writing was preserved: two other helpers took the documents before the Secret Annex was emptied by order of the Nazis.

Anne Frank died in Bergen-Belsen in March 1945, but her diary was later discovered by her father and published to worldwide acclaim.

People all over the world were introduced to Anne’s story and in 1960 the hiding place became a museum: the Anne Frank House.

Anne Frank’s House today

Until his death in 1980, Otto remained closely involved with the Anne Frank House and the museum. He hoped that readers of the diary would become aware of the dangers of discrimination, racism, and hatred of Jews.

The museum allows visitors to see the moving bookcase, walk through the cramped secret annex and gain a true appreciation of the hardship this group endured in their fight for survival.

The museum displays many original letters, photos and objects belonging to the Frank family as well as to the van Pels and Fritz Pfeffer. Anne Frank’s original diary is also on display.

Getting to Anne Frank’s House

The Anne Frank House is located in the city centre of Amsterdam, at Prinsengracht 263-267. The entrance to the museum is around the corner, at Westermarkt 20. It is a 20-minute walk from Amsterdam Central Station. Alternatively, take tram 13 or 17 and get off at the Westermarkt stop.

Anne Hathaway’s Cottage history

Anne Hathaway’s Cottage was built as a farmhouse in 1463 and initially consisted of just 3 rooms, 2 of which still survive today in the form of the kitchen and parlour. Anne’s grandfather John Hathaway was the first to live there as a tenant sheep farmer, and Anne herself was born there in 1556.

Following her father Richard’s death in 1581, Anne’s brother Bartholomew inherited the farm, expanding it with an upper floor and new chimneys. It is almost certain that the Hathaways knew the Shakespeares and it is likely that the pair spent some time together at the cottage, before in November 1582 Anne and William were married while she was 26 and he 18.

This age difference, alongside the fact that Anne was already pregnant with their child, has caused many to suspect that they had a ‘shotgun wedding’ in order to maintain their honour, however there is little else to suggest this. The pair went on to have 3 children together and following Shakespeare’s retirement in 1613 he moved back to Stratford-upon-Avon to be with Anne.

Anne Hathaway’s Cottage remained in the Hathaway family for 13 generations, until in 1846 financial troubles forced them to sell. In 1892 it was purchased by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, who run it as a museum today.

Anne Hathaway’s Cottage today

Today Anne Hathaway’s Cottage hosts a range of fascinating items and stories to discover. Highlights include a 17th century chair gifted to the Hathaway family by Anne and Shakespeare’s granddaughter, and the ornate Hathaway Bed made between 1580 and 1650.

Outside, the sculpture garden features works inspired by Shakespeare’s most beloved plays, while the Cottage Gardens consist of acres of pleasant orchards and greenery.

The Cottage is also a 10-minute drive to Shakespeare’s Birthplace, where visitors may continue to explore the great playwright’s life.

Getting to Anne Hathaway’s Cottage

Anne Hathaway’s Cottage is located in Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire, just off the A46. Stratford-upon-Avon train station is a 25-minute walk away, while the 27 bus service and Johnsons Coaches tour bus stop directly outside.

History of Appomattox Court House

Misleadingly, the actual Appomattox Court House, built in 1846, played no role in events – it was in fact the McLean House which saw General Lee’s surrender. The house was originally constructed in 1848, and sold to Wilmer McLean in 1863.

One of the first battles of the Civil War, the First Battle of Bull Run, had taken place on McLean’s farm, and he was keen to move to avoid the war, being too old to enlist, and he and his wife Virginia resettled in Clover Hill, Virginia. McLean made money running sugar through the Union blockade and was a slaveowner himself.

Despite his attempts to leave the fighting behind, it was in his home that General Robert Lee, leader of the Confederate army, surrendered to the Unionist Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant. The exact table and chairs where the surrender was negotiated are now part of the Smithsonian collection.

With the collapse of the Confederacy, the McLeans’ fortune disappeared, and their house – known as ‘Surrender House’ – was auctioned off in November 1869. The property traded hands several more times until 1891, when it was bought by a group of investors who planned to capitalise on its pivotal role and turn it into a kind of Civil War museum, disassembling it and taking it to Washington. This scheme never came to fruition, and having run out of money, the house was left to ruin once again.

Eventually, Appomattox Court House National Park was created in 1940, and the McLean House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966.

Appomattox Court House today

Appomattox County Court National Park now offers visitors a myriad of experiences and exhibits relating to the Confederate surrender. You can visit the Mclean House where the surrender took place as well as the Appomattox County Court Visitors Centre, which houses a number of exhibits relating to the event.

Visitors can also gain an understanding of the final battles of the Civil War by visiting the Appomattox Station and Court House. Living history experiences are conducted throughout the summer months and occasionally in the spring and winter, with actors recreating the famous surrender. You should allow at least three hours for your visit.

Getting to Appomattox Court House

The site is located in south Virginia, about 95 miles west of Richmond. There’s ample parking on site, including for coaches and buses – parking is about 5 km northeast of the modern day town of Appomattox. Public transport is non-existent in this part of the US.