The Batterie Todt war museum with the fearsome 280mm railway gun that had the capability of firing shells across the Channel into the UK.

DPAC & UK Uncut hold ATOS Closing Ceremony - 31.08.2012

As the Grand Finale to a week-long national campaign of protests against French IT company ATOS Origin and its spinoff ATOS Healthcare which carries out the much-criticised Wirk Capability Assessments on behalf of the DWP, which has seen tens of thousands of severely sick and disabled people declared to be "Fit for Work" and thrown off their disability benefits, several hundred activists from DPAC (Disabled People Against Cuts), WinVisible, Disabled Activists' Network, UK Uncut, Right to Work Campaign, Unite the Union, the GMB Union, Occupy London and the National UNion of Students descended on ATOS' London headquarters to carry out what they had billed as the "ATOS Closing Ceremony" - a reference to ATOS' hugely derided sponsorship of the Paralympic Games which is, say the activists, an act of spectatular cynicism by a corporation which is currently contracted by the Cameron government to the tune of £100 million to conduct the much-feared medical assessments without any reference whatsoever to peoples' medical notes of histories.

For two hours the crowd chanted slogans, listened to oral testimonies from people whose lives have been badly affected by ATOS decisions, heard accounts of people driven into such despair by dealing with ATOS that they have comitted suicide, and also heard many accounts of seriously ill people thrown off their benefits by ATOS who have been forced to look for work - having been declared fit for work - and who have died shortly afterwards. The list of people irreperably harmed by ATOS' computer-driven tick-box assessment which cannot possibly take into account the huge range of physical and mental disabilities seems endless.

Following some dogged Freedom of Information requests by two Daily Mirror journalists earlier this year it is now known that an average of 32 sickness or disability benefit claimnants who have been thrown off their benefits by the DWP following an ATOS zero-point rating and placed in the Work-Related Activity Group or who have been put on Jobseeker's Allowance have died shortly afterwards. In many instances relatives of the deceased have claimed that the stress of being treated in such an inhumane way by ATOS contributed to their deaths.

During the protest at Triton Square the 500-strong crowd were entertained by a street theatre performance which saw a fraudulent "ATOS Miracle Cure" booth set up. The "ATOS Reverend" would lay hands on a disabled person and tell them that "by the power of ATOS you are no longer disabled", and sent them through the ATOS Miracle Cure arch, but sadly once through the arch the disabled people realised they had been tricked and they were still, of course, disabled... but worse was to come, as each disabled person was then confronted by an "ATOS Doctor" who stated that because they were now officially no longer disabled and were fit for work they could now be assigned to do their dream jobs, to which end the phoney doctor handed each person a sheet of paper on which was written "100 meter runner", "Bar Tender", "Mountain Climber" and other completely unsuitable job titles.

At around 2:30pm a section of the crowd took off and headed for Westminster where they picketed outside the Department for Work and Pensions, during which an over-agressive action by the police resulted in a disabled man's shoulder being broken as he was knocked off his wheelchair when police shoved protesters into him.

All photos © 2012 Pete Riches

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EAST JAVA, Indonesia (Aug. 26, 2019) - U.S. Marines with Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, and Indonesian Marines stand in formation during a closing ceremony in conclusion of exercise Korps Marinir (KORMAR) Exchange 2019 in East Java, Indonesia, August 26, 2019. The KORMAR platoon exchange program between Indonesia and the U.S. involves each country sending a platoon of Marines to live and train together at the other's military base. This program enhances the capability of both services and displays their continued commitment to share information and increase the ability to respond to crisis together. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Eric Tso) 190826-M-TL103-0002

** Interested in following U.S. Indo-Pacific Command? Engage and connect with us at www.facebook.com/indopacom | twitter.com/INDOPACOM |

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Croome Court is a mid 18th century Neo-Palladian mansion surrounded by an extensive landscaped parkland at Croome D'Abitot, near Pershore in south Worcestershire. The mansion and park were designed by Lancelot "Capability" Brown for George Coventry, 6th Earl of Coventry, and was Brown's first landscape design and first major architectural project. Some of the internal rooms of the mansion were designed by Robert Adam.

The mansion house is owned by Croome Heritage Trust, and is leased to the National Trust who operate it, along with the surrounding parkland, as a tourist attraction. The National Trust own the surrounding parkland, which is also open to the public.

Location[edit]

Croome Court is located near to Croome D'Abitot, in Worcestershire,[1] near Pirton, Worcestershire.[2] The wider estate was established on lands that were once part of the royal forest of Horewell.[3] Traces of these older landscapes, such as unimproved commons and ancient woodlands, can be found across the former Croome Estate.[4]

House[edit]

Croome Court South Portico

History[edit]

The foundations and core of Croome Court, including the central chimney stack structure, date back to the early 1640s.[5] Substantial changes to this early house were made by Gilbert Coventry, 4th Earl of Coventry.[6]

In 1751, George Coventry, the 6th Earl, inherited the estate, along with the existing Jacobean house. He commissioned Lancelot "Capability" Brown, with the assistance of Sanderson Miller, to redesign the house and estate.[7][1] It was Brown's "first flight into the realms of architecture" and a "rare example of his architectural work",[8] and it is an important and seminal work.[9] It was built between 1751 and 1752, and it and Hagley Hall are considered to be the finest examples of Neo-Palladian architecture in Worcestershire. Notable Neo-Palladian features incorporated into Croome Court include the plain exterior and the corner towers with pyramidal roofs (a feature first used by Inigo Jones in the design of Wilton House in Wiltshire).[1] Robert Adam worked on the interior of the building from 1760 onwards.[10]

The house has been visited by George III,[2][11] as well as Queen Victoria[7] during summers when she was a child, and George V (then Duke of York).[11]

A jam factory was built by the 9th Earl of Coventry, near to Pershore railway station, in about 1880, to provide a market for Vale of Evesham fruit growers in times of surplus. Although the Croome connection with jam making had ceased, during the First World War, the building was leased by the Croome Estate Trust to the Huddersfield Fruit Preserving Company as a pulping station.[12]

The First World War deeply affected Croome, with many local casualties, although the house was not requisitioned for the war effort. This is possibly because it was the home of the Lord Lieutenant of the County, who needed a residence for his many official engagements.[13]

During the Second World War Croome Court was requisitioned by the Ministry of Works and leased for a year to the Dutch Government as a possible refuge for Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands; to escape the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. However, evidence shows that they stayed two weeks at the most, perhaps because of the noise and fear created by the proximity of Defford Aerodrome. They later emigrated to Canada.[14]

In 1948 the Croome Estate Trust sold the Court, along with 38 acres (15 ha) of land, to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham, and the mansion became St Joseph's Special School, which was run by nuns[15] from 1950[11] until 1979.[15]

The house was listed on 11 August 1952; it is currently Grade I listed.[10]

In 1979 the hall was taken over by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Hare Krishna movement), who used it as their UK headquarters and a training college[16] called Chaitanya College,[15] run by 25 members of the movement.[16] During their tenure they repainted the Dining Room.[17] In 1984 they had to leave the estate for financial reasons. They held a festival at the hall in 2011.[16]

From 1984 onwards various owners tried to use the property as a training centre; apartments; a restaurant and conference centre; and a hotel and golf course,[15] before once more becoming a private family home,[2][15] with outbuildings converted to private houses.[15]

The house was purchased by the Croome Heritage Trust, a registered charity,[18] in October 2007,[19] and it is now managed by the National Trust as a tourist attraction. It opened to the public in September 2009, at which point six of the rooms had restored, costing £400,000, including the Saloon. It was estimated that another £4 million[2][20] to £4.8 million would be needed to restore the entire building. Fundraising activities for the restoration included a 2011 raffle for a Morgan sports car organised by Lord and Lady Flight. After the restoration is complete, a 999-year lease on the building will be granted to the National Trust.[21] An oral history project to record recollections about Croome was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.[15] As of 2009, the service wing was empty and in need of substantial repair.[22]

Exterior[edit]

The mansion is faced with Bath stone,[7] limestone ashlar, and has both north and south facing fronts. It has a basement and two stories, with three stories in the end pavilions. A slate roof, with pyramid roofs over the corner towers, tops the building, along with three pair-linked chimneys along the axis of the house.[10]

Both fronts have 11 bays, split into three central sets of three each, and one additional bay each side. The north face has a pedimented centre, with two balustraded staircases leading to a Roman Doric doorcase. The south face has a projecting Ionic tetrastyle portico and Venetian windows. It has a broad staircase, with cast stone sphinxes on each side, leading to a south door topped with a cornice on consoles. The wings have modillion cornice and balustrade.[10]

A two-story L-shaped service wing is attached to the east side of the mansion. It is made of red brick and stone, with slate roofs.[10] It was designed by Capability Brown in 1751-2.[22] On the far side of the service wing, a wall connects it to a stable court.[10]

Interior[edit]

The interior of the house was designed partially by Capability Brown, with plasterwork by G. Vassalli, and partially by Robert Adam, with plasterwork by J. Rose Jr. It has a central spine corridor. A stone staircase, with iron balusters, is at the east end.[10]

The entrance hall is on the north side of the building, and has four fluted Doric columns, along with moulded doorcases. To the east of the entrance hall is the dining room, which has a plaster ceiling and cornice, while to the west is a billiard room, featuring fielded panelling, a plaster cornice, and a rococo fireplace. The three rooms were probably decorated around 1758-59 by Capability Brown.[10] The dining room was vibrantly repainted by the Hare Krishnas in the 1970s-80s.[17]

The central room on the south side is a saloon, probably by Brown and Vassalli. It has an elaborate ceiling, with three panels, deep coving, and a cornice, along with two Ionic fireplaces, and Palladian doorcases.[10] George III was entertained by George Coventry, the 6th Earl, in the house's Saloon.[2] A drawing room is to the west of the saloon, and features rococo plasterwork and a marble fireplace.[10]

