Bourne Park.'7B1Bhopsboume, which may” ouse a
. ._.’»;p1;,i‘;s:_eIess‘7artcolIecflon. ~ 

Priceless art
collection for
3?-iurne Park?

)NE of Br-i.ta.in_»’s most valuable art “collec-

ion‘,-sl may soon find a home‘ - at historic

Bourne. Park, Bishopsbourne. The Fitz-

villiam collection of Paintings, furniture and

tthsr-ai:t.».a1.Qrks_wqrthsexeral million

rouldfbe open to the public" by 1983 if negotia-
~i0I_1.s are successful." a _ - ' i

4..

Behind the plan to brin
he collection to East Ken ’
s Lad Juliet de Chair,
vho inierited it from the
0th Earl Fitzwilliam 'in
979.‘. ' v
—Her husband,’ 71-year-old
air Somerset de Chair, who.
lved at Chilham Castle
mtil he sold it to Lord Mas-
ereene and ‘Ferrard in
949, said this .week: .“I,’m
bsolutely delighted to be
enewing ‘my links with
East Kent. .

“ e Park will pro-
ide, erfect setting for
he conection. ‘ _

“We have been looking
or a_, suitable home for the
aollection and I_ remem-
tered Beurne ark when it
vas the’ home of Sir John
>1-estige. We think it is just
-lght for what we want.”

Rumours that the house
md" ardens -were being
$0102} or £2 million have
been circulating in Bridge
ind .,.Bishop-sbourne‘ f r
teveral da s but Mr de
Jhair said e agreed price
vas nowhere near that
‘igure. . - ‘

"If the negotiations are

‘area would create -9; major

auccessful I hope we can

tourist attraction.

Among the many paint-
ings are 10b Stubbs.-l;'I‘ur-
ni ure inclu es a setiof 48
dinin chairs made by
Hepp ewhite, six Adam
side tables and several
pieces of Chippendale. -.'

The large library has '
Volumes by Caxton, includ-
ing his printing of Canter-
bury Tales._ ‘I think it
would be very fitting to
have such abook-inst a few
miles out of“Can erbury,”

said Mr de Chair. ‘ ~ ,
At present the collectirfn
has been split’ u and parts
are housed 11 various
glaces around the country.
ome of the Stubbs paint.-p
ings and the jade collectiorg.
are to go on show at Mr de
Chair’s home at St Osyth,
Essex, later this year.- ‘
“-At first we had thought‘
of converting our Hen '
VIII tithe barn into a ga -
lery to house the collec-
tion,” explained Mr de
Chair. - ’
“The trouble was that we
thought it would be unfair
on the barn and unfair on?
the collection. The furni- ’
ture would not be in’ Q pro-

v:


   

;Bourne Park, Bishopsbourne, which may house a.

I ‘priceless art collection. I ‘  3 .°
; Priceless art
I - I . 0 ‘
p collection for
Bourne Park?

_,ONE of Britain’s most valuable art collec-
tions may soon find a home at historic
Q Botir-ne Park, Bishopsbourne. The Fitz-
'william collection of paintings, furniture and
other art works worth several million pounds
could be open to the public by 1983 if negotia-

_ tions are successful.

V Behind the plan to brin

’ the collection to East Ken .
is Lady Juliet de Chair,
who inherited it from the

510th Earl Fitzwilliam 'in

11979.

. Her husband, 71-year-old

1 Mr Somerset de Chair, who

%lived at Chilham Castle
until he sold it to Lord Mas-
sereene and Ferrard in

-1949, said this week: “I’m
absolutely delighted to be
renewing my links with
East Kent.

“B e Park will pro-
vide; «erfect setting for
the conection. '

“We have been looking
for a suitable home for the
collection and I_ remem-
bered Bourne Park when it
was the home of Sir John

,- Prestige. We think it is just
" right for what we want."

Rumours that the house
Land ardens were being
;sold or /£2 million have
.'been circulating in Bridge
‘and Bishopsbourne for
several days but Mr de
‘ Chair said the agreed price
was nowhere near that
figure. ‘
“If the negotiations are
successful I hope we can

     

area would create a major
tourist attraction.

Among the many paint-
in s are 10' by Stubbs. Fur-
ni ure includes a set of 48
dinin chairs made by
Hepp ewhite, six Adam
side tables and several
pieces of Chippendale. '

The large library has-

volumes by Caxton, includ-
ing his printing of Canter-
bury Tales. “I think it
would be very fitting to
have such a book just a few
miles out_ of’ Canterbury,"
said Mr de Chair. ‘
At present the collection
has been split up and parts
are housed in various
jsilaces around the country.
o_me of the Stubbs paint-
ings and the jade collection
are to go on show at Mr de
Chair's home at St Osyth,
Essex, later this year.

“At first we had thought
of converting our Henr
VIII tithe barn into a ga -
lery .to house the collec-
tion,” explained Mr de
Chair. ’

“The trouble was that we
thought it would be unfair

on the barn and unfair on ‘

the collection. The furni-

ture would not be in" a ro-W