Latest news with #ThomasHardySociety
Cosmopolitan
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Cosmopolitan
Downton Abbey's creator is calling out Prince William and causing a right royal to-do
The creator of Downton Abbey, Julian Fellowes, is apparently beefing with Prince William. But before we get into it, a little context: as you might know due to it lasting 84 million years, Downton Abbey follows the elite lives of Britain's upper-class Crawley family and their sprawling family estate. The titular mansion is as much a character in the show as any of the cast, so it is of little surprise that Julian Fellowes cares a lot about historic homes – and now it seems he has a personal axe to grind with Prince William due to the Duchy of Cornwall's plan to build over 100 homes right next to the historic Dorset estate that once belonged to novelist Thomas Hardy. Apparently he thinks they'll ruin the landscape and general vibes? (Side note: Julian Fellowes is president of the Thomas Hardy Society.) "The people who approved this clearly do not appreciate the history of the county and the importance of Thomas Hardy to the area," Julian said, per Vanity Fair, without name-checking Prince William directly. "I don't understand how the developers and the city council, grown men and women, can do that in good conscience. I know they have to do something about the housing shortage, but there are plenty of other places where they could build without interfering with these historic sites. It will be much harder for future generations to understand Hardy's life and work." Now seems like a good time to mention that Julian is kinda royals-adjacent. According to Vanity Fair, he's married to Emma Joy Kitchener, who is a former lady-in-waiting to Princess Michael of Kent. He's also a baron in the House of Lords. The issue of homelessness is one close to the Prince's heart, and is something he discussed in detail (along with his plans to personal lead in building new homes) in an ITV documentary, Prince William: We Can End Homelessness, last November. So... guess we'll see if that influences William's decision at all! Mehera Bonner is a celebrity and entertainment news writer who enjoys Bravo and Antiques Roadshow with equal enthusiasm, She was previously entertainment editor at Marie Claire and has covered pop culture for over a decade.
Times
22-05-2025
- General
- Times
Downton Abbey creator's anger at homes near Thomas Hardy's house
The creator of Downton Abbey has accused Dorset Council of having 'no appreciation for history' after it granted the Duchy of Cornwall permission to build 100 houses next to Thomas Hardy's historic home in Dorset. Lord Fellowes of West Stafford, who is president of the Thomas Hardy Society, questioned whether the developers had a 'conscience' over the plans. He said developing the countryside so close to where the Victorian novelist wrote many of his great works, such as Tess of the d'Urbervilles and The Mayor of Casterbridge, would make it more difficult for fans to understand Hardy's inspiration. The Thomas Hardy Society said it would be challenging the decision by Dorset council and urged the duchy to spare the 'sacred' land at Stinsford, on
Times
22-05-2025
- General
- Times
Downtown Abbey creator's anger at homes near Thomas Hardy's house
The creator of Downton Abbey has accused Dorset Council of having 'no appreciation for history' after it granted the Duchy of Cornwall permission to build 100 houses next to Thomas Hardy's historic home in Dorset. Lord Fellowes of West Stafford, who is president of the Thomas Hardy Society, questioned whether the developers had a 'conscience' over the plans. He said developing the countryside so close to where the Victorian novelist wrote many of his great works, such as Tess of the d'Urbervilles and The Mayor of Casterbridge, would make it more difficult for fans to understand Hardy's inspiration. The Thomas Hardy Society said it would be challenging the decision by Dorset council and urged the duchy to spare the 'sacred' land at Stinsford, on
Daily Mail
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes says Prince William's Duchy of Cornwall has 'no conscience' after go-ahead to build 100 houses next to Thomas Hardy's home