To the east of the saloon is the Tapestry Room.[10] This was designed in 1763-71, based on a design by Robert Adam, and contained tapestries and furniture covers possibly designed by Jacques Germain Soufflot, and made by Manufacture Nationale des Gobelins.[23] Around 1902 the ninth Earl sold the tapestries and seating to a Parisian dealer. In 1949 the Samuel H. Kress Foundation purchased the ceiling, floor, mantlepiece, chair rails, doors and the door surrounds, which were donated to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, in 1958. In 1959 the Kress Foundation also helped the Metropolitan Museum acquire the chair and sofa frames, which they recovered using the original tapestry seats.[7][23] A copy of the ceiling was installed in place of the original.[10] As of 2016, the room is displayed as it would have looked after the tapestries had been sold, with a jug and ewer on display as the only original decoration of the room that remains in it. The adjacent library room is used to explain what happened to the tapestry room;[17] the former library was designed by Adam, and was dismantled except for the marble fireplace.[10]

At the west side of the building is a long gallery,[10] which was designed by Robert Adam and installed between 1761 and 1766. It is the best preserved of the original interior (little of the rest has survived in situ).[1] It has an octagonal panelled ceiling, and plaster reliefs of griffins. A half-hexagonal bay faces the garden. The room also contains a marble caryatid fireplace designed by J Wilton.[10] As of 2016, modern sculptures are displayed in empty niches along the Long Gallery

wikipedia

A walk around Minterne Gardens in Dorset.

The garden walk is about 1 mile in a horseshoe shape.

You can take different paths on the last leg of the walk, we went on the upper path.

Trees

Information below from leaflet from Minterne Gardens:

The Minterne Valley, landscapped in the manner of Capability Brown in the 18th century, has been the home of the Churchill and Digby families for 350 years. The gardens are laid out in a horseshoe below Minterne House, with a chain of small lakes, waterfalls and streams. They contain an important collection of Himalayan Rhodocdendrons and Azaleas, with Spring bulbs, Cherries, Maples and many fine and rare trees; the garden is noted for its Autumn colouring.

Of particular note are the large plants of Magnolia Campbellii which flower in March and April, together with a profusion of spring bulbs. Many flowering cherries were brought from Japan in 1920 and the Pieris Forrestii with their brilliant scarlet shoots, originally came from Wakehurst. A very fine collection of Davidia Involucrata (the pocket handkerchief tree) produce striking bracts in late May and early June, when the streams are lined with primulas, astilbes and other water plants.

Prior Park is an 18th Century landscape garden created by local entrepreneur Ralph Allen. Landcsape gardener Capability Brown and poet Alexander Pope designed the garden. Set in a steep valley with lakes and the famous Palladian Bridge the site, now owned by the National Trust offers dramatic views of Bath.

From the sand dunes of Essaouira to the peaks of the Atlas Mountains, the all-new Range Rover demonstrates its full breadth of capability in Morocco.

A walk around Minterne Gardens in Dorset.

The garden walk is about 1 mile in a horseshoe shape.

You can take different paths on the last leg of the walk, we went on the upper path.

Trees

Information below from leaflet from Minterne Gardens:

The Minterne Valley, landscapped in the manner of Capability Brown in the 18th century, has been the home of the Churchill and Digby families for 350 years. The gardens are laid out in a horseshoe below Minterne House, with a chain of small lakes, waterfalls and streams. They contain an important collection of Himalayan Rhodocdendrons and Azaleas, with Spring bulbs, Cherries, Maples and many fine and rare trees; the garden is noted for its Autumn colouring.

Of particular note are the large plants of Magnolia Campbellii which flower in March and April, together with a profusion of spring bulbs. Many flowering cherries were brought from Japan in 1920 and the Pieris Forrestii with their brilliant scarlet shoots, originally came from Wakehurst. A very fine collection of Davidia Involucrata (the pocket handkerchief tree) produce striking bracts in late May and early June, when the streams are lined with primulas, astilbes and other water plants.

14.11.2018

Biometric Enabling Capability (BEC) using an Enterprise System-of-Systems service-oriented architecture, will serve as DoD’s authoritative biometric repository, enabling multimodal matching, storing, and sharing in support of identity superiority across the Department, Federal Agencies, and International Partners. DoD Automated Biometric Identification System (DoD ABIS), a quick reaction capability, will transition into BEC Increment 0 upon receiving a Full Deployment Decision (FDD). BEC is a product by Program Executive Office Enterprise Information Systems.

Read more on page 46 of the 2013 U.S. Army Weapon Systems Handbook: armyalt.va.newsmemory.com/wsh.php.

The Fort Knox energy team demonstrated during an Energy Security Project ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday the installation’s capability to operate independently of external power sources using natural gas from beneath the post’s surface – a first for a U.S. military installation.

The project was originally conceived to address mission readiness issues experienced in 2009 when an ice storm left Fort Knox and much of Kentucky without power for several consecutive days.

The harvesting of renewable methane gas on post in recent years and the installation’s six new energy substations that include gas generators now allow Fort Knox to continue 100 percent of its operations if power from the external utility provider is cut off. The post’s 3.7 megawatts of solar arrays and 6 million square feet of building space that is heated and cooled using geothermal energy has allowed the post to reduce its dependency on using other power sources, such as gas, as well.

“We’re giving back gold to the taxpayers,” said Garrison Commander Col. T.J. Edwards. “Our (Directorate of Public Works) estimates that we will save about $8 million per year from peak shaving.”

Peak shaving des-cribes another primary purpose of the Energy Security Project – switching to Fort Knox-produced power when energy demand strains the off-post energy utility, which is also when costs to purchase energy are at its highest. Com- bined with the savings achieved through geothermal heating and cooling, Fort Knox’s annual energy utility bill is projected to be $18 million less.

“Our energy team is special,” said Edwards. “We’ve won nine conse- cutive Secretary of the Army energy awards. But we don’t sit on our laurels. We’re constantly getting after it, asking how do we get better.”

Katherine Ham-mack, the assistant secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment, addressed the criticality for installations to maintain operating capability at all times.

“Energy security underwrites our unique ability to rapidly de- ploy, employ and sustain military forces around the globe, she

said. “And it’s for that

reason the Army is moving toward building resilience into our installations.”

Fort Knox’s ability to achieve this “resilience” was credited by the secretary and garrison commander as a result of Fort Knox Director-ate of Public Works, contracting command and legal officials working to establish partnerships with third parties whose expertise is in the energy field. As an example, Edwards singled out Brandon Marcum, an engineer and Harshaw Trane subcontractor for Nolin RECC, as a central figure in creating and developing the concept that became the Energy Security Project.

“We have authorities to work with third parties, leveraging core competency, capability and funding to enable us to meet our mission,” said Hammack. “The private sector partners have stepped up to help the Army in meeting our mission requirements.”

Nolin RECC staff gave the audience of about 150 area and military leaders, Fort Knox employees and area community members an inside look at its energy security bunker through a live video stream. Attendees were told how all of the systems function to achieve energy independence and peak shave. The built-in redundancies to prevent power failure – such as an off-site energy security bunker and the multiple, secured substations – were touted as well during the demonstration.

The formal celebration of the occasion involved a unique twist. Dignitaries and Army leaders didn’t cut a ribbon, they unplugged a ribbon. The ribbon was an LED cord, and when it was unplugged in the middle, the side connected to the Fort Knox power source stayed lit, symbolizing Fort Knox’s energy independence.

“Kentucky is very proud of the efforts here,” said Dave Thompson, Kentucky Commission on Mili-tary Affairs executive director. “We see Fort Knox as a growing in- stallation with undeniable potential for the future. Job well done.”

For more information about Fort Knox’s energy initiatives, read Capt. Jo Smoke’s story in the March 26 edition of The Gold Standard, titled “The Army’s only green island: 20 years of energy investments pay off,” which can be found at bit.ly/1FY4MT5. To learn more about the Energy Security Project visit youtu.be/CxNH7m0cdfw.

Photos by Renee Rhodes Fort Knox Photo

A PNNL laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) program is developing a capability for measuring fracture propagation in materials under extreme conditions--also known as raman double torsion capability.

EnergyTechnologyVisualsCollectionETVC@hq.doe.gov

www.flickr.com/photos/departmentofenergy/collections/7215...

170807-N-KB401-357 THE MINCH, Scotland (Aug. 7, 2017) The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), the Royal Navy Duke-class frigate HMS Westminster (F237), and the Royal Norwegian Navy frigate Helge Ingstad (F313) transit the Minch, Scotland, during exercise Saxon Warrior 2017, Aug. 7. Saxon Warrior is a United States and United Kingdom co-hosted carrier strike group exercise that demonstrates interoperability and capability to respond to crises and deter potential threats. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Michael B. Zingaro/Released)

Georgia Army National Guard Soldiers from the Griffin-based Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment, 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, prepare an M136E1 AT4-CS confined space light anti-armor weapon during the 48th IBCT's Exportable Combat Training Capability exercise at Fort Stewart, Ga., June 19, 2022. XCTC is the U.S. Army National Guard’s program of record that enables brigade combat teams to achieve the trained Platoon readiness necessary to deploy, fight, and win battles throughout the world. The XCTC exercise will include approximately 4,400 brigade personnel from throughout Georgia. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Tori Miller)

From the sand dunes of Essaouira to the peaks of the Atlas Mountains, the all-new Range Rover demonstrates its full breadth of capability in Morocco.

The Fort Knox energy team demonstrated during an Energy Security Project ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday the installation’s capability to operate independently of external power sources using natural gas from beneath the post’s surface – a first for a U.S. military installation.

