This is the next installment in my continuing saga about our trip to South England and the Isle of Wight, a few months ago. For this part of the trip we were on a coach tour called “South of England Stately Homes and the Isle of Wight” organized by Albion Tours, now called National Trust Tours. As on every day of our tour, we had very little to think about, logistics-wise, since this was all planned and facilitated by our wonderful tour director. On the whole, for the number of things we got to do and places we managed to see, it was all very reasonably paced and comfortable and enjoyable. I am happy I was not the one, having to make all the arrangements and phone calls.
After a relaxing night at the South Lodge Hotel, we set off for Brighton in our coach (tour bus).
This may be slightly out of order, but on one night of our tour, we were given a very interesting talk about history. This was included in the tour. I’m afraid tramping around all day must have wasted away my brain cells, because I remember very little of that talk. In general, the speaker had written a book that had to do with modern depictions of “upstairs and downstairs” at a place like Downton Abbey. The talk focused on how historically accurate or inaccurate they were. It was very informative and enjoyable, but beyond that I can’t say much, since a search of Amazon has not led me to the correct book. Perhaps someone could drop a link in the comments if they know, of which book I speak.
I meant to buy the book at the time, but only cash was accepted. We relied a lot on Apple Pay and therefore were quite cash poor throughout our trip, sometimes to our embarrassment. I’d suggest, if you go, that you bring at least a little bit of British cash with you.
Enough rambling. I just wanted to make sure I didn’’t forget that tidbit, since it was a very nice way to spend an evening, and we Americans do have our preconceptions about British life.
Brighton is famous for its pier, which has carnival rides and games and a boardwalk, among other things. We did not make it to the Pier, but we did drive by, and I thought I saw a number of interesting Art Deco buildings, but failed to take a picture of them. I also saw a few such buildings on the Isle of Wight later in the trip.
Ever since watching the Poirot series (Masterpiece/BBC and BritBox) based on the Agatha Christie series of mysteries, I have enjoyed finding Art Deco in the cityscape. There are a number of such examples in our area of Jacksonville, since downtown Jacksonville was partially burnt to the ground at the turn of the twentieth century. It was then rebuilt over time, through the Great Depression, when there was little work elsewhere in the country. The nineteen-twenties, I think, was when Art Deco was especially prominent.
We arrived in time for our tour of Brighton Pavilion, as we did for every event on our schedule, thanks to our fine tour guide and coach driver, respectively. From the outside, the building reminds you of the Coleridge poem:
In Xanadu did Kubla Khan
A stately pleasure dome decree…
Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Kubla Khan
A pleasure dome indeed. A walk up to it through a beautiful park in early May must have been as close as most English people of Victorian times ever came, to the distant reaches of their empire, where lay marvels like the Taj Mahal. Queen Victoria’s son, who was later King George IV, built the palace. According to our guide, he never set foot in India or the Far East. Yet the palace is an homage to those places, at least to George IV’s idea of those places.
Brighton Pavilion is charming and endearing and yet, almost comedically gauche. Imagine if you were to go to a Hollywood premiere, and the honorary red carpet covered all the surfaces, not just the floor. In today’s world, and in our own rather Protestant part of it (as in our iconoclastic distaste for decoration) you rarely see such excess. Except maybe on TV, in a place like Putin’s court.
I am admittedly a big fan of pattern in the home. But the assault of patterns on the eye may be overwhelming, especially to those, who have modern, spare sensibilities. Fair warning.
It would be a shame to miss it, though. The palace has been taken care of so well, it looks nearly new. Although even to me, decorating every single surface , with the pattern changing from carpet to wall paper to cornice to ceiling, seems like overkill. Still, I love this place! And hope you will, too.
Lots and lots of dragons populate the palace, especially in the banquet hall. A little reference to St George who slayed the dragon, I assume.
I really loved the ballroom, especially after they told us the story about a hurricane knocking a minaret down and through the roof to crush a hole in the ballroom floor. That gave me, as a veteran of many “close call” hurricanes, a special connection to this place. After touring the ground floor banquet room, kitchen and ballroom (with the umbrella lamps) we went upstairs to the bedrooms. Even the stairs were a marvel of engineering and ornament. Designed to look like bamboo, they were actually cast iron, as I recall.
There were so many beautiful carpets which I think would still sell today, such as the floral one in the blue chinoiserie patterned hallway, which continues into Queen Victoria’s bedroom. Her bedroom contained a suspiciously deco-looking insert in the fire place.
In a side room, they had a scale model of the Pavilion and information about how it became a home for injured Indian soldiers in the British armed forces, convalescing during the Great War (WWI). They told us, during the tour, the story of a part of a minaret that fell through the ceiling when a rare hurricane actually struck this area. The photo in the room with the miniature shows just how close to destruction that delicate “umbrella” ballroom came.
On the outside of the gate to the park, you can see the old Corn Exchange building, which adopts some of it style from the Pavilion. We went to a restaurant across the street with the group and then took a quick stroll around the block before meeting up with our bus to go back to the hotel.
We made our way out of town and back to our hotel for a quiet evening, a drink in the bar at South Lodge, and a lovely meal before bed.
Next time, we will visit Arundel Castle and head to Southampton to catch the ferry to the Isle of Wight!
To begin at the beginning of our tour, read Introduction. For a related flash fiction piece, read Dragon Plant.
Travelogue South England Trip: Parham House and Petworth House
The Brighton Pavilion decor is a bit over-the-top. It’s enough to give a person a seizure.
I often thought the same about theme parks. 😊
I avoid theme parks, myself. Too loud, too fake, too crowded.
Brighton definitely beats Disneyworld for me.
Me too, Margrit. I didn’t want to compare the two in the post, for fear of giving offense, but there is something similar about the degree of enthusiasm in the art of display.
I really love the unapologetic richness of Brighton Pavilion. It. Is almost like a deliberate exaggeration of what it is like, to be wealthy beyond your wildest dreams. It may serve a purpose similar to vaulted ceilings and stained glass windows in the church in medieval times–built to impress the lowly peasants (and keep them in line.)
Or perhaps it was a reminder of how far the empire stretched at the time, something like Epcot’s world village, to put mere burgers in touch with the customs and aesthetics of the dominated country, at least, as seen through the ironically “captivated” eyes of its oppressor.
Or maybe it was just an expression of the taste of the time and of George IV. Further reading is clearly in order.
But what a jewel it is!
I’ve avoided Disneyworld like the plague.