YPS Kent - June 2007
Herstmonceux
Herstmonceux Castle, Gardens and Science park make a
wonderful place
to visit as it covers a range of interests. It has something to offer
for
almost everyone. The castle is now run by Queens University Ontario
Canada
as a study centre. For more details of the history of the castle and
surrounding
area visit the Herstmonceux
Parish website or the official
website for the castle.
To view larger versions of these images click on the photograph. This will take
you to the Picasa website, where you can view the images in more detail..
 Side entrance to castle |
 Front entrance bridge over the moat |
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 Ornate doorway of the administration office. |
 Detail of the corner post of the ornate stairway . |
 Detail of the ornate staircase. The woodcarver who made the staircase was known to include a peapod in the design. If the pod was closed this indicated that he had not been paid for the work before starting the commission whereas if he'd been paid in advance the pea pod was open showing the peas within, This staircase has open pea pods indicating the commision was paid for before work started. |
 View up the ornate staircase to the Administration doorway |
 Going down the ornate staircase in the Administration area. |
 Probably the simplest staircase in the castle I just couldn't resist the clean geometrical lines contrasting with ornate lines of the other staircases. |
 Rose garden and sundial viewed from ballroom |
 Sundial in the rose garden. |
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 Science centre with telescope observatory domes. |
 Congo - Schmidtt telescope 38 inch reflector. |
 Look under the arch and you can see nests have been built by house martins. This probably dispels the theory that the students are the wildest animals on the site! |
 Ancient documents show that a large number of herons existed in a nearby heronry in the times that the area was on the edge of Pevensey Bay marshes. |
 Symbiotic relatioship between wildlife and students? Nah, they just like to feed the ducks! |
 Ancient chestnut trees next to the visitor centre. |