The project was originally conceived to address mission readiness issues experienced in 2009 when an ice storm left Fort Knox and much of Kentucky without power for several consecutive days.

The harvesting of renewable methane gas on post in recent years and the installation’s six new energy substations that include gas generators now allow Fort Knox to continue 100 percent of its operations if power from the external utility provider is cut off. The post’s 3.7 megawatts of solar arrays and 6 million square feet of building space that is heated and cooled using geothermal energy has allowed the post to reduce its dependency on using other power sources, such as gas, as well.

“We’re giving back gold to the taxpayers,” said Garrison Commander Col. T.J. Edwards. “Our (Directorate of Public Works) estimates that we will save about $8 million per year from peak shaving.”

Peak shaving des-cribes another primary purpose of the Energy Security Project – switching to Fort Knox-produced power when energy demand strains the off-post energy utility, which is also when costs to purchase energy are at its highest. Com- bined with the savings achieved through geothermal heating and cooling, Fort Knox’s annual energy utility bill is projected to be $18 million less.

“Our energy team is special,” said Edwards. “We’ve won nine conse- cutive Secretary of the Army energy awards. But we don’t sit on our laurels. We’re constantly getting after it, asking how do we get better.”

Katherine Ham-mack, the assistant secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment, addressed the criticality for installations to maintain operating capability at all times.

“Energy security underwrites our unique ability to rapidly de- ploy, employ and sustain military forces around the globe, she

said. “And it’s for that

reason the Army is moving toward building resilience into our installations.”

Fort Knox’s ability to achieve this “resilience” was credited by the secretary and garrison commander as a result of Fort Knox Director-ate of Public Works, contracting command and legal officials working to establish partnerships with third parties whose expertise is in the energy field. As an example, Edwards singled out Brandon Marcum, an engineer and Harshaw Trane subcontractor for Nolin RECC, as a central figure in creating and developing the concept that became the Energy Security Project.

“We have authorities to work with third parties, leveraging core competency, capability and funding to enable us to meet our mission,” said Hammack. “The private sector partners have stepped up to help the Army in meeting our mission requirements.”

Nolin RECC staff gave the audience of about 150 area and military leaders, Fort Knox employees and area community members an inside look at its energy security bunker through a live video stream. Attendees were told how all of the systems function to achieve energy independence and peak shave. The built-in redundancies to prevent power failure – such as an off-site energy security bunker and the multiple, secured substations – were touted as well during the demonstration.

The formal celebration of the occasion involved a unique twist. Dignitaries and Army leaders didn’t cut a ribbon, they unplugged a ribbon. The ribbon was an LED cord, and when it was unplugged in the middle, the side connected to the Fort Knox power source stayed lit, symbolizing Fort Knox’s energy independence.

“Kentucky is very proud of the efforts here,” said Dave Thompson, Kentucky Commission on Mili-tary Affairs executive director. “We see Fort Knox as a growing in- stallation with undeniable potential for the future. Job well done.”

For more information about Fort Knox’s energy initiatives, read Capt. Jo Smoke’s story in the March 26 edition of The Gold Standard, titled “The Army’s only green island: 20 years of energy investments pay off,” which can be found at bit.ly/1FY4MT5. To learn more about the Energy Security Project visit youtu.be/CxNH7m0cdfw.

Photos by Renee Rhodes Fort Knox Photo

Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to Norfolk-based Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 111th Field Artillery Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team establish security and confirm the enemy’s target location in a tactical environment July 22, 2019, during eXportable Combat Training Capability Rotation 19-4 at Fort Pickett, Virginia. Maj. Gen. John M. Epperly, commander of the 29th Infantry Division, visited with Soldiers, received a briefing on their training and thanked them for service. Read more about XCTC at go.usa.gov/xyPx6.

Sheffield Park is a beautiful 120 acre woodland garden originally designed for the first Earl of Sheffield by Humphry Repton and Capability Brown in the 18th century

Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Winchester-based 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team practice platoon-level tactical movements at the Infantry Platoon Battle Course July 16, 2019, during eXportable Combat Training Capability Rotation 19-4 at Fort Pickett, Virginia. Read more about the XCTC at go.usa.gov/xyPx6. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Saul Rosa)

Temple Newsam is a 15th centuryTudor-Jacobean house in Leeds, famous as the birthplace of Lord Darnley, the ill-fated husband of Mary, Queen of Scots and with grounds landscaped by Capability Brown.

The manor of Newsam was owned by the Knights Templar in the 12th century before the estate passed to the Darcy family, and Thomas, Lord Darcy built the first manor house here in about 1500. One wing of Darcy's original manor survives as the central block of the current house.

Darcy was executed for treason for his part in the Pilgrimage of Grace in 1537and his lands were seized by the crown. Henry VIII gave Newsam to the Countess of Lennox, and her son, Henry, Lord Darnley was born and raised here. After Darnley's murder, Elizabeth I seized the estate, and the house languished in a state of neglect until 1622 when it was purchased by Sir Arthur Ingram. Ingram tore down much of the earlier manor house and built two large new wings to form the basis of the house we see today.

In 1758 Charles, 9th Lord Irwin, married a rich heiress and used her money to transform the interior of Temple Newsam and fill it with a collection of fine art including Old Master works. They hired James Wyatt to build a grand staircase, and Capability Brown to create the landscape garden that surrounds the house.

The house was the home of the Ingram family for over 300 years until 1922 when Lord Halifax sold the park and house to Leeds Corporation for a nominal sum, placing covenants over them to ensure their preservation for the future. The house and estate are now owned by Leeds City Council and open to the public.

A late April 2019 visit to Croome in Worcestershire, the estate is now run by the National Trust. Croome Park is quite big, and you can walk around the grounds and see the various landmarks there.

Croome Court

Croome Court is a mid-18th-century Neo-Palladian mansion surrounded by extensive landscaped parkland at Croome D'Abitot, near Pershore in south Worcestershire, England. The mansion and park were designed by Lancelot "Capability" Brown for the 6th Earl of Coventry, and were Brown's first landscape design and first major architectural project. Some of the mansion's rooms were designed by Robert Adam.

The mansion house is owned by Croome Heritage Trust, and is leased to the National Trust which operates it as a tourist attraction. The National Trust owns the surrounding parkland, which is also open to the public.

Croome Court is a Grade I listed building.

Listing Text

SO 84 SE CROOME D'ABITOT CROOME COURT

3/12 Croome Court

(formerly listed as

Croome Court with Stables,

11.8.52 Garden Room or Temple,

Principal Lodge, Lodge on

west, and Panorama)

GV I

Country House 1751-2 by Lancelot (Capability) Brown with advice from Sanderson

Miller. Interior work from 1760 by Robert Adam. Built for 6th Earl of

Coventry. Limestone ashlar Palladian mansion with principal North and South

fronts of 11 bays. Basement and 2 storeys with 3 storey end pavilions. Slate

roofs, pyramidal over corner towers and 3 paired axial chimneys, pair linked

by arches. 1-3-3-3-1 division with pedimented centre to North and fine pro-

jecting Ionic tetrastyle portico to South. Modillion cornice and balustrade to

flanking wings. Moulded window architraves enriched with flat cornices on

ground floor main range, pediments to North front pavilions and Venetian win-

dows to South front pavilions. Roman Doric curved pediment doorcase to North

front, flat cornice on consoles over South door. Chamfered quoins to project-

ing centre and to end pavilions. Fine 2 armed balustraded stair to North door

and broad straight flight up to South door flanked by cast stone sphinxes.

INTERIOR partly Brown with plasterwork by G Vassalli, partly Robert Adam with

plaster by J Rose Jr. 2 Adam rooms removed to New York and London. Spine

corridor with stone stair at East end with moulded underside and iron balu-

strade. NORTH SIDE: Entrance hall with 4 fluted Doric columns and Palladian

moulded doorcases, to East, dining-room with plaster cornice and ceiling,

original pelmets, to West, billiard-room with fielded panelling, plaster cor-

nice and rococo fireplace. These rooms, probably decorated c.1758-9, probably

by Brown. SOUTH SIDE: Fine central Saloon with elaborate deep coved ceiling

with 3 embellished panels and rich cornice, fine Palladian doorcases and 2

marble Ionic columned fireplaces. Room probably by Brown and Vassalli. To

East former tapestry room now dismantled; ceiling a copy of original by R Adam

and J Rose. Beyond, former library by R Adam, largely dismantled; marble fire-

place. To West, drawing-room with shallow rococo-style plaster and marble

fireplace. At WEST END, Gallery by R Adam 1764, with half-hexagonal bay to

garden, elaborate octagonal panelled ceiling by J Rose, plaster reliefs of

griffins, painted grisaille panels and marble caryatid fireplace by J Wilton.

Attached at East end, SERVICE WING: L plan, red brick and stone with slate

hipped roofs. 2 storey. Stone plinth, band, moulded eaves cornice and

Chamfered quoins. Glazing bar sash windows with gauged brick heads. Red brick

wall joins service wing to stable court beyond: 2 rusticated stone gate piers,

one still with ball finial. CL 10.4.1915. A T Bolton: The architecture of

R and J Adam 1922. D Stroud: Capability Brown 1975. G Bead: Decorative

Plasterwork 1975. R Adam and Croome Court Connoisseur October 1953.

Listing NGR: SO8849444596

This text is from the original listing, and may not necessarily reflect the current setting of the building.

Sphinxes seen from the back of the house.

WinVisible activists pose with their placards at the High Court vigil supporting the judicial review of the Work Capability Assessment (WCA).