The creator of Downton Abbey has said Prince William 's Duchy of Cornwall has 'no conscience' after they were given the go-ahead to build 100 houses. Lord Julian Fellowes is urging the royal estate to spare the 'sacred land' which is next to the Victorian novelist Thomas Hardy's historic home. He said developing the countryside so close to where the iconic author wrote many of his great works would make it harder for fans to understand Hardy's methods. The Thomas Hardy Society, of which Lord Fellowes is president, confirmed it would be challenging the decision. They also accused the Duchy of trying to take over Dorchester, citing King Charles ' sprawling designer village of Poundbury to the west of the market town. Hardy, an architect before he became a celebrated novelist, had Grade I Max Gate built in Stinsford on the outskirts of Dorchester in 1885. It was there he wrote some of his best work including Tess of the d'Urbervilles, The Mayor of Casterbridge and Jude the Obscure. He was often inspired by the landscape that surrounded him. He renamed Wessex towns and villages in his books and graphically detailed the countryside he explored in them. In 2022 C.G Fry, the Duchy of Cornwall's developers for Poundbury, submitted plans for 107 houses to be built on four paddocks of land to the north of Max Gate. Dorset Council has now approved the plans despite a number of objections. Lord Fellowes, who lives in the nearby village of West Stafford, said: 'The people who have approved this clearly have no appreciation for the history of the county and the importance of Thomas Hardy to the area. 'I don't really see how the developers and the council, grown men and women, can do that with a conscience. 'I understand that they have to do something about the shortage of housing but there are so many other places that they could be built that would not interfere with such historic sites. 'It will be much more difficult for future generations to truly understand Hardy's life and works.' Mark Chutter, chairman of the Thomas Hardy Society, said: 'This land is quite sacred in terms of the life of Thomas Hardy. 'I know building houses is important but they need to be located appropriately. It should not be adjacent to historic buildings such as Max Gate. Thomas Hardy (1840-1928) British poet, novelist and dramatist with his second wife, Florence 'I think the Duchy of Cornwall should think again and should consider the importance of Hardy to the surrounding land. 'The development needs to be stopped so the land can be protected. 'We have already got Poundbury which is Duchy of Cornwall land. That is a huge development which they are still building and now they want to do this so close to Max Gate. 'Why do they have to be there of all locations? 'The Thomas Hardy Society will be challenging this and raising the importance of the location.' The Duchy of Cornwall was established in 1337 to provide an income for the heir to the throne. It is a major landowner with 130,000 acres of land and brings in £24m a year in profit. After King Charles ascended the throne in 2023 Prince William took over ownership of the Duchy. Mr Chutter said: 'It worries me that the Duchy of Cornwall seems to be taking over west Dorset. 'Poundbury has been going on for years and this seems to be next. We are going to be inundated with buildings. 'We are going to get crowded with buildings and the character of Dorchester will become unrecognisable.' Neil Mathews, chairman of the board of trustees of the Campaign to Protect Rural England, Dorset, said: 'We recognise the need to build more houses but it has to be done respectfully and in the right manner. 'Developers seem to be building large houses that certainly are not affordable for young people and first-time buyers looking to get onto the property ladder. 'We hope that the developers will be sympathetic towards Max Gate and the ancient henge in the area and not disrespect the historic land. 'I would hope that the Prince of Wales would take an interest in the development and I hope that he would be sympathetic towards the history and heritage and make sure of the affordable nature of the new homes. 'There are also issues with infrastructure. I know the nearest doctors surgery is full to capacity and the schools are at their limit. 'The roads are already rammed. 'There is always the danger that this could be a slippery slope and more and more greenfield land becomes built on.' In its planning application the Duchy acknowledged the proximity of the development to Max Gate, which is run by the National Trust, but said it would not harm the visitor experience. It said: 'This change would not materially affect the experience of the house from the surrounding area, nor the experience within its grounds. 'On this basis it is concluded that the proposed development would not result in any harm to the significance of the house.' They said the scheme will provide 'high-quality homes, including affordable housing, whilst complementing the unique historic identity of the area'. Paul Hoffmann, of CG Fry, added: 'I do not think that the proposed development would result in Max Gate suffering a loss of significance.' Hardy lived at Max Gate from 1885, firstly with wife Emma, and then with his second wife Florence. He dictated his final poem while lying on his deathbed at the property.
