Belmont Lodge, an historic building in Bognor Regis with ties to the Pre-Raphaelite movement, has been threatened with demolition.
The lodge, which dates back to the Regency period, was the home of William Shakespeare Burton. Burton's best-known Pre-Raphaelite-inspired work is The Wounded Cavalier."
Dante Gabriel Rossetti stayed in the Lodge's former coach house for a year, during which he produced as many as ten paintings, including the famous Astarte Syriaca.
It is currently being proposed that the lodge be torn down and an apartment complex erected in its place. What a shame. Let's hope that people in the area make a fuss about the plans, though I'm not sure how likely that is, since the building is neither well-known, nor listed as an historic building.
You can read more about the proposal in the Bognor Regis Observer.
Image: "The Wounded Cavalier," by William Shakespeare Burton, 1855.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Belmont Lodge, an historic building with ties to the Pre-Raphaelite Movement, is threatened with demolition
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4 comments:
How saddening. I hope the local people do take a stand, and also that the building has been well documented.
That's bad. I didn't even know about the house's existance and one of my great aunts lives in Fishbourne in the area. Developers seem to have a lot of free rein in the UK. It would have to be local protest letters to the council to get them to listen. In these bad economic times, councils are desperate for regeneration as they think it will bring in more money. Unfortunately in the last recession it led to bad buildings being errected that look like eyesores still.
I always loved this painting. It should be shown alongside the one with the condemned Huguenot taking leave of his lady. Of course they both contain three great reasons to study history, and particularly Reformation history--romance, blood, and religion. I'm sorry to hear about the Lodge--I wonder if you could find any pictures of it to post? Thank you for the posting.
Hi Mom! I looked high and low trying to find pictures of the lodge, but no luck.
It's a great painting though, isn't it?
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