DPAC, Mental Health Resistance Network & WinVisible vigil at High Court supporting judicial review of Work Capability Assessment (WCA) London - 08.07.2014

Disabled activists representing Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC), the Mental Health Resistance Network (MHRN) and WinVisible (Women With Invisible Disabilities held a dignified vigil on the steps of the Royal Courts of Justice to show support for the judicial review taking place this week intended to make the Dept. for Work and Pensions (DWP) prove to the court that they are abiding by a previous court order that they make reasonable adjustments to the Work Capability Assessment testing process to make it fit for purpose and to abide by the Equalities Act 2010.

A previous judicial review had ruled that the WCA was clearly biased against people with mental health disabilities, and great harm has been done to many people as the DWP has refused to take into consideration any medical evidence or evidence crucial to any understanding of how a claimant's mental illness affects their daily lives and their ability to work. This cruel process has put people with mental health problems at a substantial disadvantage. The testing process has caused a great deal of distress, anxiety and fear, and there is clear evidence that there has been a significant number of suicides by claimants going through the Work Capability Assessment process, run up till now by disgraced French IT firm ATOS.

This photo © Pete Riches

Do not reproduce, alter, re-transmit, blog or otherwise exploit my images without my written permission. I remain at all times the copyright owner of this image.

Media buyers and publications can access this story on Demotix. Standard industry rates apply.

Hi-Res, un-watermarked versions of these files are available on application solely at my discretion

If you want to use any image found in my Flickr Photostream, please Email me directly.

about.me/peteriches

Use laser technology. The grader has the capability to read the laser to produce a perfectly level soccer field.

A snowplough, Class 50 and 2 class 47's at Bristol Temple Meads in 1990. The 47 at the front may be 47376. Taken with a Kodak Instamatic 77X f11/43 mm fixed-focus lens with a single shutter speed of 1/50 second with a 126 film cartridge. Flash capability if used was provided by Magicubes.

A late April 2019 visit to Croome in Worcestershire, the estate is now run by the National Trust. Croome Park is quite big, and you can walk around the grounds and see the various landmarks there.

Croome Court

Croome Court is a mid-18th-century Neo-Palladian mansion surrounded by extensive landscaped parkland at Croome D'Abitot, near Pershore in south Worcestershire, England. The mansion and park were designed by Lancelot "Capability" Brown for the 6th Earl of Coventry, and were Brown's first landscape design and first major architectural project. Some of the mansion's rooms were designed by Robert Adam.

The mansion house is owned by Croome Heritage Trust, and is leased to the National Trust which operates it as a tourist attraction. The National Trust owns the surrounding parkland, which is also open to the public.

Croome Court is a Grade I listed building.

Listing Text

SO 84 SE CROOME D'ABITOT CROOME COURT

3/12 Croome Court

(formerly listed as

Croome Court with Stables,

11.8.52 Garden Room or Temple,

Principal Lodge, Lodge on

west, and Panorama)

GV I

Country House 1751-2 by Lancelot (Capability) Brown with advice from Sanderson

Miller. Interior work from 1760 by Robert Adam. Built for 6th Earl of

Coventry. Limestone ashlar Palladian mansion with principal North and South

fronts of 11 bays. Basement and 2 storeys with 3 storey end pavilions. Slate

roofs, pyramidal over corner towers and 3 paired axial chimneys, pair linked

by arches. 1-3-3-3-1 division with pedimented centre to North and fine pro-

jecting Ionic tetrastyle portico to South. Modillion cornice and balustrade to

flanking wings. Moulded window architraves enriched with flat cornices on

ground floor main range, pediments to North front pavilions and Venetian win-

dows to South front pavilions. Roman Doric curved pediment doorcase to North

front, flat cornice on consoles over South door. Chamfered quoins to project-

ing centre and to end pavilions. Fine 2 armed balustraded stair to North door

and broad straight flight up to South door flanked by cast stone sphinxes.

INTERIOR partly Brown with plasterwork by G Vassalli, partly Robert Adam with

plaster by J Rose Jr. 2 Adam rooms removed to New York and London. Spine

corridor with stone stair at East end with moulded underside and iron balu-

strade. NORTH SIDE: Entrance hall with 4 fluted Doric columns and Palladian

moulded doorcases, to East, dining-room with plaster cornice and ceiling,

original pelmets, to West, billiard-room with fielded panelling, plaster cor-

nice and rococo fireplace. These rooms, probably decorated c.1758-9, probably

by Brown. SOUTH SIDE: Fine central Saloon with elaborate deep coved ceiling

with 3 embellished panels and rich cornice, fine Palladian doorcases and 2

marble Ionic columned fireplaces. Room probably by Brown and Vassalli. To

East former tapestry room now dismantled; ceiling a copy of original by R Adam

and J Rose. Beyond, former library by R Adam, largely dismantled; marble fire-

place. To West, drawing-room with shallow rococo-style plaster and marble

fireplace. At WEST END, Gallery by R Adam 1764, with half-hexagonal bay to

garden, elaborate octagonal panelled ceiling by J Rose, plaster reliefs of

griffins, painted grisaille panels and marble caryatid fireplace by J Wilton.

Attached at East end, SERVICE WING: L plan, red brick and stone with slate

hipped roofs. 2 storey. Stone plinth, band, moulded eaves cornice and

Chamfered quoins. Glazing bar sash windows with gauged brick heads. Red brick

wall joins service wing to stable court beyond: 2 rusticated stone gate piers,

one still with ball finial. CL 10.4.1915. A T Bolton: The architecture of

R and J Adam 1922. D Stroud: Capability Brown 1975. G Bead: Decorative

Plasterwork 1975. R Adam and Croome Court Connoisseur October 1953.

Listing NGR: SO8849444596

This text is from the original listing, and may not necessarily reflect the current setting of the building.

Sphinxes seen from the back of the house.

BAE Systems has developed a prototype vehicle platform, specifically designed to meet mission profile requirements that fit the gap in the commercial and military marketplace. The Sentinel demonstrates the many options in an off-road patrol vehicle. The base concept is developed to provide superior off-road capability and durability, lifecycle value, and user-defined functionality - without sacrificing mission effectiveness.

This magnificent informal landscape garden was laid out in the 18th century by 'Capability' Brown and further developed in the early years of the 20th century by its owner, Arthur G. Soames. The original four lakes form the centrepiece. There are dramatic shows of daffodils and bluebells in spring, and the rhododendrons and azaleas are spectacular in early summer. Autumn brings stunning colours from the many rare trees and shrubs, and winter walks can be enjoyed in this garden for all seasons. Visitors can now also explore South Park, 107 hectares (265 acres) of historic parkland, with stunning views.

When Capability Brown landscaped the grounds on the Wimpole Estate he included a gothic "ruin" to complete the view

"The N700 series is a Japanese Shinkansen high-speed train with tilting capability developed jointly by JR Central and JR West for use on the Tōkaidō and Sanyō Shinkansen lines, and also operated by JR Kyushu on the Kyushu Shinkansen line.

N700 series trains have a maximum speed of 300 km/h (186 mph), and tilting of up to one degree allows the trains to maintain 270 km/h (168 mph) even on 2,500 m (8,200 ft) radius curves that previously had a maximum speed of 255 km/h (158 mph). Another feature of the N700 is that it accelerates quicker than other shinkansen trains, with an acceleration rate of 2.6 km/h/s. This enables it to reach 270 km/h (170 mph) in only three minutes. Because of these improvements, trains can travel between Tokyo and Osaka on a Nozomi run in as little as 2 hours and 25 minutes (5 minutes faster than before)."

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N700_Series_Shinkansen

MISSION:

Protects ground forces and critical assets from attack by Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS); Cruise Missiles (CM); and Rockets, Artillery, and Mortars (RAM).

DESCRIPTION:

The IFPC Inc 2-I project is a ground-based weapon system that will acquire, track, engage, and defeat UAS, CM, and RAM. The System will provide 360-degree protection and will simultaneously engage threats arriving from different azimuths. A block acquisition approach will be used to provide this capability. The Block 1 System will consist of an existing interceptor, sensor, Command and Control (C2), and development of technical fire control and a Multi-Mission Launcher (MML) to support the counter UAS and CM defense missions. The Block 2 System will develop interceptors, sensors, and technical fire control to support the counter RAM mission. The IFPC Inc 2-I System will be compatible with the Army Integrated Air and Missile Defense (AIAMD) C2 architecture. The IFPC Inc 2-I System will be transportable by Army common mobile platforms.

The system will defend fixed and semi-fixed assets including airbases, ports, C2 nodes, choke points, Forward Operating Bases, Forward Area Refueling Points, and Refuel On-the-Move points. It will have limited cross-country capability. The AIAMD Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) Engagement Operations Center will provide C2, target hostile tracks from existing sensors on the network, defense planning, airspace control data, rules of engagement, air picture development, and classification of tracks.

Read more at asc.army.mil/web/portfolio-item/ms-ifpc_inc_2-i/

Leominster (pronounced 'Lemster') is an historic market town which dates back to the 7th century.

Berrington Hall

A neo-classical mansion built to a design by Henry Holland, set in superb gardens by Capability Brown.

The exterior is restrained classical design, the interiors are stunningly ornate, with painted ceilings and an exceptionally fine entry staircase.

The House

Built in 1778-81 for Thomas Harley, son of the 3rd Earl of Oxford, Berrington Hall is one of the few masterpieces of the architect Henry Holland to survive intact. The interiors are characteristic of Holland’s refined Louis XVI manner and the house is set amidst a park with an artificial 14-acre lake laid out by the landscape designer ‘Capability Brown’ who was also Holland’s business partner and father-in-law.

Thomas Harley made a fortune supplying the British army with clothing and when he decided he needed a new house to showcase his family's prestige and wealth, he called on landscape gardener Capability Brown. It was Brown who chose the location for Berrington Hall, selecting a site that gave sweeping views to the Black Mountains of Wales. While Brown busied himself with creating the parkland and semi-natural landscapes, for which he was famous, the task of building the house itself fell to Brown's son in law, the architect Henry Holland.

