Comments on: The Hermitage, Conishead Priory, Bardsea, Cumbria.

By: Editor

Editor — Thu, 23 Sep 2021 14:43:55 +0000

In reply to Graham Dash. Hello Graham. There must have been an industry standard job specification! The hermit was certainly a very fashionable garden accessory around this period, but I suspect there were many more hermitages than there were actual hermits.

By: Graham Dash

Graham Dash — Thu, 23 Sep 2021 10:15:44 +0000

Interesting wording for the post of Hermit – ‘The hermit is never to leave the place, or hold a conversation with anyone for 7 years during which time he is neither to wash himself or cleanse himself in any way whatever, but is to let his hair and nails both on hands and feet grow as long as nature will permit them’.
These are pretty much identical requirements, and wording, that Charles Hamilton set down for the hermit at Painshill, Cobham, Surrey

By: Editor

Editor — Wed, 22 Sep 2021 19:07:10 +0000

In reply to John Davies. Hello John, lovely to hear from you. Alexander Pope used the phrase 'genius of the place' in a poem in the 18th century, and it became commonly used in reference to landscape gardens of the period. I didn't know about its later use in 20C art, so thanks for that info.

By: John Davies

John Davies — Sat, 18 Sep 2021 16:59:25 +0000

What a lovely and interesting post. This is an atmospheric corner of the coast, short on beaches but better on follies and stone circles, and you’ve pulled back the curtain on a hitherto obscure corner. Also interested to learn that West used the phrase ‘genius of the place’ (genius loci) which was a touchtone for the British neo-romantic artists of the early-mid 20th century…… didn’t know that it already had such currency as a an idea.