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 | Warwickshire Photo Gallery | | |
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Guys Cliffe House - The majestic ruins of this 18th-19th stately home have an interesting history behind them.
A house and mill are mentioned as early as the 11th century in the Domesday Book, although the mill had reputedly been functioning for two hundred years before this census.
A famous legend, Guy of Warwick also dates from this period, and is linked with the site. This Saxon noble, the legendary founder of Warwick Castle and killer of the Dun Cow, returned from his travels and retired to live out the rest of his days in a cave by the river, which still survives by the Chapel.
His wife, the lady Felice of Warwick, remained ignorant of his unannounced presence so close. Just before Guy died, he revealed his true identity to the poor lady who, overcome by grief, threw herself from the cliff where her husband had lived for so many years. It is said that her ghost, distraught with grief, still haunts the site.
The house was much improved during the 18th and 19th centuries and was extended to become a grand stately house, home to Samuel Greatheed son of a West Indies sugar planter. The house was indeed in immaculate condition as late as the early 20th Century as photographs from this time indicate, but more recently the house has suffered a tragic decline.
Various plans to either convert the house into a hotel or into luxury flats failed and after a number of unsuccessful attempts to fix the roof all furniture was sold off in a grand auction, as well as the lead roof and fittings in 1952. By now, the building was in a serious state of decay, and soon fell into ruin.
The chapel was leased to the freemasons who kept this in good condition however the house has had a rougher time, and left open to the elements, it is clearly in a gradual state of decay and decline. An episode of Sherlock Holmes, "The Last Vampyre", was filmed within the ruins in 1992, during which the house was further damaged by a fire that got out of control.
As the site is closed to the public and its future is unknown, it is impossible to tell what will happen to the surviving structure. It is, in any case, a very sad end to a wonderful house.
For further information please see the Guys Cliffe House website.
Photographer - Bob Haycox
Date - Dec 2005
Location - Guys Cliffe House, Warwick going towards Kenilworth |
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