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2 March 2003
Looking for the White House
The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, in London, is known the world over for its botanical collections, but the area used to look quite different. The Hanoverian royal family, including the famously 'mad' King George III, built several palaces here and used them regularly.
Time Team was looking for the White House, one of the royal palaces at Kew, which was renowned for its grandeur but was suddenly demolished for no known reason in 1802. Was the White House an adapted earlier structure or a completely new building? Are the original plans, which the Team used to try to identify the remains of the palace, accurate? Time Team had the usual three days to find out.
Conundrums
Not all of the White House was demolished in 1802: the kitchens and orangery still survive as standing buildings. There is also an 18th-century plan by William Chambers, which purports to outline the location and structure of the palace. To cap it all, there is a sundial in Kew Gardens today that is supposed to mark the spot on which the palace stood. In theory at least, then, it should have been relatively straightforward to identify the location and layout.
The excavations threw up a few conundrums, however. The geophysics didn't match with the original Chambers plan. Time Team's landscape archaeologist Stewart Ainsworth and geophysics expert Henry Chapman produced an overlay of the Chambers plan with another map of the landscape. It suggested that the Team were digging too far south.
Archaeology tells the real story
Phil Harding disagreed: 'The archaeology in the ground tells us the real story.' After a few different theories get tried out, it looks as though Phil was right. The original 18th-century plan was wrong.
As the excavations continue, the dig unearths a cellar and even King George's toilet. There's evidence for fine living in the artefacts that are found – and, for those who enjoy a touch of romance and mystery about their palaces, there's even a tunnel from the kitchen to the house too.
New Discoveries at Royal Kew
Friday 28 March 2003
Kew Winter Lecture Series at Jodrell Lecture Theatre, Kew Gardens
Jonathon Foyle, assistant curator at Hampton Court and Kew Palace, featured in the Time Team programme filmed at Kew. In this lecture, open to the public, he outlines the Team's findings during the archaeological excavations and shows his own research into the site of the White House. He describes how the excavation trenches helped pinpoint the exact location and plan of the building and what new discoveries and clues were found.
Sorting the finds with Rob Armour-Chelu
A succession of royal houses have stood in the grounds of Kew Gardens. The Hanoverian royal family built and destroyed palaces at a prolific rate – adding to their reputation for decadence. The Time Team excavations of the White House at Kew turned up dozens of trays of finds, but what do they tell us about this particular house? Time Team finds expert Rob Armour-Chelu explains their significance.
Posh pots
'The bulk of the ceramic finds are actually related to the gardens – lots of flower pots and bits of border, which are 18th and 19th century,' says Rob. 'However, there are a few pieces which relate to the palace. We have some nice late 17th- and early 18th-century pottery, which is of a very high status. We have some nice Chinese pottery, which is imported and hand painted. It's very posh and certainly fit for a king. Most of the garden-related stuff has come from the top layers of soil which are over the foundations and cellars that we are excavating.'
How about evidence for the palace itself?
'We are getting lots of demolition material from the cellars. It looks like the cellars here have been deliberately back-filled to level the ground, and the material in them is good structural stuff. We were concerned that the fill material may have been brought onto the site, but it now it appears that what we are looking at is certainly from the house.'
How can you tell that the material is of high status?
'Well our initial concerns have been answered wonderfully. We have some lovely Portland stone, which Sir Christopher Wren used to rebuild substantial parts of London after the great fire. It was the smart stone to use and also the material we understand the White House was built of. We have some more good evidence in our collection, including some stone mouldings of Portland stone that have been white-washed. People would have seen a glowing white building, which would have looked fantastic. We also think that at least part of the roof would have been green. We have Westmorland slate, which is a lovely green colour. It looks like they've shopped around for the best possible materials. They could certainly afford it and all the evidence shouts of opulence. It's as much about showing how much money you've got as being aesthetically pleasing.'
Can you see different phases in the building from the evidence?
'We know that there were several phases of building here, but we don't know if the house was demolished at each phase. This seams highly unlikely. We have lots of different roof tiles on top of the Westmorland slate, but they could well belong to outbuildings or the like. We also have lots of different flooring, from terracotta tiles to Portland stone, which has been keyed (scored) on one side so that it can be mortared down. This certainly looks like a collection from a palace of different phases.'
What other sorts of finds have you been getting?