Holland began work in 1778 and the house was completed in 1783. He drew upon the popular neo-classical style to create a house with two very different characters. The exterior is plain, sparingly adorned and formal whilst the interior is a riot of lavish colour and ornate decoration.

The interior decoration is unrestrained, with wonderful painted ceilings, ornate plasterwork, and a high dome shedding light onto a spectacular entry staircase. The elegant Georgian theme is augmented by fine furniture most of it French.

Lord Admiral Lord George Rodney was a family friend and visited Berrington Hall frequently. The dining room is hung with huge paintings by Luny depicting Rodney's famous sea battles.

There is also a fascinating glimpse of life 'below stairs', with the Laundry, Butler's Pantry, and Dairy being the highlights.

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/berrington-hall/features/the-man...

Lady Cawley's Sitting Room

A comfortable sitting room where the 2nd Lady Cawley enjoyed watching television.

Originally the Sportsman's Room and is likely to have contained sporting prints and been used to store sports and riding equipment.

Paula Peters (DPAC) holds up a press release explaining what their High Court vigil is about.

DPAC, Mental Health Resistance Network & WinVisible vigil at High Court supporting judicial review of Work Capability Assessment (WCA) London - 08.07.2014

Disabled activists representing Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC), the Mental Health Resistance Network (MHRN) and WinVisible (Women With Invisible Disabilities held a dignified vigil on the steps of the Royal Courts of Justice to show support for the judicial review taking place this week intended to make the Dept. for Work and Pensions (DWP) prove to the court that they are abiding by a previous court order that they make reasonable adjustments to the Work Capability Assessment testing process to make it fit for purpose and to abide by the Equalities Act 2010.

A previous judicial review had ruled that the WCA was clearly biased against people with mental health disabilities, and great harm has been done to many people as the DWP has refused to take into consideration any medical evidence or evidence crucial to any understanding of how a claimant's mental illness affects their daily lives and their ability to work. This cruel process has put people with mental health problems at a substantial disadvantage. The testing process has caused a great deal of distress, anxiety and fear, and there is clear evidence that there has been a significant number of suicides by claimants going through the Work Capability Assessment process, run up till now by disgraced French IT firm ATOS.

This photo © Pete Riches

Do not reproduce, alter, re-transmit, blog or otherwise exploit my images without my written permission. I remain at all times the copyright owner of this image.

Media buyers and publications can access this story on Demotix. Standard industry rates apply.

Hi-Res, un-watermarked versions of these files are available on application solely at my discretion

If you want to use any image found in my Flickr Photostream, please Email me directly.

about.me/peteriches

A late April 2019 visit to Croome in Worcestershire, the estate is now run by the National Trust. Croome Park is quite big, and you can walk around the grounds and see the various landmarks there.

Croome Court

Croome Court is a mid-18th-century Neo-Palladian mansion surrounded by extensive landscaped parkland at Croome D'Abitot, near Pershore in south Worcestershire, England. The mansion and park were designed by Lancelot "Capability" Brown for the 6th Earl of Coventry, and were Brown's first landscape design and first major architectural project. Some of the mansion's rooms were designed by Robert Adam.

The mansion house is owned by Croome Heritage Trust, and is leased to the National Trust which operates it as a tourist attraction. The National Trust owns the surrounding parkland, which is also open to the public.

Croome Court is a Grade I listed building.

Listing Text

SO 84 SE CROOME D'ABITOT CROOME COURT

3/12 Croome Court

(formerly listed as

Croome Court with Stables,

11.8.52 Garden Room or Temple,

Principal Lodge, Lodge on

west, and Panorama)

GV I

Country House 1751-2 by Lancelot (Capability) Brown with advice from Sanderson

Miller. Interior work from 1760 by Robert Adam. Built for 6th Earl of

Coventry. Limestone ashlar Palladian mansion with principal North and South

fronts of 11 bays. Basement and 2 storeys with 3 storey end pavilions. Slate

roofs, pyramidal over corner towers and 3 paired axial chimneys, pair linked

by arches. 1-3-3-3-1 division with pedimented centre to North and fine pro-

jecting Ionic tetrastyle portico to South. Modillion cornice and balustrade to

flanking wings. Moulded window architraves enriched with flat cornices on

ground floor main range, pediments to North front pavilions and Venetian win-

dows to South front pavilions. Roman Doric curved pediment doorcase to North

front, flat cornice on consoles over South door. Chamfered quoins to project-

ing centre and to end pavilions. Fine 2 armed balustraded stair to North door

and broad straight flight up to South door flanked by cast stone sphinxes.

INTERIOR partly Brown with plasterwork by G Vassalli, partly Robert Adam with

plaster by J Rose Jr. 2 Adam rooms removed to New York and London. Spine

corridor with stone stair at East end with moulded underside and iron balu-

strade. NORTH SIDE: Entrance hall with 4 fluted Doric columns and Palladian

moulded doorcases, to East, dining-room with plaster cornice and ceiling,

original pelmets, to West, billiard-room with fielded panelling, plaster cor-

nice and rococo fireplace. These rooms, probably decorated c.1758-9, probably

by Brown. SOUTH SIDE: Fine central Saloon with elaborate deep coved ceiling

with 3 embellished panels and rich cornice, fine Palladian doorcases and 2

marble Ionic columned fireplaces. Room probably by Brown and Vassalli. To

East former tapestry room now dismantled; ceiling a copy of original by R Adam

and J Rose. Beyond, former library by R Adam, largely dismantled; marble fire-

place. To West, drawing-room with shallow rococo-style plaster and marble

fireplace. At WEST END, Gallery by R Adam 1764, with half-hexagonal bay to

garden, elaborate octagonal panelled ceiling by J Rose, plaster reliefs of

griffins, painted grisaille panels and marble caryatid fireplace by J Wilton.

Attached at East end, SERVICE WING: L plan, red brick and stone with slate

hipped roofs. 2 storey. Stone plinth, band, moulded eaves cornice and

Chamfered quoins. Glazing bar sash windows with gauged brick heads. Red brick

wall joins service wing to stable court beyond: 2 rusticated stone gate piers,

one still with ball finial. CL 10.4.1915. A T Bolton: The architecture of

R and J Adam 1922. D Stroud: Capability Brown 1975. G Bead: Decorative

Plasterwork 1975. R Adam and Croome Court Connoisseur October 1953.

Listing NGR: SO8849444596

This text is from the original listing, and may not necessarily reflect the current setting of the building.

This view from the other side of the Croome River. Was after crossing the Chinese Bridge, and heading towards the Lake. The Croome River is man made.

St Mary Magdalene's Church seen to the far left.

3 bulbs £10.00

Price for 2020

The Fort Knox energy team demonstrated during an Energy Security Project ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday the installation’s capability to operate independently of external power sources using natural gas from beneath the post’s surface – a first for a U.S. military installation.

The project was originally conceived to address mission readiness issues experienced in 2009 when an ice storm left Fort Knox and much of Kentucky without power for several consecutive days.

The harvesting of renewable methane gas on post in recent years and the installation’s six new energy substations that include gas generators now allow Fort Knox to continue 100 percent of its operations if power from the external utility provider is cut off. The post’s 3.7 megawatts of solar arrays and 6 million square feet of building space that is heated and cooled using geothermal energy has allowed the post to reduce its dependency on using other power sources, such as gas, as well.

“We’re giving back gold to the taxpayers,” said Garrison Commander Col. T.J. Edwards. “Our (Directorate of Public Works) estimates that we will save about $8 million per year from peak shaving.”

Peak shaving des-cribes another primary purpose of the Energy Security Project – switching to Fort Knox-produced power when energy demand strains the off-post energy utility, which is also when costs to purchase energy are at its highest. Com- bined with the savings achieved through geothermal heating and cooling, Fort Knox’s annual energy utility bill is projected to be $18 million less.

“Our energy team is special,” said Edwards. “We’ve won nine conse- cutive Secretary of the Army energy awards. But we don’t sit on our laurels. We’re constantly getting after it, asking how do we get better.”

Katherine Ham-mack, the assistant secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment, addressed the criticality for installations to maintain operating capability at all times.

“Energy security underwrites our unique ability to rapidly de- ploy, employ and sustain military forces around the globe, she

said. “And it’s for that

reason the Army is moving toward building resilience into our installations.”

Fort Knox’s ability to achieve this “resilience” was credited by the secretary and garrison commander as a result of Fort Knox Director-ate of Public Works, contracting command and legal officials working to establish partnerships with third parties whose expertise is in the energy field. As an example, Edwards singled out Brandon Marcum, an engineer and Harshaw Trane subcontractor for Nolin RECC, as a central figure in creating and developing the concept that became the Energy Security Project.

“We have authorities to work with third parties, leveraging core competency, capability and funding to enable us to meet our mission,” said Hammack. “The private sector partners have stepped up to help the Army in meeting our mission requirements.”

Nolin RECC staff gave the audience of about 150 area and military leaders, Fort Knox employees and area community members an inside look at its energy security bunker through a live video stream. Attendees were told how all of the systems function to achieve energy independence and peak shave. The built-in redundancies to prevent power failure – such as an off-site energy security bunker and the multiple, secured substations – were touted as well during the demonstration.

The formal celebration of the occasion involved a unique twist. Dignitaries and Army leaders didn’t cut a ribbon, they unplugged a ribbon. The ribbon was an LED cord, and when it was unplugged in the middle, the side connected to the Fort Knox power source stayed lit, symbolizing Fort Knox’s energy independence.

“Kentucky is very proud of the efforts here,” said Dave Thompson, Kentucky Commission on Mili-tary Affairs executive director. “We see Fort Knox as a growing in- stallation with undeniable potential for the future. Job well done.”

