Heritage

I was interested to read that austerity has stretched to our government bunging £7.5m at a large country house near Rotherham, a place called Wentworth Woodhouse. A place which we are assured was not the inspiration for Pemberley, whatever the BBC may have got up to. See references 1 and 2.

The Guardian sports one handsome picture of the place and that from the Daily Mail is included here, pictures which leave me wondering why we bother with these places. White elephants, monuments to the gross inequality of past times, places for which it is now very hard to find a sensible use. Far too big for any health spa or hotel which the good people of nearby Sheffield could make pay. No use now as a rest home for the steel workers and coal miners whose labours once kept it up and running.

Perhaps the Guardian ought to play devil's advocate and make the case for knocking it down and recycling the materials into something better suited to the third millenium.

Reference 1: http://www.wentworthwoodhouse.co.uk/.

Reference 2: http://www.savewentworth.co.uk/.