DOI Heft:
Nr. 146 (May 1905)
DOI Artikel:The Den, Cropthorne, Worcestershire
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.20711#0314
" The Den" Cropt home
between the foreground and distance of the photo- each portion, paths of gravel, grass, and old London
graph of the " Dovecot," which forms one of the paving stones, a very characteristic specimen of
illustrations. the latter appearing in the illustration of "A
The building was originally three cottages, which, Paved Walk." Next followed the making of the
at the beginning of the last century, were united " Sunk Garden," with its picturesque steps at each
to form a farmhouse. Some ten or twelve years angle and sundial in the centre, the latter bearing
ago it became the property of the late eminent the appropriate motto, " I number none but
surgeon, Sir William Lawson Tait, who used it as sunny hours," from the designof Mr. Edwin Lutyens.
a summer residence ; and at his death it was pur- Later the services of Mr. Drinkwater Butt,
chased by the present owner, Mr. H. H. Avery, a F.R.P.S., were called in, to him being due the
member of the well-known Birmingham manufac- designof the "New Gable," the restoration of the
turing firm of that name. Being a great lover of half-timbering of the others, the new entrances,
the old-fashioned English garden, he at once set and the windows throughout, which are now
about the improvement of that part of the property, restored to their original character, with leaded
judiciously cutting portions of the old orchard by casements in place of the plate glass existing when
which the house was shut in, so as to obtain views the property came into the hands of the present
across the beautiful valley of the Avon, and laying owner.
out tennis and croquet lawns, and, as best suited In this restoration the greatest possible care was
taken, in order that little or none
of the old work should be defaced
or destroyed, and that the new
should be made to harmonise with
theold in every way, an aim which the
illustrations show to have been very
successfully accomplished. Inside
the house is a picturesque dining-
room, with an original inglenook and
Dutch tiles, and the motto, " Old
wood to burn, old friends to trust,"
over the dog-grate upon the hearth.
The other photographs not specially
referred to are sufficiently explained
by their titles.
The veteran artist, Rudolf von
Alt, died recently in Vienna at the
age of ninety-four. He was a Vien-
nese to the core, and spent practi-
cally the whole of his life in his
native city. His father, Jacob von
Alt, was a water-colour painter of
considerable talent, as was also his
brother Franz. Rudolf von Alt
studied at the Vienna Academy,
and also worked in his father's
studio. His exquisitely fine deline-
ations of bits of Vienna, of Northern
Italy, Switzerland, Rome, and other
places were always much sought
<'■'■ after. When the Vienna Secession
was founded he was elected the first
1 THE DEN," CROPTHORNE : THE DOVECOT president.
297
between the foreground and distance of the photo- each portion, paths of gravel, grass, and old London
graph of the " Dovecot," which forms one of the paving stones, a very characteristic specimen of
illustrations. the latter appearing in the illustration of "A
The building was originally three cottages, which, Paved Walk." Next followed the making of the
at the beginning of the last century, were united " Sunk Garden," with its picturesque steps at each
to form a farmhouse. Some ten or twelve years angle and sundial in the centre, the latter bearing
ago it became the property of the late eminent the appropriate motto, " I number none but
surgeon, Sir William Lawson Tait, who used it as sunny hours," from the designof Mr. Edwin Lutyens.
a summer residence ; and at his death it was pur- Later the services of Mr. Drinkwater Butt,
chased by the present owner, Mr. H. H. Avery, a F.R.P.S., were called in, to him being due the
member of the well-known Birmingham manufac- designof the "New Gable," the restoration of the
turing firm of that name. Being a great lover of half-timbering of the others, the new entrances,
the old-fashioned English garden, he at once set and the windows throughout, which are now
about the improvement of that part of the property, restored to their original character, with leaded
judiciously cutting portions of the old orchard by casements in place of the plate glass existing when
which the house was shut in, so as to obtain views the property came into the hands of the present
across the beautiful valley of the Avon, and laying owner.
out tennis and croquet lawns, and, as best suited In this restoration the greatest possible care was
taken, in order that little or none
of the old work should be defaced
or destroyed, and that the new
should be made to harmonise with
theold in every way, an aim which the
illustrations show to have been very
successfully accomplished. Inside
the house is a picturesque dining-
room, with an original inglenook and
Dutch tiles, and the motto, " Old
wood to burn, old friends to trust,"
over the dog-grate upon the hearth.
The other photographs not specially
referred to are sufficiently explained
by their titles.
The veteran artist, Rudolf von
Alt, died recently in Vienna at the
age of ninety-four. He was a Vien-
nese to the core, and spent practi-
cally the whole of his life in his
native city. His father, Jacob von
Alt, was a water-colour painter of
considerable talent, as was also his
brother Franz. Rudolf von Alt
studied at the Vienna Academy,
and also worked in his father's
studio. His exquisitely fine deline-
ations of bits of Vienna, of Northern
Italy, Switzerland, Rome, and other
places were always much sought
<'■'■ after. When the Vienna Secession
was founded he was elected the first
1 THE DEN," CROPTHORNE : THE DOVECOT president.
297