For more information about Fort Knox’s energy initiatives, read Capt. Jo Smoke’s story in the March 26 edition of The Gold Standard, titled “The Army’s only green island: 20 years of energy investments pay off,” which can be found at bit.ly/1FY4MT5. To learn more about the Energy Security Project visit youtu.be/CxNH7m0cdfw.

Photos by Renee Rhodes Fort Knox Photo

The Englischer Garten or "English Garden" is a large public park in the centre of Munich, Germany, stretching from the city centre to the northeastern city limits. It was created in 1789 by Sir Benjamin Thompson (1753-1814), later Count Rumford (Reichsgraf von Rumford) and extended and improved by his successors, Reinhard von Werneck (1757-1842) and Friedrich Ludwig von Sckell (1750-1823), who had advised on the project from the beginning.

With an area of 3.7 km² the Englischer Garten is one of the world's largest urban public parks, larger than New York's Central Park but smaller than London's Richmond Park. The name refers to the style of gardening; the term English garden is used outside of the English speaking world to refer to the style of informal landscape gardening which was popular in the United Kingdom from the mid 18th century to the early 19th century, and is particularly associated with Capability Brown.

Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Charlottesville-based Charlie Company, 429th Brigade Support Battalion, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team conduct a mass casualty exercise using personnel with simulated injuries July 17, 2019, during eXportable Combat Training Capability Rotation 19-4 at Fort Pickett, Virginia. Read more about the XCTC at go.usa.gov/xyPx6. (U.S. National Guard photo by Cotton Puryear)

Designed and landscaped by Capability Brown. It's a shame he isn't around now to see how his creation matured.

ift.tt/1QbIqVN

Croome Court is a mid 18th century Neo-Palladian mansion surrounded by an extensive landscaped parkland at Croome D'Abitot, near Pershore in south Worcestershire. The mansion and park were designed by Lancelot "Capability" Brown for George Coventry, 6th Earl of Coventry, and was Brown's first landscape design and first major architectural project. Some of the internal rooms of the mansion were designed by Robert Adam.

The mansion house is owned by Croome Heritage Trust, and is leased to the National Trust who operate it, along with the surrounding parkland, as a tourist attraction. The National Trust own the surrounding parkland, which is also open to the public.

Location[edit]

Croome Court is located near to Croome D'Abitot, in Worcestershire,[1] near Pirton, Worcestershire.[2] The wider estate was established on lands that were once part of the royal forest of Horewell.[3] Traces of these older landscapes, such as unimproved commons and ancient woodlands, can be found across the former Croome Estate.[4]

House[edit]

Croome Court South Portico

History[edit]

The foundations and core of Croome Court, including the central chimney stack structure, date back to the early 1640s.[5] Substantial changes to this early house were made by Gilbert Coventry, 4th Earl of Coventry.[6]

In 1751, George Coventry, the 6th Earl, inherited the estate, along with the existing Jacobean house. He commissioned Lancelot "Capability" Brown, with the assistance of Sanderson Miller, to redesign the house and estate.[7][1] It was Brown's "first flight into the realms of architecture" and a "rare example of his architectural work",[8] and it is an important and seminal work.[9] It was built between 1751 and 1752, and it and Hagley Hall are considered to be the finest examples of Neo-Palladian architecture in Worcestershire. Notable Neo-Palladian features incorporated into Croome Court include the plain exterior and the corner towers with pyramidal roofs (a feature first used by Inigo Jones in the design of Wilton House in Wiltshire).[1] Robert Adam worked on the interior of the building from 1760 onwards.[10]

The house has been visited by George III,[2][11] as well as Queen Victoria[7] during summers when she was a child, and George V (then Duke of York).[11]

A jam factory was built by the 9th Earl of Coventry, near to Pershore railway station, in about 1880, to provide a market for Vale of Evesham fruit growers in times of surplus. Although the Croome connection with jam making had ceased, during the First World War, the building was leased by the Croome Estate Trust to the Huddersfield Fruit Preserving Company as a pulping station.[12]

The First World War deeply affected Croome, with many local casualties, although the house was not requisitioned for the war effort. This is possibly because it was the home of the Lord Lieutenant of the County, who needed a residence for his many official engagements.[13]

During the Second World War Croome Court was requisitioned by the Ministry of Works and leased for a year to the Dutch Government as a possible refuge for Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands; to escape the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. However, evidence shows that they stayed two weeks at the most, perhaps because of the noise and fear created by the proximity of Defford Aerodrome. They later emigrated to Canada.[14]

In 1948 the Croome Estate Trust sold the Court, along with 38 acres (15 ha) of land, to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham, and the mansion became St Joseph's Special School, which was run by nuns[15] from 1950[11] until 1979.[15]

The house was listed on 11 August 1952; it is currently Grade I listed.[10]

In 1979 the hall was taken over by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Hare Krishna movement), who used it as their UK headquarters and a training college[16] called Chaitanya College,[15] run by 25 members of the movement.[16] During their tenure they repainted the Dining Room.[17] In 1984 they had to leave the estate for financial reasons. They held a festival at the hall in 2011.[16]

From 1984 onwards various owners tried to use the property as a training centre; apartments; a restaurant and conference centre; and a hotel and golf course,[15] before once more becoming a private family home,[2][15] with outbuildings converted to private houses.[15]

The house was purchased by the Croome Heritage Trust, a registered charity,[18] in October 2007,[19] and it is now managed by the National Trust as a tourist attraction. It opened to the public in September 2009, at which point six of the rooms had restored, costing £400,000, including the Saloon. It was estimated that another £4 million[2][20] to £4.8 million would be needed to restore the entire building. Fundraising activities for the restoration included a 2011 raffle for a Morgan sports car organised by Lord and Lady Flight. After the restoration is complete, a 999-year lease on the building will be granted to the National Trust.[21] An oral history project to record recollections about Croome was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.[15] As of 2009, the service wing was empty and in need of substantial repair.[22]

Exterior[edit]

The mansion is faced with Bath stone,[7] limestone ashlar, and has both north and south facing fronts. It has a basement and two stories, with three stories in the end pavilions. A slate roof, with pyramid roofs over the corner towers, tops the building, along with three pair-linked chimneys along the axis of the house.[10]

Both fronts have 11 bays, split into three central sets of three each, and one additional bay each side. The north face has a pedimented centre, with two balustraded staircases leading to a Roman Doric doorcase. The south face has a projecting Ionic tetrastyle portico and Venetian windows. It has a broad staircase, with cast stone sphinxes on each side, leading to a south door topped with a cornice on consoles. The wings have modillion cornice and balustrade.[10]

A two-story L-shaped service wing is attached to the east side of the mansion. It is made of red brick and stone, with slate roofs.[10] It was designed by Capability Brown in 1751-2.[22] On the far side of the service wing, a wall connects it to a stable court.[10]

Interior[edit]

The interior of the house was designed partially by Capability Brown, with plasterwork by G. Vassalli, and partially by Robert Adam, with plasterwork by J. Rose Jr. It has a central spine corridor. A stone staircase, with iron balusters, is at the east end.[10]

The entrance hall is on the north side of the building, and has four fluted Doric columns, along with moulded doorcases. To the east of the entrance hall is the dining room, which has a plaster ceiling and cornice, while to the west is a billiard room, featuring fielded panelling, a plaster cornice, and a rococo fireplace. The three rooms were probably decorated around 1758-59 by Capability Brown.[10] The dining room was vibrantly repainted by the Hare Krishnas in the 1970s-80s.[17]

The central room on the south side is a saloon, probably by Brown and Vassalli. It has an elaborate ceiling, with three panels, deep coving, and a cornice, along with two Ionic fireplaces, and Palladian doorcases.[10] George III was entertained by George Coventry, the 6th Earl, in the house's Saloon.[2] A drawing room is to the west of the saloon, and features rococo plasterwork and a marble fireplace.[10]

To the east of the saloon is the Tapestry Room.[10] This was designed in 1763-71, based on a design by Robert Adam, and contained tapestries and furniture covers possibly designed by Jacques Germain Soufflot, and made by Manufacture Nationale des Gobelins.[23] Around 1902 the ninth Earl sold the tapestries and seating to a Parisian dealer. In 1949 the Samuel H. Kress Foundation purchased the ceiling, floor, mantlepiece, chair rails, doors and the door surrounds, which were donated to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, in 1958. In 1959 the Kress Foundation also helped the Metropolitan Museum acquire the chair and sofa frames, which they recovered using the original tapestry seats.[7][23] A copy of the ceiling was installed in place of the original.[10] As of 2016, the room is displayed as it would have looked after the tapestries had been sold, with a jug and ewer on display as the only original decoration of the room that remains in it. The adjacent library room is used to explain what happened to the tapestry room;[17] the former library was designed by Adam, and was dismantled except for the marble fireplace.[10]

At the west side of the building is a long gallery,[10] which was designed by Robert Adam and installed between 1761 and 1766. It is the best preserved of the original interior (little of the rest has survived in situ).[1] It has an octagonal panelled ceiling, and plaster reliefs of griffins. A half-hexagonal bay faces the garden. The room also contains a marble caryatid fireplace designed by J Wilton.[10] As of 2016, modern sculptures are displayed in empty niches along the Long Gallery

wikipedia

A walk around Minterne Gardens in Dorset.

The garden walk is about 1 mile in a horseshoe shape.

You can take different paths on the last leg of the walk, we went on the upper path.

Bench

Information below from leaflet from Minterne Gardens:

The Minterne Valley, landscapped in the manner of Capability Brown in the 18th century, has been the home of the Churchill and Digby families for 350 years. The gardens are laid out in a horseshoe below Minterne House, with a chain of small lakes, waterfalls and streams. They contain an important collection of Himalayan Rhodocdendrons and Azaleas, with Spring bulbs, Cherries, Maples and many fine and rare trees; the garden is noted for its Autumn colouring.

