{"id":4817,"date":"2020-06-02T11:06:28","date_gmt":"2020-06-02T15:06:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/?p=4817"},"modified":"2020-06-02T11:16:49","modified_gmt":"2020-06-02T15:16:49","slug":"fwd-episode-57-eywood-revisited-1960-sad-sight-to-see","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/?p=4817","title":{"rendered":"Fwd: EPISODE 57 EYWOOD REVISITED 1960…SAD SIGHT TO SEE"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Begin forwarded message:<\/div>\n


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From: <\/b><\/span>ALAN SKEOCH <alan.skeoch@rogers.com<\/a><\/a>>
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Subject: <\/b><\/span>EPISODE 57 EYWOOD REVISITED 1960…SAD SIGHT TO SEE<\/b>
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Date: <\/b><\/span>June 2, 2020 at 11:04:00 AM EDT
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To: <\/b><\/span>alan.skeoch@bellnet.ca<\/a><\/a>
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EPISODE 57   EYWOOD REVISITED 1960\u2026SAD  SIGHT TO SEE<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
alan skeoch<\/div>\n
June 2020<\/div>\n

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\u201cWell, Alan,  I expect you would like to see Eywood?\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cAny time you are ready.\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cFew chores to do first.\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cNo problem.  Do you miss he Eywood Estate farm of Oatcroft?\u201d<\/div>\n

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(Cyril did not answer\u2026just looked at me\u2026.perhaps pain in his<\/div>\n
way of looking.  Oatcroft was  500 cree in size.  Lower Wooten farm<\/div>\n
was about 40 acres.  I should not have asked that question.)<\/div>\n

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\u201cLet\u2019s round up the sheep  before we go, Alan.\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cSure thing.\u201d<\/div>\n
 (And strangely, this photograph of Cyril , his rented farm, his sheep, has a deep<\/div>\n
impact.  Hopeful, purposeful, human.  I was quite willing to delay the visit to<\/div>\n
Eywood even though my time in England was very limited.  Actually I feared the <\/div>\n
visit.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
Demolitions were happening all over England\u2026big houses  becoming piles of rubble.<\/div>\n

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<\/div>\n
Was the demolition of Eywood in1954 startling to the British people?   Was there a feeling that<\/div>\n
a national treasure was  about to disappear?  Not in the least.  A country house<\/div>\n
was being demolished every five days by 1955.  Some of them far more impressive<\/div>\n
than Eywood.  What made matters worse is  that no one seemed  concerned.<\/div>\n
The social life of the country houses was dead.   In many cases, like Eywood,<\/div>\n
the building faced succession dues as high as 65% of value.  This cost plus<\/div>\n
the fact that many of the aristocratic owners  had  been killed in the two World<\/div>\n
Wars of the 20th century meant that country houses were doomed.  The large <\/div>\n
number of servants and workers that once depended upon the largesse of<\/div>\n
the wealthy class had found better pay and real independence elsewhere.<\/div>\n
The result was  that the owners of hundreds of country houses  could not<\/div>\n
afford the maintenance of  these once  semi-palatial homes.  Demolition <\/div>\n
was the answer.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
In England  alone 1,998 of these large beautiful country houses have<\/div>\n
been demolished.  The records are there.  The weeping was not<\/div>\n
there.  In the 1950\u2019s England was trying to survive after the devastation<\/div>\n
of World War II.   Sympathy for the problems of the wealthy class that<\/div>\n
owned these large country houses was lacking.<\/div>\n

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The strange thing to me was the fact I had a feeling of loss.  Why?<\/div>\n
I did  not know Eywood at all.  Where did this feeling of loss come from<\/div>\n
then?   It came from those hand carved picture frames hanging in the one<\/div>\n
warm room in Grandma and Grandpa Freeman\u2019s farm house.  And<\/div>\n
had I looked closely I should have noticed the feeling for Eywood<\/div>\n
was really a feeling of fellowship for those who made Eywood function<\/div>\n
\u2026the people that worked there.  In each of those picture frames<\/div>\n
was a picture of a person.  Not one picture  frame included a<\/div>\n
picture of the stately estate country house called  Eywood.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
Listed below are the country houses demolished  in Herefordshire alone.<\/div>\n
The contents  kept  several auction houses in business.   <\/div>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

