Newport, Rhode Island.. The Cliff Walk... Inside The Beaches Residence... Tennis Hall of Fame

Hi again!!

After a long drive down to Newport and a couple of drives around the block to find our car park at the Admiral Fitzroy Inn we checked in to our room for the next couple of nights.

About the Inn

Enter a world of seafaring captains and historic grace as you walk through the doors of the Admiral Fitzroy Inn. Built in 1854 to designs by renowned architect Dudley Newton, the historic property is on the National Register of Historic Places. The Inn had its first home two blocks away on Spring Street where it served as the convent for the sisters of St. Mary’s Church. After local entrepreneur Don Glassie bought the building in 1986, it was dismantled and moved to its current location on lower Thames Street then rebuilt to its original size and style standing tall and proud in Newport’s waterfront district.

The Inn is named for a famous English Admiral and meteorologist who commanded the H.M.S. Beagle on Charles Darwin's expedition that inspired the Origin of the Species.

About the Admiral

Admiral Fitzroy was one of the first to attempt a scientific weather forecast. Returning from his famous journey with Darwin, he took up the newly created post of Head of Meteorology at the Board of Trade in London and began collecting the information necessary to predict the weather. Working on this knowledge, Fitzroy created the first easy-to-use barometer, leading to the first daily weather forecasts published in The London Times in 1860.

Great room, unfortunately we didn't have a view of anything in particular.  Bathroom small but efficient.  Shower great.  Once we sorted ourselves out we wandered down the street to find a restaurant to eat at.  We asked a couple walking along the street if they had any recommendations and they said The Moorings... which is what we had found on TripAdvisor too, so we were happy with that and we were very happy with our fish and chips too!!

Now for a wander around to see what was what and to walk off our dinner!!!

After a great nights sleep, but not before hearing a few bumps and creeks in the night we woke early as we wanted to enjoy the whole day.  After our continental breakfast we set off for the Cliff Walk.   On the way passing a row of colourful homes.

Then stopping for a coffee at Empire Tea & Coffee - great coffee too! 

I advise wearing very comfortable shoes as its quite a hike but you won't be disappointed though as the walk is absolutely spectacular and World famous!! So pleased we had this on our schedule.  It covers a length just over 5.6ks (3.5 miles).  Starting at Easton's Beach and concludes at Bailey's Beach.

Easton's Beach

The following are the mansions... I hope I have the right picture against the right property name!!!

Marker #5 : Ochre Court... as stated on Wikipedia is a large châteauesque mansion in Newport, Rhode Island, United States. Commissioned by Ogden Goelet, it was built at a cost of $4.5 million in 1892. It is the second largest mansion in Newport after nearby The Breakers. These two mansions, along with Belcourt Castle (the 3rd largest mansion) and Marble House, were designed by architect Richard Morris Hunt. It is owned by Salve Regina University.

Marker #6 : Vinland Estate as stated on Wikipedia was built at Ochre Point, Newport, Rhode Island, United States, in 1882 for tobacco heiress Catharine Lorillard Wolfe by Peabody & Stearns. The Romanesque Revival style exterior consists of red sandstone with Aesthetic Movement style elements. Interior elements include designs by William Morris, windows by Burne-Jones, and landscaping by Ernest Bowditch.

Marker #7 : The Breakers as stated on Wikipedia is the grandest of Newport's summer "cottages" and a symbol of the Vanderbilt family's social and financial preeminence in turn of the century America.  Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt (1794-1877) established the family fortune in steamships and later in the New York Central Railroad, which was a pivotal development in the industrial growth of the nation during the late 19th century. 

After our walk we also entered The Breakers as we were advised its one of the best to visit out of the varying ones that are open to the public.  We were certainly wowed!!!  Will put these photos a litter later in the blog after our walk photos.

The Breakers

Us having a fab time!

Marker #8 : Angelsea (Walter Herron Lewis House) is a private residence at present.  As stated on Citimaps... Angelsea is a seaside Victorian cottage along the Cliff Walk, it was designed by Detlef Lienau, a German architect who is credited with having introduced the French style to American building construction, notably the mansard roof and all its decorative flourishes. The house was built for Walter Herron Lewis, a highly successful dry-goods merchant in New York.  The exposed site on Ochre Point cost Lewis only $100,000 at the time of purchase. The residence designed by Lienau provided a sea view on all four sides of the home, making each facade require the same amount of attention and detailing.

Marker #9 : Rosecliff as stated on Newport Mansions was Commissioned by Nevada silver heiress Theresa Fair Oelrichs in 1899, architect Stanford White modeled Rosecliff after the Grand Trianon, the garden retreat of French kings at Versailles. After the house was completed in 1902, at a reported cost of $2.5 million, Mrs. Oelrichs hosted fabulous entertainments here, including a fairy tale dinner and a party featuring famed magician Harry Houdini. 

Unfortunately didn't get a view to take a picture of this property as it was hidden.

A view back at the homes.

Flowers along the way....

   

Butterfly Bush

Except this one had a bee on it!! No butterflies to be seen!

Fairholme as stated on Wikipedia is a Tudor style historic mansion in Newport, Rhode Island designed by Frank Furness and built by Furness & Hewitt in 1874-1875 for Fairman Rogers.^[1][2] One of the many "cottages" built during the Gilded Age on beachfront property in the Newport area, it is located on a parcel of 4.3 acres near the eastern end of Ruggles Avenue with an ocean frontage of 425 feet. It was remodeled in 1905 by John R. Drexel at a substantial cost but, after passing through the hands of Alphonso P. Villa, was sold before 1955, during the period when the rich were impacted by high tax rates, to Robert A. Young for $38,000.

Stone Stacking along the way

A more modern home on the Cliff Walk... 

peaking through the fence!

Marker #10 : Beachwood as stated in Wikipedia was built in 1851 for New York merchant Daniel Parrish by architects Andrew Jackson Downing and Calvert Vaux, it later became the summer estate of the Astor family. Before moving in, Mrs. Astor hired architect Richard Morris Hunt to do many renovations including the addition of a ballroom to fit the famous "Four Hundred". Beechwood became the show place for many of Mrs. