East Cowes Castle, located in East Cowes, was the home of architect John Nash between its completion and his death in 1835. Nash himself was the designer of the site, and began construction as early as 1798. He was interred on the grounds.
The structure gained renown for its complex castellation, its gothic-style turrets and towers, and for the notable individuals who came to be Nash's guests there, including the Prince Regent and J.M.W. Turner, who painted a picture of the location.
On Nash's death, the estate was sold to the Earl of Shannon who added a lodge at the south of the estate. On the Earl's death in 1846 the property was sold. Its last resident, the World War II commander Field Marshal John Vereker, 6th Viscount Gort purchased the estate in 1902. The first Viscount Gort had years before been impressed by the castle and had commissioned Lough Cutra Castle in Ireland to a similar design by Nash.
The castle was lent to the British Army during the Second World War, under whose use the condition of the building suffered greatly and due to subsequent neglect and deterioration, the castle was finally demolished in 1960. The lodge and an original icehouse survives and the castle's clock remains on display at the Carisbrooke Castle Museum.
Famous quotes containing the words east and/or castle:
“Though the words Canada East on the map stretch over many rivers and lakes and unexplored wildernesses, the actual Canada, which might be the colored portion of the map, is but a little clearing on the banks of the river, which one of those syllables would more than cover.”
—Henry David Thoreau (18171862)
“The splendor falls on castle walls
And snowy summits old in story;
The long light shakes across the lakes,
And the wild cataract leaps in glory.
Blow, bugle, blow, set the wild echoes flying,
Blow, bugle; answer, echoes, dying, dying, dying.”
—Alfred Tennyson (18091892)