<\/td>\n
<\/td>\n
<\/td>\n
<\/td>\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/a>Herefordshire<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Allensmore Court<\/td>\nAllensmore<\/td>\nHerefordshire<\/td>\n1958<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Aramstone House<\/td>\nKing’s Caple<\/td>\nHerefordshire<\/td>\n1959<\/td>\nN<\/td>\nImage(s)<\/a> \"[Link<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Bromtrees Hall<\/td>\nBishop’s Frome<\/td>\nHerefordshire<\/td>\nc.1945<\/td>\nDe, N<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Broxwood Court<\/td>\nBroxwood<\/td>\nHerefordshire<\/td>\n1955<\/td>\nN<\/td>\nImage(s)<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cheyney Court<\/td>\nBishop’s Frome<\/td>\nHerefordshire<\/td>\n1888<\/td>\nB<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cowarne Court<\/td>\nMuch Cowarne<\/td>\nHerefordshire<\/td>\n1960s<\/td>\n<\/td>\nImage(s)<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Croft Castle<\/td>\nCroft<\/td>\nHerefordshire<\/td>\n1937<\/td>\nP<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Eardisley Park<\/td>\nEardisley<\/td>\nHerefordshire<\/td>\n1999<\/td>\nB, N<\/td>\nImage(s)<\/a> \"[Link<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Eywood<\/td>\nTitley<\/td>\nHerefordshire<\/td>\n1954<\/td>\nSu<\/td>\nInfo + Image(s)<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Foxley<\/td>\nYazor<\/td>\nHerefordshire<\/td>\n1948<\/td>\nDw<\/td>\nImage(s)<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Freens Court<\/td>\nSutton<\/td>\nHerefordshire<\/td>\n1953<\/td>\nDe<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Garnons<\/td>\nMansell Gamage<\/td>\nHerefordshire<\/td>\n1957<\/td>\nP<\/td>\nImage(s)<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Garnstone Castle<\/td>\nWeobley<\/td>\nHerefordshire<\/td>\n1959<\/td>\n<\/td>\nImage(s)<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Gayton Hall<\/td>\nUpton Bishop<\/td>\nHerefordshire<\/td>\n1955<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Goodrich Court<\/td>\nGoodrich<\/td>\nHerefordshire<\/td>\n1950<\/td>\n<\/td>\nImage(s)<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Harewood Park<\/td>\nHarewood<\/td>\nHerefordshire<\/td>\n1959<\/td>\nDw, Su, N<\/td>\nInfo + Image(s)<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Hatfield Court<\/td>\nHatfield<\/td>\nHerefordshire<\/td>\n<\/td>\nP<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Hope End House<\/td>\nLedbury<\/td>\nHerefordshire<\/td>\n1873<\/td>\nN<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Huntingdon Park<\/td>\nHuntingdon<\/td>\nHerefordshire<\/td>\n1966<\/td>\nDe<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Knill Court<\/td>\nKnill<\/td>\nHerefordshire<\/td>\n1943<\/td>\nB, N<\/td>\nInfo + Image(s)<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Letton Court [I]<\/td>\nLetton<\/td>\nHerefordshire<\/td>\n1863<\/td>\nN<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Letton Court [II]<\/td>\nLetton<\/td>\nHerefordshire<\/td>\n1925<\/td>\nB, N<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Moor Court<\/td>\nPembridge<\/td>\nHerefordshire<\/td>\n1950s<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Moor [The]<\/td>\nClifford<\/td>\nHerefordshire<\/td>\n1952<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Moreton Court<\/td>\nMoreton-on-Lugg<\/td>\nHerefordshire<\/td>\n1950s<\/td>\n<\/td>\nInfo + Image(s)<\/a> \"[Link<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Perrystone Court<\/td>\nFoy<\/td>\nHerefordshire<\/td>\n1959<\/td>\nB, N<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Rotherwas<\/td>\nDinedor<\/td>\nHerefordshire<\/td>\n1925<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Saltmarshe Castle<\/td>\nBromyard<\/td>\nHerefordshire<\/td>\n1955<\/td>\n<\/td>\nImage(s)<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sarnesfield Court<\/td>\nSarnesfield<\/td>\nHerefordshire<\/td>\n1955<\/td>\n<\/td>\nImage(s)<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Shobdon Court<\/td>\nShobdon<\/td>\nHerefordshire<\/td>\n1933<\/td>\nSu<\/td>\nImage(s)<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Staunton Park<\/td>\nStaunton-on-Arrow<\/td>\nHerefordshire<\/td>\n1921<\/td>\nN<\/td>\nImage(s)<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Stoke Edith<\/td>\nTarrington<\/td>\nHerefordshire<\/td>\n1927<\/td>\nB<\/td>\nImage(s)<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Thinghill<\/td>\nWithington<\/td>\nHerefordshire<\/td>\nc.1929\/30<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tyberton Court<\/td>\nTyberton<\/td>\nHerefordshire<\/td>\n1952<\/td>\n<\/td>\nImage(s)<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Urishay Castle<\/td>\nPeterchurch<\/td>\nHerefordshire<\/td>\n1921<\/td>\nS<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Whitfield<\/td>\nWormbridge<\/td>\nHerefordshire<\/td>\nc.1949-53<\/td>\nP<\/td>\nImage(s)<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Whittern [The]<\/td>\nLyonshall<\/td>\nHerefordshire<\/td>\n1930s<\/td>\nN<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Wistaston Court<\/td>\n<\/td>\nHerefordshire<\/td>\nc.1910<\/td>\nB<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Wormbridge House<\/td>\nWormbridge<\/td>\nHerefordshire<\/td>\n1798<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/a>Hertfordshire<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
So Cyril Griffiths was going to take me to Eywood.   He seemed in no rush to do so.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
His  family were really happy that I  had come.  A descendent of the Eywood family.<\/div>\n
Not the blood family.  But the working family.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
What would I find when we got to the estate?<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
I expected ruin.  Expected piles of bricks and broken mortar.<\/div>\n
That is not what i found.   What I found was, and remains, quite remarkable.<\/div>\n

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COMING NEXT.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
EPISODE 58:  FINALLY, A VISIT TO EYWOOD\u2026A GRAND SURPRISE\u2026COMING NEXT EPISODE<\/div>\n

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<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Begin forwarded message: From: ALAN SKEOCH <alan.skeoch@rogers.com> Subject: EPISODE 57 EYWOOD REVISITED 1960…SAD SIGHT TO SEE Date: June 2, 2020 at 11:04:00 AM EDT To: alan.skeoch@bellnet.ca EPISODE 57   EYWOOD REVISITED 1960\u2026SAD  SIGHT TO SEE alan skeoch June 2020 \u201cWell, Alan,  I expect you would like to see Eywood?\u201d \u201cAny time you are ready.\u201d \u201cFew […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4817","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4817","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4817"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4817\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4817"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4817"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4817"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}