Historic refractor in stately home?

[timwetherell]

Bit of a long shot here but I'm in the midst of preparing a talk for our astronomy group and am trying to trace a telescope I saw when I was a child in the long long ago. It was a something like a 4,5 or 6" achromatic refractor with a white OTA located in an upstairs room of a stately home in either northern England or southern Scotland. My mother took me to the house when I was about 10 and the telescope made a real impression on me but I've no idea which house it was? We've visited hundreds of these places and my mother's not particularly interested in astronomy so she can't remember which house and of course being 10 at the time, I've no clue at all  I don't think it was a terribly big house and the telescope was in it's own small room up a narrow staircase. The room had a big window but wasn't an observatory as such. The telescope dominated the whole room (wasn't just in the corner). Does this sound in any way familiar to anyone? Or anyone have any suggestions as to where it may be? I've tried the National Trust but it didn't ring any bells with them. Thanks

[xtreemchaos]

could it be here http://www.thebowesmuseum.org.uk/ I remember going as a boy and in a upstairs room the was a large white frac with brass fittings on a dark wood tripod, I remember it because I got told off for touching it, id say it was 5inch, mind you it was well over 40 years ago so it may not be there now.  charl.

[Merlin]

It's surprising how many Victoria mansions had their own private observatories, and a paid astronomer to boot.

[Fozzie]

5 hours ago, xtreemchaos said:

 I remember it because I got told off for touching it

Naughty Naughty... I bet you ran on the grass too!!

Great memory BTW, I struggle with last year, let alone 40 years ago!

[xtreemchaos]

thanks Fozzie, I only remember it because I got told off, things like that stick, the rest of my memorys like the tied, I also remember the huge silver swan in a glass case which on the hour would eat a fish in the hallway when you first enter the lovely house. charl.

[brantuk]

Ahhhh.... track down the swan - that's quite a famous automaton and I believe there was only one ever made. That may lead you to the house with the scope.

Here you go - give Bowes Museum a call and see if they can offer the history of where it's been:

 

[brantuk]

Hmmph... just read the rest of the thread and extremechaos beat me to it lol. I was all excited too hahaha!

[timwetherell]

21 hours ago, xtreemchaos said:

could it be here http://www.thebowesmuseum.org.uk/ I remember going as a boy and in a upstairs room the was a large white frac with brass fittings on a dark wood tripod, I remember it because I got told off for touching it, id say it was 5inch, mind you it was well over 40 years ago so it may not be there now.  charl.

I don't remember the house being quite as big as that but it's the sort of place we used to go so  I'll definitely check it out. Looks like they have lots of interesting stuff!

[xtreemchaos]

thanks for posting the vid Brantuk, that brings back memorys mate, its very impressive the swan, think it was made for a indian king  if I remember rightly. charl.

[brantuk]

Close Charl - I just looked it up and it was commissioned by Russian Prince Grigory Potempkin - after whom the battleship was named, and favourite consort of Catherine the Great. It was a gift for her eldest daughter Katerina with whom he was also reputed to have had an amorous relationship.

[Davey-T]

There was a program on the BBC about the swan a while ago where they took it all to bits and transported it somewhere else to reassemble it, took a lot of people a lot of time trying to get it to work again

Dave