The Collections
Denys Bower wanted to share his passion for objects of beauty with other people and so displayed his collections in the castle for the public. On his death in 1977, in order that people could continue to view his treasures, he bequeathed his life’s work to the nation.
The National Trust refused to accept the bequest, despite impassioned pleas from Ruth Eldridge, citing the lack of sufficient funds to preserve the collections and castle. After nearly seven more years effort and work, Ruth Eldridge succeeded in persuading the High Court to order the formation of a private trust. Today, the Trustees of Denys Eyre Bower continue his legacy by opening Chiddingstone Castle to the public for much of the year.
Read more about this topic: Chiddingstone Castle
Famous quotes containing the word collections:
“Most of those who make collections of verse or epigram are like men eating cherries or oysters: they choose out the best at first, and end by eating all.”
—Sébastien-Roch Nicolas De Chamfort (1741–1794)