Of particular note are the large plants of Magnolia Campbellii which flower in March and April, together with a profusion of spring bulbs. Many flowering cherries were brought from Japan in 1920 and the Pieris Forrestii with their brilliant scarlet shoots, originally came from Wakehurst. A very fine collection of Davidia Involucrata (the pocket handkerchief tree) produce striking bracts in late May and early June, when the streams are lined with primulas, astilbes and other water plants.

DPAC and TUC Disabled Workers block Tottenham Court Road - London 22.05.2013

Activists from DPAC and disabled workers attending the TUC Disabled Workers Conference blocked Tottenham Court Road in Central London for an hour and a half as they protested loudly against punitive government cuts to disability benefits and services which is impacting disastrously - and already fatally - on our most vulnerable citizens.

**From the DPAC website **

On the day of the success of the High Court ruling ruling against the Work Capability Assessment, activists from Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) and disabled workers attending the Trades Union Congress (TUC) Disabled Workers Conference blocked Tottenham Court Road in an unprecedented act of solidarity.

Mandy Hudson, co-chair of the TUC disabled workers committee said: "Trade unionists would like to send a clear message to this government that trade unions, workers and grass roots disabled groups stand together against the onslaught of vicious cuts rained down upon us by the Condems."

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[1]

Broadway Tower was inspired by the famous Capability Brown and completed in 1799 from designs by the renowned architect James Wyatt. It was built for the Earl of Coventry as a folly to his Springhill Estate and dedicated to his wife Peggy.

Legend has it Broadway Tower was used as a signalling tower between Springhill Estate and Croome Court near Worcester, which can be seen from the roof platform.

Many famous people have had association with Broadway Tower, including Sir Thomas Phillips and the pre-Raphaelite artists William Morris, Edward Burne-Jones and Rosetti.

Broadway Tower is open to the public allowing you to travel into the past of this important building and visit the viewing platform constituting the highest point in the Cotswolds at 1089 feet or 331.6 metres altitude.

[2]

Broadway Tower is a folly located on Broadway Hill, near the village of Broadway, in the English county of Worcestershire, at the second highest point of the Cotswolds after Cleeve Hill. Broadway Tower's base is 1,024 feet (312 metres) above sea level. The tower itself stands 55 feet (17 metres) high.

The "Saxon" tower was designed by James Wyatt in 1794 to resemble a mock castle, and built for Lady Coventry in 1799. The tower was built on a "beacon" hill, where beacons were lit on special occasions. Lady Coventry wondered if a beacon on this hill could be seen from her house in Worcester - approximately 22 miles (35 km) away - and sponsored the construction of the folly to find out. The beacon could be seen clearly.

Over the years, the tower was home to the printing press of Sir Thomas Phillips, and served as a country retreat for artists including William Morris and Edward Burne-Jones who rented it together in the 1880s.

Today, the tower is a tourist attraction and the centre of a country park with various exhibitions open to the public at a fee as well as a gift shop. The place is on the Cotswold Way and can be reached by following the Cotswold Way from the A44 road at Fish Hill, or by a steep climb out of Broadway village. Near the tower is a memorial to the crew of an A.W.38 Whitley bomber that crashed there during a training mission in June 1943.

A Soldier from Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 181st Infantry Regiment, 44th Infantry Brigade Combat Team moves through the haze created by an M18 smoke grenade during a platoon attack drill during the eXportable Combat Training Capability (XCTC) exercise at Fort Drum, N.Y. on July 19, 2022. More than 2,500 Soldiers are participating in the training event, which enables brigade combat teams to achieve the trained platoon readiness necessary to deploy, fight, and win. The Soldiers from the 181st are part of the Massachusetts Army National Guard and the rest of the 44th Infantry Brigade is composed of units from New Jersey. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. 1st Class Wayne Woolley)

A late April 2019 visit to Croome in Worcestershire, the estate is now run by the National Trust. Croome Park is quite big, and you can walk around the grounds and see the various landmarks there.

Croome Court

Croome Court is a mid-18th-century Neo-Palladian mansion surrounded by extensive landscaped parkland at Croome D'Abitot, near Pershore in south Worcestershire, England. The mansion and park were designed by Lancelot "Capability" Brown for the 6th Earl of Coventry, and were Brown's first landscape design and first major architectural project. Some of the mansion's rooms were designed by Robert Adam.

The mansion house is owned by Croome Heritage Trust, and is leased to the National Trust which operates it as a tourist attraction. The National Trust owns the surrounding parkland, which is also open to the public.

Croome Court is a Grade I listed building.

Listing Text

SO 84 SE CROOME D'ABITOT CROOME COURT

3/12 Croome Court

(formerly listed as

Croome Court with Stables,

11.8.52 Garden Room or Temple,

Principal Lodge, Lodge on

west, and Panorama)

GV I

Country House 1751-2 by Lancelot (Capability) Brown with advice from Sanderson

Miller. Interior work from 1760 by Robert Adam. Built for 6th Earl of

Coventry. Limestone ashlar Palladian mansion with principal North and South

fronts of 11 bays. Basement and 2 storeys with 3 storey end pavilions. Slate

roofs, pyramidal over corner towers and 3 paired axial chimneys, pair linked

by arches. 1-3-3-3-1 division with pedimented centre to North and fine pro-

jecting Ionic tetrastyle portico to South. Modillion cornice and balustrade to

flanking wings. Moulded window architraves enriched with flat cornices on

ground floor main range, pediments to North front pavilions and Venetian win-

dows to South front pavilions. Roman Doric curved pediment doorcase to North

front, flat cornice on consoles over South door. Chamfered quoins to project-

ing centre and to end pavilions. Fine 2 armed balustraded stair to North door

and broad straight flight up to South door flanked by cast stone sphinxes.

INTERIOR partly Brown with plasterwork by G Vassalli, partly Robert Adam with

plaster by J Rose Jr. 2 Adam rooms removed to New York and London. Spine

corridor with stone stair at East end with moulded underside and iron balu-

strade. NORTH SIDE: Entrance hall with 4 fluted Doric columns and Palladian

moulded doorcases, to East, dining-room with plaster cornice and ceiling,

original pelmets, to West, billiard-room with fielded panelling, plaster cor-

nice and rococo fireplace. These rooms, probably decorated c.1758-9, probably

by Brown. SOUTH SIDE: Fine central Saloon with elaborate deep coved ceiling

with 3 embellished panels and rich cornice, fine Palladian doorcases and 2

marble Ionic columned fireplaces. Room probably by Brown and Vassalli. To

East former tapestry room now dismantled; ceiling a copy of original by R Adam

and J Rose. Beyond, former library by R Adam, largely dismantled; marble fire-

place. To West, drawing-room with shallow rococo-style plaster and marble

fireplace. At WEST END, Gallery by R Adam 1764, with half-hexagonal bay to

garden, elaborate octagonal panelled ceiling by J Rose, plaster reliefs of

griffins, painted grisaille panels and marble caryatid fireplace by J Wilton.

Attached at East end, SERVICE WING: L plan, red brick and stone with slate

hipped roofs. 2 storey. Stone plinth, band, moulded eaves cornice and

Chamfered quoins. Glazing bar sash windows with gauged brick heads. Red brick

wall joins service wing to stable court beyond: 2 rusticated stone gate piers,

one still with ball finial. CL 10.4.1915. A T Bolton: The architecture of

R and J Adam 1922. D Stroud: Capability Brown 1975. G Bead: Decorative

Plasterwork 1975. R Adam and Croome Court Connoisseur October 1953.

Listing NGR: SO8849444596

This text is from the original listing, and may not necessarily reflect the current setting of the building.

This view from the other side of the Croome River. Was after crossing the Chinese Bridge, and heading towards the Lake. The Croome River is man made.

St Mary Magdalene's Church seen to the far left.

St Margaret, Heveningham, Suffolk

Heveningham, pronounced Hen-ing'm, is, of course, most famous for its Hall, the biggest, grandest stately home in Suffolk. Heveningham Hall was built for the Dutchman Gerard Vanneck in the late 18th century. Robert Taylor was the architect, and Capability Brown laid out the Park. Despite falling into disrepair during an inheritance dispute in the 1980s, it looks magnificent from the Huntingfield road, one of England's stateliest and longest Georgian frontages. It is worth noting that Heveningham is not the closest village to the Hall. Huntingfield spreads beneath its frontage, and Cookley and Walpole are also close at hand. This is a land of many small villages, many churches, but few people.

Heveningham church is much older than the Hall. St Margaret sits on a hilltop site close to the old Roman road, two facts that suggest great antiquity. Farms of the estate surround the village. The church of today is largely Perpendicular, the brick clerestory quite late, perhaps 1530s. It calls to mind the fine brick tower of the church at neighbouring Ubbeston. The graveyard is pleasingly wild. But all in all this is rather a serious building, despite the clerestory.

The Victorians were busy here, as we shall see, but your first sight on setting foot inside is of two fonts. The Victorian one sits in the expected place, but beyond it there is an elegant and rather singular late medieval font which was brought here in the early 1980s from Ubbeston when the church there was sold off by the diocese. The hammerbeam roof above is also late medieval, and a pretty contemporary painted image is set at the east end of the south arcade. Beside it lies the rather grim oaken effigy of a knight, Sir John Heveningham. It dates from about 1450, and supposedly once had a partner, his wife. These two effigies were thrown out into the churchyard during the 19th century restoration, and were consigned to a bonfire. Sir John was rescued, but his wife succumbed to the flames. Only one other wooden effigy of this age survives in Suffolk, across the county at Bures. The most notable feature of the nave is the early 19th Century manorial annex pew built for the Huntingfields of Heveningham Hall set on the north side, the reused Jacobean pews still facing the pulpit rather than the altar in the pre-Ecclesiological manner. One pleasing detail if you look inside is that the annex has its own fireplace.

