While We Wait....

While we are waiting to see if the planning application for housing at Ruperra will come before the County Borough Council's planning committee next Wednesday, 3 October, readers may be interested to look at the websites of the other two castles in Britain, built in the same period as Ruperra, whose architecture is of the same historic importance as Ruperra's, namely Wollaton Hall in Nottinghamshire, now taken over by the County Council as a public amenity, and Lulworth, owned by the Weld family but consolidated by English Heritage and now part of the heritage of the area.

They are http://www.wollatonhall.org.uk/ and http://www.lulworth.com/

Wollaton was burnt out in a fire at the end of the 18th century but restored soon afterwards. Its final condition when the family handed it over to the council was vastly better than either Ruperra or Lulworth, the second of which has nevertheless been consolidated by English Heritage over the last 20 years. On each site, amonst the necessary publicity, a history of the house can be found.

What contrasts - poor Ruperra.