History
Did Napoleon III Ever Visit Buckden? When asked to point out the oldest part of the buildings in front of them, the visitor to the central courtyard of Buckden Palace will usually point to the grey-white stones on the right hand side rather than the mellow red Tudor brick. “Perhaps it is a remnant from the medieval site that St. Hugh of Lincoln (remembered by the statue in the centre of the Courtyard) would have known,” When asked to inspect the building more closely a few will wonder why the tablet over the doorway is inscribed “Napoleon III”. Such is the poor general knowledge of European History that it comes as a surprise to most that there were three Bonaparte’s who ruled France. Perhaps Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte (1808 – 1873) stayed here? Not so. Dr. Robert Holmes Eddleston, from County Durham, acquired the site in 1919 with its quality Victorian House and mainly derelict Tudor buildings. He had, amongst other passions, a love of historical buildings and was determined to bring life back to the Palace courtyard.. Without his untiring work much would have been lost from the site. It was he who set about rebuilding the north
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wing of the inner gatehouse, blending in material from Yorkshire and his home county. His intention was, in the 1930’s, to create a museum to one of his heroes who had remodelled Paris into the elegant Victorian city we know today. Unfortunately Dr Eddleston ‘started many restoration projects but never finished any of them’, and got as far as creating the buildings and erecting a name plaque over the front door! If he had succeeded Buckden today might be twinned with Paris with French themed cafes, artists and music in the street outside! The Buckden Towers site is a private one. The Friends of Buckden Towers are a group who work with the owners to help maintain the site and its history. Do check their web site for details of how you can arrange a guided tour. Individuals and small to medium groups can be catered for. There is also an Autumn open day when the general public can visit a site moulded by the work of a millennium of folk both rich and humble. The group always welcomes newcomers to help with its work.
By Peter Ibbett
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