On our last trip to Northumberland we had a day out at Cragside which is described as the world's first smart home. It was built by William Armstrong who was an engineer who built a fortune around all sorts of projects including bridges, bug guns and warships.
The house is part of a vast estate spread over some hills and valleys, much of which is forest. It is now owned by the National Trust and as members we got in for free. Armstrong's family struggled to keep up with the costs after his death, but they still own nearby Bamburgh Castle that we have previously visited.
When we arrived we were told that we could explore the six mile carriage drive that loops around the estate. It passes through a courtyard in the house as there is a cliff on one side and a valley on the other. The house is only about 150 years old, but uses older styles.
The old stable block now houses a cafe.
Next to the stables is one of several artificial lakes that feed the hydroelectric generators that powered the house. This was the first home to do that. There are also water-powered pumps to get water up to the house.
A river runs down the valley where you have a great view of the house. That splendid bridge leads to the formal garden. Apparently the house was used in one of the Jurassic World movies.
This is a nice example of a grand English garden with neat flower beds. The greenhouses contain large fruit trees in pots that can be turned so all the fruit gets the sun. You do need to be fairly fit to get around the place as there are lots of stone steps.
The kitchen had some gadgets like water-power spits to turn the meat by the fire and an early dishwasher. When it was built even electric lights were a novelty. Below the kitchen was a room where you could see the mechanism for the elevator, also powered by water.
The house has its own spa with hot and cold rooms plus plunge pools.
A lot of the rooms are not as grand as you will see in some stately homes. It was a family home, but a big one. The bedrooms are nice, but not like those we have seen in some palaces. They would have had a lot of staff to run the place.
At the top of the house is the entertaining space. The gallery has lots of art and a huge collection of seashells.
After the gallery you enter the hall where royalty were entertained. The fireplace is ten tons of Italian marble. Beyond that is a cosy billiard room with heated seats where the gentlemen would go for a drink. I think I read that William was not keen on smoking, so they may not have had cigars.
We have been to plenty of big houses, but this was something special. It shows what you can do with vast wealth.
When we were leaving there were some emergency vehicles near the exit. From what we could see a vehicle could have gone through a fence and down the ravine, but we could not stop to see more and I have not found any news articles about it. I hope whoever it was is okay.