The Huntingfields of those staunchly protestant days would have been appalled by the high Tractarian makeover of the chancel that their descendants paid for. The high reredos is flanked by large paintings of St Margaret and St Edmund. The sanctuary glass, depicting angels on the south side and scenes from the Bible in the east window, is said to be the work of Ann Owen, the wife of the rector of Heveningham in the 1850s and 1860s. Can this really be true? I only ask because this church is less than a mile away from Huntingfield, where the rector's wife, Mildred Holland, more famously redecorated the roofs and ceilings in the 1860s. If it is true, then were these two women colleagues or rivals, one wonders? The Heveningham glass does have a charming naivety to its line, but surely the sheer technical feat of the east window suggests a major studio at work rather than an amateur who has no know work anywhere else. I suspect the most likely answer is that Ann Owen had a strong say in what the windows should depict, and may even have provided drawings for the designs, and I wouldn't be at all surprised to learn that they are actually the work of the William Wailes workshop. The church leaflet claims that Owens' neighbour and perhaps rival Mildred Holland was also responsible for the painting of the sanctuary here, but this is clearly not the case, for not only is it not in her style, it dates from the late 1890s. But it all makes for a nice story.

Croome Court is a mid 18th century Neo-Palladian mansion surrounded by an extensive landscaped parkland at Croome D'Abitot, near Pershore in south Worcestershire. The mansion and park were designed by Lancelot "Capability" Brown for George Coventry, 6th Earl of Coventry, and was Brown's first landscape design and first major architectural project. Some of the internal rooms of the mansion were designed by Robert Adam.

The mansion house is owned by Croome Heritage Trust, and is leased to the National Trust who operate it, along with the surrounding parkland, as a tourist attraction. The National Trust own the surrounding parkland, which is also open to the public.

Location[edit]

Croome Court is located near to Croome D'Abitot, in Worcestershire,[1] near Pirton, Worcestershire.[2] The wider estate was established on lands that were once part of the royal forest of Horewell.[3] Traces of these older landscapes, such as unimproved commons and ancient woodlands, can be found across the former Croome Estate.[4]

House[edit]

Croome Court South Portico

History[edit]

The foundations and core of Croome Court, including the central chimney stack structure, date back to the early 1640s.[5] Substantial changes to this early house were made by Gilbert Coventry, 4th Earl of Coventry.[6]

In 1751, George Coventry, the 6th Earl, inherited the estate, along with the existing Jacobean house. He commissioned Lancelot "Capability" Brown, with the assistance of Sanderson Miller, to redesign the house and estate.[7][1] It was Brown's "first flight into the realms of architecture" and a "rare example of his architectural work",[8] and it is an important and seminal work.[9] It was built between 1751 and 1752, and it and Hagley Hall are considered to be the finest examples of Neo-Palladian architecture in Worcestershire. Notable Neo-Palladian features incorporated into Croome Court include the plain exterior and the corner towers with pyramidal roofs (a feature first used by Inigo Jones in the design of Wilton House in Wiltshire).[1] Robert Adam worked on the interior of the building from 1760 onwards.[10]

The house has been visited by George III,[2][11] as well as Queen Victoria[7] during summers when she was a child, and George V (then Duke of York).[11]

A jam factory was built by the 9th Earl of Coventry, near to Pershore railway station, in about 1880, to provide a market for Vale of Evesham fruit growers in times of surplus. Although the Croome connection with jam making had ceased, during the First World War, the building was leased by the Croome Estate Trust to the Huddersfield Fruit Preserving Company as a pulping station.[12]

The First World War deeply affected Croome, with many local casualties, although the house was not requisitioned for the war effort. This is possibly because it was the home of the Lord Lieutenant of the County, who needed a residence for his many official engagements.[13]

During the Second World War Croome Court was requisitioned by the Ministry of Works and leased for a year to the Dutch Government as a possible refuge for Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands; to escape the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. However, evidence shows that they stayed two weeks at the most, perhaps because of the noise and fear created by the proximity of Defford Aerodrome. They later emigrated to Canada.[14]

In 1948 the Croome Estate Trust sold the Court, along with 38 acres (15 ha) of land, to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham, and the mansion became St Joseph's Special School, which was run by nuns[15] from 1950[11] until 1979.[15]

The house was listed on 11 August 1952; it is currently Grade I listed.[10]

In 1979 the hall was taken over by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Hare Krishna movement), who used it as their UK headquarters and a training college[16] called Chaitanya College,[15] run by 25 members of the movement.[16] During their tenure they repainted the Dining Room.[17] In 1984 they had to leave the estate for financial reasons. They held a festival at the hall in 2011.[16]

From 1984 onwards various owners tried to use the property as a training centre; apartments; a restaurant and conference centre; and a hotel and golf course,[15] before once more becoming a private family home,[2][15] with outbuildings converted to private houses.[15]

The house was purchased by the Croome Heritage Trust, a registered charity,[18] in October 2007,[19] and it is now managed by the National Trust as a tourist attraction. It opened to the public in September 2009, at which point six of the rooms had restored, costing £400,000, including the Saloon. It was estimated that another £4 million[2][20] to £4.8 million would be needed to restore the entire building. Fundraising activities for the restoration included a 2011 raffle for a Morgan sports car organised by Lord and Lady Flight. After the restoration is complete, a 999-year lease on the building will be granted to the National Trust.[21] An oral history project to record recollections about Croome was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.[15] As of 2009, the service wing was empty and in need of substantial repair.[22]

Exterior[edit]

The mansion is faced with Bath stone,[7] limestone ashlar, and has both north and south facing fronts. It has a basement and two stories, with three stories in the end pavilions. A slate roof, with pyramid roofs over the corner towers, tops the building, along with three pair-linked chimneys along the axis of the house.[10]

Both fronts have 11 bays, split into three central sets of three each, and one additional bay each side. The north face has a pedimented centre, with two balustraded staircases leading to a Roman Doric doorcase. The south face has a projecting Ionic tetrastyle portico and Venetian windows. It has a broad staircase, with cast stone sphinxes on each side, leading to a south door topped with a cornice on consoles. The wings have modillion cornice and balustrade.[10]

A two-story L-shaped service wing is attached to the east side of the mansion. It is made of red brick and stone, with slate roofs.[10] It was designed by Capability Brown in 1751-2.[22] On the far side of the service wing, a wall connects it to a stable court.[10]

Interior[edit]

The interior of the house was designed partially by Capability Brown, with plasterwork by G. Vassalli, and partially by Robert Adam, with plasterwork by J. Rose Jr. It has a central spine corridor. A stone staircase, with iron balusters, is at the east end.[10]

The entrance hall is on the north side of the building, and has four fluted Doric columns, along with moulded doorcases. To the east of the entrance hall is the dining room, which has a plaster ceiling and cornice, while to the west is a billiard room, featuring fielded panelling, a plaster cornice, and a rococo fireplace. The three rooms were probably decorated around 1758-59 by Capability Brown.[10] The dining room was vibrantly repainted by the Hare Krishnas in the 1970s-80s.[17]

The central room on the south side is a saloon, probably by Brown and Vassalli. It has an elaborate ceiling, with three panels, deep coving, and a cornice, along with two Ionic fireplaces, and Palladian doorcases.[10] George III was entertained by George Coventry, the 6th Earl, in the house's Saloon.[2] A drawing room is to the west of the saloon, and features rococo plasterwork and a marble fireplace.[10]

To the east of the saloon is the Tapestry Room.[10] This was designed in 1763-71, based on a design by Robert Adam, and contained tapestries and furniture covers possibly designed by Jacques Germain Soufflot, and made by Manufacture Nationale des Gobelins.[23] Around 1902 the ninth Earl sold the tapestries and seating to a Parisian dealer. In 1949 the Samuel H. Kress Foundation purchased the ceiling, floor, mantlepiece, chair rails, doors and the door surrounds, which were donated to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, in 1958. In 1959 the Kress Foundation also helped the Metropolitan Museum acquire the chair and sofa frames, which they recovered using the original tapestry seats.[7][23] A copy of the ceiling was installed in place of the original.[10] As of 2016, the room is displayed as it would have looked after the tapestries had been sold, with a jug and ewer on display as the only original decoration of the room that remains in it. The adjacent library room is used to explain what happened to the tapestry room;[17] the former library was designed by Adam, and was dismantled except for the marble fireplace.[10]

At the west side of the building is a long gallery,[10] which was designed by Robert Adam and installed between 1761 and 1766. It is the best preserved of the original interior (little of the rest has survived in situ).[1] It has an octagonal panelled ceiling, and plaster reliefs of griffins. A half-hexagonal bay faces the garden. The room also contains a marble caryatid fireplace designed by J Wilton.[10] As of 2016, modern sculptures are displayed in empty niches along the Long Gallery

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After the development of hyperspace jump capability, the Gaian Union's reach and influence in the nearby Stellar neighborhood grew at a rapid rate. This of course led to conflicts and the occasional reports of piracy, creating the need for a smaller, swift but largely self-sufficient vessel that could patrol commercial star lanes. The Interception Corvette body frame was developed with a multi-role capability in mind and could be fitted with mission-specific modules as needed.

Approximately 80 studs long.

A Soldier from the 3rd Brigade Combat Team (BCT), 10th Mountain Division uses Capability Set (CS) 13 equipment at Fort Drum, NY, during the fielding of CS 13 in October. CS 13 marks the first time the Army delivered network systems as an integrated communications package that spans the entire BCT formation,

connecting the static tactical operations center to the commander on-the-move to the dismounted Soldier. (U.S. Army photos by Claire Heininger)

Read more on page 16, Army AL&T Magazine armyalt.va.newsmemory.com/