The Grange,Ramsgate
The delight of the sea with catholic architecture
Pugin chose Ramsgate as his permanent residence after spending many happy times there visiting his aunt, Miss Welby, who lived near the port. Pugin also had a great passion for the sea and boats, which the seaside location of Ramsgate allowed him to indulge in; so much so he even purchased a lugger boat he named Caroline. The land he acquired for the construction of The Grange ensured he could not only enjoy uninterrupted views of the sea beyond but also gave him adequate space to create and live in his perfect vision of home.
The first thing that will strike you and possibly surprise you on entering The Grange is just how cosy and homely a house it is. Given that AWN Pugin’s most famous works are incredibly ornate, you might expect his personal home to be rather grand and over the top, and in many ways, it still is. But on entering the house, what you will instantly feel is an incredible sense of home and intimacy, which makes it stand apart from any other of Pugin’s buildings.
You access the house via a long covered walkway, which features an arch-braced roof with scissor trusses and open spandrels. Although installed by Edward in a later period, the design is very reminiscent of his father’s works at Bilton Grange and the now lost conservatories and glasshouses which were once located on the south side of Alton Towers.
On entering the house, you find yourself in the hallway where, under the stairs, is located a rather curious door which opens onto a tunnel that once went under the house and gardens, all the way to the shore. As a keen sailor himself, and also a victim of shipwreck, Pugin would keep a chest of spare clothes in the hall should any sailor find themselves in trouble and or in need of assistance. In fact, he would regularly survey the sea from the house’s tower, looking out for those who may be in need of rescue. On sight of a sailor in distress, he would race down the tunnel to the shore and take to the sea on Caroline.
Although the double-height hall design is much more commonplace these days, that was not the case back then and would have therefore made the appearance of the wooden staircase even more impressive. The hall is also where you will get the first glimpse of Pugin’s tile and wallpaper designs, both emblazoned with his coat of arms and Pugin’s monogram.
The sitting room, like the rest of the house, is a cosy, welcoming room which features a stained glass window aptly dedicated to the patron saint of architects, St Barbara. Other windows also feature St Peter, the Isle of Thanet and the Blessed Virgin. The fireplace, which had been much altered by Edward, but later restored to its original state, features motifs representing all of Pugin’s children. Among these motifs are the words read, mark, learn, digest, which were purposely placed at the height where his children could observe and be inspired by them.
Whilst many men of Pugin’s day might choose to have their study and work area away from the rest of the house and their families, Pugin had his library just off the sitting room with only a curtain dividing them. However, this didn’t always work well, as he once stated, 'It would be easier to work in a pig market' due to all the noise.
At the top of the walls is a frieze, featuring the names of Pugin’s favourite places and people along with the names of saints and notable cathedral cities. Another decorates the tops of the bookcases with texts from the Book of Proverb such as ‘Happy is the man that findeth wisdom and the getteth understanding’.
The bookshelves were used to store Pugin’s rolls of drawings, reference books and the architectural fragments he had collected over the years and travels. As well as storage, one bookcase also hides a secret door, which leads out into the main hallway.
When not working or studying Pugin could be found in his own personal chapel at the east end of the house. The chapel would have been used by the family on a daily basis and has two stained glass depicting Pugin, his second wife Louisa and their children. The window above the altar shows Pugin kneeling beneath St Augustine, and Louisa and three children beneath St Gregory. In the south window, Cuthbert and Edward appear as boys in blue and red attire, and their respective saints are shown above.
Did you know you can actually stay at The Grange? Visit the Landmark Trust for more information here.
For a a more in-depth history of The Grange the Landmark Trust have a handy guide here: The Grange Guide
Please note that The Grange is only open to the public on selected days,
therefore contact the Landmark Trust for details and to book.
