Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington and 4th Earl of Cork, KG, PC (25 April 1694 – 15 December 1753) from Wikipedia commons.
Why am I wishing this dashing man a Happy Birthday? No, it is not because I love his turban (although I do). The Earl of Burlington is well known for a number of reasons, but I admire him most for bringing Palladian architecture to Britain.
Chiswick House is probably his best known work–a gorgeous Palladian villa finished in 1729. This would be a great place to host a party. It is far enough outside of London to be fun and different and the grounds are spacious enough to have a nice stroll (or get lost if you want to).
It was on my Country House Bucket List (CHBL) because of its historical importance, but also because it was once owned by the Cavendish family.
The 3rd Earl’s daughter married the 4th Duke of Devonshire, and she brought amazing things to the marriage, including Burlington House, Piccadilly, London (now the Royal Academy of Arts); Chiswick House; Londesborough Hall, Yorkshire; Bolton Abbey, Yorkshire; Lismore Castle, County Waterford, Ireland. And my dowry was only 10 acres of land and my wits!
So, Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire used to hold parties here for friends, Whig functions, and so on. It was a place of partying, to be sure, but also for peace. Friends of the family came here when they needed to get away or when the were ill. Charles James Fox died here, as did George Canning (even though he was a Tory Prime Minister!)
melaniemcgurr
Country House Lane 