Devilllle
The Top Hat Diaries
I've been wanting to do a Top Hat portrait at Guys Cliffe house since I saw it from a distance during a Christmas meal with my Mum in December. There's so much history and legend associated with this house which has been standing derelict since my Mum was a child.
My high-school friend Hazel and I tried several ways of getting in to the ground secretly before discovering that the front gates were open. Doh! We did get some shots on some beautiful stone steps outside the ruins but this one was my absolute favourite.
I'll try and summarise the story for you, but for more details see here:
www.guyscliffehouse.co.uk/history-of-guys-cliffe-house/
The story goes that Guy of Warwick was a cup bearer who fell in love with an Earl's daughter; Felice. Because of his lowly status his advances were rebuked and he set off to undertake many brave deeds to achieve fame and fortune. Eventually she was his but during the honeymoon, Guy realised that to be truly happy he must find peace with God. So, he set off again leaving Felice (pregnant) behind.
He returned many years later when his son was grown up and Felice was a much-loved Countess. Instead of going back to his wife, he lived in a cave with a hermit for 2 years. Eventually a messenger told Felice of Guy's return and she went to find him at the cave where he died in her arms. Two weeks afterwards, she threw herself from the cliff above his cave in grief.
Phew... what a story! More recently, Granada TV filmed at the derelict house in 1992 for The Last Vampyre and a fire got out of hand and gutted the building.
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The Top Hat Diaries
I've been wanting to do a Top Hat portrait at Guys Cliffe house since I saw it from a distance during a Christmas meal with my Mum in December. There's so much history and legend associated with this house which has been standing derelict since my Mum was a child.
My high-school friend Hazel and I tried several ways of getting in to the ground secretly before discovering that the front gates were open. Doh! We did get some shots on some beautiful stone steps outside the ruins but this one was my absolute favourite.
I'll try and summarise the story for you, but for more details see here:
www.guyscliffehouse.co.uk/history-of-guys-cliffe-house/
The story goes that Guy of Warwick was a cup bearer who fell in love with an Earl's daughter; Felice. Because of his lowly status his advances were rebuked and he set off to undertake many brave deeds to achieve fame and fortune. Eventually she was his but during the honeymoon, Guy realised that to be truly happy he must find peace with God. So, he set off again leaving Felice (pregnant) behind.
He returned many years later when his son was grown up and Felice was a much-loved Countess. Instead of going back to his wife, he lived in a cave with a hermit for 2 years. Eventually a messenger told Felice of Guy's return and she went to find him at the cave where he died in her arms. Two weeks afterwards, she threw herself from the cliff above his cave in grief.
Phew... what a story! More recently, Granada TV filmed at the derelict house in 1992 for The Last Vampyre and a fire got out of hand and gutted the building.
Join the Facebook Group: