From the Chicheleys to the Bambridges the National Trust aim to provide time capsules of ownership around the Wimpole Estate. How successfully do you think they achieved this?

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Question 2: From the Chicheleys to the Bambridges the National Trust aim to provide time capsules of ownership around the Wimpole Estate. How successfully do you think they achieved this?

The Wimpole Estate has had many owners over the years from the Chicheleys to the Bambridges. In 1640 Chicheley built the hall in order to show off his power and wealth. Chicheley was forced to sell the house to pay off his debts. In 1686 Lord Radnor becomes the new owner. In 1711 Wimpole passes to the Harley family. In 1740 Lord Hardwick buys the estate, the first Earl’s son then became the owner in 1764. As the second Earl of Hardwick had no sons his nephew inherited Wimpole in 1790. In 1834 the fourth Earl inherited the estate from his uncle, because of both of the third Earl’s sons died. In  1873 wimpole gets passed on to the fourth Earl’s first son, Champagne Charlie. This name was given to him, because of his lavish lifestyle. In 1894 Champagne Charlie was forced to sell Wimpole to pay off his gambling debts. Second Lord Robartes, chairman of the Agar Robartes Bank, took the estate, the bank the fifth Earl owed money too. In 1938 George and Elsie rented the estate and two years later they bought it. When Elsie Bambridge died in 1976 she left Wimpole Hall and the estate to the National Trust.

The National Trust aim is to achieve time capsules of ownership. This means that they wish to restore different parts of the estate to different time periods equally. They have tried to get a balance in the way the rooms and areas are restored to certain time periods.

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The rooms have often been to a certain time period; for example the Yellow Drawing Room is to the time of the third Earl and is very much the work of Soane. One can distinguish Soane’s work by the magnificent arches and the extraordinary height in the room. Whereas the red room is done to the time of the fourth Earl.         

The rooms and areas of the estate in the time of Chicheley is the Chapel that is attached to the church.  

        However Harley, architect Gibbs, made some changes to the chapel so it is ...

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