Houghton House in Ampthill, Bedfordshire is a Grade I listed building now in ruins.
It is now maintained by English Heritage and they have restored it to what you see today.
The house was commissioned in 1615 by Mary Herbert, the Dowager Countess of Pembroke to be used as a hunting lodge. Mary was a well-connected member of the court of King James I and it was he who granted Mary the land. The building was finished in 1621 and on completion it was honoured by a visit from the King. Not long after this Mary died of smallpox and the King granted the house and lands to the Bruce family.
The family eventually sold the lands and house to the Duke of Bedford, who rented the park but not the house to his neighbour. Eventually unable to rent the house without the land the Duke ordered the house to be dismantled and it fell into ruins.
There have been reports of ghostly shadows that appear and vanish once seen. Also the apparitions of a knight on horseback and the figure of a little girl have been seen.
I have been to hundreds of places like this and have never seen or felt anything. But yesterday was different! For the first time ever I felt a presence and saw a black figure move from the hallway into one of the front rooms and vanish!
Tags: © Fred255 Photography 2014 1dsmk3 1ds 1DS 3 EOS-1Ds Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III manfrotto Mark III Canon England EF EF17-40mm f/4L USM 17-40 USM L Lens L Landscapes Landscape HDR House Historic Abandoned architectural photography Houghton House Ampthill Bedfordshire Grade I listed building English Heritage 1615 Mary Herbert Dowager Countess of Pembroke hunting lodge King James I Bruce family smallpox Duke of Bedford dismantled ghostly shadows ghost ghosts GreatPhotographers greaterphotographers GP apparitions
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Wrest Park belonged to the powerful de Grey family, Earls of Kent, from 1280 into the 19th century. The present house here was built in 1834 and is the third on this site. It is a rare example in England of the French chateau style in architecture - built, not surprisingly, by a French architect.
The house was used in the early 19th century as a residence for the US Ambassador, but it is now used by the National Institute of Agricultural Engineering. The state rooms can be seen by visitors, and are now administered by English Heritage
Tags: © Fred255 Photography 2015 Canon Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III EF28-70mm f/2.8L USM L Lens architectural photography Wrest Park French architect French chateau style US Ambassador HDR House National Institute of Agricultural Engineering England English Heritage de Grey family 19th century Earls of Kent UK architechure building outdoor
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Wrest Park Bath House. Built in 1770 to resemble a semi-ruined classical building. Inside, family and friends would have walked across the pebble and deer vertebrae floor, to step, probably quite slowly, into the cold water plunge pool.
Tags: 1dsmk3 1ds 1DS 3 EOS-1Ds Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III Canon manfrotto Mark III EF EF17-40mm f/4L USM 17-40 1770 Wrest Park Bath House © Fred255 Photography 2014 FRED255 Fred French architect French chateau style L Lens Bedfordshire National Institute of Agricultural Engineering ruin classical building architectural photography GreatPhotographers greaterphotographers GP Gardens plunge pool cold Water uk USM England hdr
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Wrest Park belonged to the powerful de Grey family, Earls of Kent, from 1280 into the 19th century. The present house here was built in 1834 and is the third on this site. It is a rare example in England of the French chateau style in architecture - built, not surprisingly, by a French architect.
The house was used in the early 19th century as a residence for the US Ambassador, but it is now used by the National Institute of Agricultural Engineering. The state rooms can be seen by visitors, and are now administered by English Heritage
Tags: Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III England eos 1dsmk3 1ds 1DS 3 EOS-1Ds manfrotto Mark III EF EF17-40mm f/4L USM L Lens Landscapes Landscape L GreatPhotographers greaterphotographers GP Gardens Wrest Park © Fred255 Photography 2014 Canon de Grey family Earls of Kent US Ambassador FRED255 Fred French architect French chateau style National Institute of Agricultural Engineering English Heritage uk USM
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Houghton House in Ampthill, Bedfordshire is a Grade I listed building now in ruins. It is now maintained by English Heritage and they have restored it to what you see today.
The house was commissioned in 1615 by Mary Herbert, the Dowager Countess of Pembroke to be used as a hunting lodge. Mary was a well-connected member of the court of King James I and it was he who granted Mary the land. The building was finished in 1621 and on completion it was honoured by a visit from the King. Not long after this Mary died of smallpox and the King granted the house and lands to the Bruce family.
The family eventually sold the lands and house to the Duke of Bedford, who rented the park but not the house to his neighbour. Eventually unable to rent the house without the land the Duke ordered the house to be dismantled and it fell into ruins.
A place I would not want to visit after dark. There have been reports of ghostly shadows that appear and vanish once seen. I watched a large dark figure go into a room and vanish in front of me.
Note even in the day time outside the camera was not focusing as it should do. I did not get a single shot of the inside. Camera was fine later when I went to Wrest Park.
Tags: 1ds 1DS 3 EOS-1Ds Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III manfrotto Mark III EF EF17-40mm f/4L USM EF17-40mm Canon L Lens Abandoned architectural photography HDR House Historic Houghton House haunted Bedfordshire Grade I listed building GreatPhotographers greaterphotographers © Fred255 Photography 2014 England English Heritage Mary Herbert Dowager Countess of Pembroke King James King James I Duke of Bedford Bruce family smallpox Ampthill dismantled uk FRED255 Fred
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