There is so much to see & do from The Riverbarn , in an area set in some of England 's most beautiful countryside that boasts some spectacular scenery.

“The vast Fonthill Estate lies tucked away on the rolling northern flanks of the unspoilt Nadder Valley between Tisbury, one of Wiltshire's oldest small towns, & the charming village of Hindon … Fonthill Park, with its beautiful tree-fringed lake & splendid triumphal-style gateway … ridge-top woodland & sweeping pastures …” lies within easy walking distance of The Riverbarn .

Glorious Stourhead House & Gardens are just 20 minutes away, or for the family, why not spend an exciting day at Longleat Safari Park , near Warminster, just 30 minutes away. With the ancient stone circles of Stonehenge (15 miles) & the historic, cathedral city of Salisbury (15 miles) to the east & the delightful, cobbled Gold Hill in Shaftesbury (10 miles) & the imposing Abbey & Castle of Sherborne (30 miles) in the other direction you are spoilt for choice!

Other attractions include: Bath , 45 minutes (30 miles) Devizes, 45 minutes (25 miles) Castle Combe, 1hr (38 miles) & Avebury, 1hr (45 miles). Indeed we are just 90 minutes from London !

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History

Fonthill Abbey was a brainchild of William Thomas Beckford, son of wealthy English plantation owner William Beckford and a student of architect Sir William Chambers. In 1771 when Beckford was ten years old, he inherited £1,000,000 (almost £320,000,000 in today's amounts) and an annual income which his contemporaries then estimated at around £100,000 (almost £32,000,000 in today's values) a year, a colossal amount at the time, but which biographers have found to be closer to half of that sum. The newspapers of the time described him as "the richest commoner in England".

Construction

Construction of the abbey began 1795 in Beckford's estate near Hindon in Wiltshire, England. He hired James Wyatt as the leading architect, who can possibly be blamed for the building's failure due to his supposed lack of knowledge about vaulting and Gothic architecture in general. Over the protestations of his builders, Beckford decided that earlier foundations that had been made for a small summer house would suffice and decided to use faster materials like timber and cement — instead of more appropriate stone or brick. For years this was presumed to be the reason for the tower's collapse, until a Channel 4 documentary on the Lost Buildings of Britain conducted a radar survey of the site, proving that the building had substantial foundations going right down to the bedrock.

Beckford's 500 labourers worked in day and night shifts. He bribed 450 more from the building of the new royal apartments at Windsor Castle by increasing an ale ration to speed things up. He also commandeered all the wagons for transportation of building materials. To compensate, Beckford delivered free coal and blankets to the poor in cold weather.

The first part was the tower that reached about 90 metres (300 ft) before it collapsed. Beckford later said that he was sorry he could not see it fall himself.

A plan of the main floor Rutter's Delineations of Fonthill.The new tower was finished six years later, again 90 metres tall. It collapsed as well. Beckford immediately started to build another one, this time with rock, and this work was finished in seven years.

Decorations

The abbey part was decorated with silver, gold, red and purple. Four long wings radiated from the octagonal central room. Front doors were 35 feet (10 m) tall. It was declared finished in 1813.

Use

Beckford lived alone in his abbey and used only one of its bedrooms for his own use. His kitchens prepared food for 12 every day although he always dined alone and sent other meals away afterwards. Only once, in 1800 did he entertain guests when Admiral Horatio Nelson and Lady Hamilton visited the Abbey.

Once he demanded that he would eat a Christmas dinner only if it would be served from new abbey kitchens and told his workmen to hurry. The kitchens collapsed as soon as the meal was over.

Beckford lived in Fonthill Abbey until 1822 when he lost two of his Jamaican sugar plantations in a legal action. He was forced to sell it and its contents for £330,000 to an ammunitions dealer, John Farquhar. The main tower collapsed for the last time in 1825. The rest of the abbey was later demolished. Only a gatehouse and a small remnant of the north wing remain to this day.

William Beckford died in 1844 in Bath, England.

Those interested in William Beckford might also be interested in visiting Beckford Tower in Bath which houses a museum of Beckford memorabilia, & his tomb, situated nearby.

At the Riverbarn, we have a fine collection of books & information on Beckford. Or visit the following website to find out more.

www.beckford.c18.net