'We have had some nice coins, including some Maundy money, which is given to staff at Easter, and some other silver coinage dating to the 1720s. It looks like the palace would have been completely cleared out before it was demolished, so there's not much by way of pottery. You can see high-status imported pottery in museums everywhere, but it's really nice to actually find it in-situ.'
Time Team unit manager Mak Knighton
Mak Knighton is the unit manager for the Time Team shoots. His is one of those names you see in the end titles, but what does he actually do?
'The unit manager's job is a combination of roles,' says Mak. 'I can cover a bit of assistant director, locations manager and production manager all in the same day. To start off with, I work with the researchers to get to grips with the archaeology and history of the site. Then I become the main point of contact with the landowner. I need to ascertain where we can locate everything on site and generally make sure the logistics are all sorted out. That can include everything from finding water to hiring a crane. The best parts of my job include meeting so many people, travelling all over the country and learning so much about archaeology. Time Team is also like a big family and that makes it even better.'
Further reading
The Georgian country house: architecture, landscape and society edited by Dana Arnold (Sutton Publishing, 1998)
The country house was the focal point of Georgian architecture, landscape and society. This study explores the meaning of this distinct architectural form through a range of examples and approaches to its history. The main body of the text presents an analysis of the social and cultural significance of the country house, and is complemented by essays from experts in a variety of disciplines. Illustrations, showing exteriors, interiors and landscapes of houses, ranging from Blenheim and Harewood to lesser-known examples such as A la Ronde, provide a thorough historical and visual survey of the period. Accessible interpretations allow the reader to gain an insight into the pivotal role the country house played in 18th- and early 19th-century English society.
The Georgian Villa (The Country House) edited by Dana Arnold (Sutton Publishing, 1998)
The villa remains one of the most potent architectural forms in western culture. The ideal of a rural retreat for relaxation and contemplation has endured from antiquity up to the present day. Yet there have been significant changes in the form and function of the villa and the social and economic circumstances of its occupants. Many of these changes took place in the Georgian period. This text brings together historians to look at the 18th- and early 19th-century villa in its wider context. Images of the villa, real or imagined, are show to reveal much about contemporary attitudes. The role of Andrea Palladio is re-examined through the response of architects throughout the period to his work, including Colen Campbell's Stourhead and Lord Burlington's villa at Chiswick. The range of form, planning and sources of the villa is seen not only in Robert Adam's designs but also in the variations of the villa found in Edinburgh and Glasgow where it provided a balanced contrast between city and retreat. Later in the period, changes in the demand for houses and the urban fabric brought the villa into the city where its elitist aspirations were replaced by democratising principles.
Faithful Handmaid: Fanny Burney at the Court of King George III by Hester Davenport (Sutton Publishing, 2003) £7.99
Drawing on Fanny Burney's letters and journals of the time, Hester Davenport explores the events of King George III's court, and Burney's place within it. She became Keeper of the Robes to Queen Charlotte in 1786 and was witness to many dramas, such as the assassination attempt on the king in the same year. During her time at court she records the King's madness' and recovery, alongside other events, such as the time the King goes for a dip at Weymouth, the birthday procession of Princess Amelia, and the day that the courtiers share tea, brown bread and clotted cream together at Saltram House in Devon. We also share Burney's own life, as she is cruelly jilted by the equerry Stephen Digby. Her fame was already established as a novelist. The anonymously published "Evelina" had been a sensation, especially when the young author's identity was revealed, and was admired by Dr Johnson and other leading figures of the day. Her depiction of her time spent at court illustrates her position as a pioneering woman writer and a valuable social commentator.
Other websites
This website contains links to other websites which are not under the control of and are not maintained by Channel 4 Television. Channel 4 Television is not responsible for the content of these sites and does not necessarily endorse the material on them.
Historic Royal Palaces
www.hrp.org.uk
Website of Historic Royal Palaces, which looks after the unoccupied royal palaces of Britain, including Kew Palace (currently closed for restoration) and Queen Charlotte's Cottage. Includes short, well-illustrated histories of Kew and other royal palaces, including the White House.
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
www.rbgkew.org.uk
Website of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, site of George III's White House, Kew Palace and Queen Charlotte's Cottage. Includes modern and old maps of the site.
Restoring Kew Gardens
www.architectureweek.com/
2002/1002/culture_1-1.html
Interesting, illustrated article from the architecture magazine Architecture Week on the complex conservation programme currently being undertaken to conserve the architectural and landscape heritage of Kew Gardens, including Kew Palace.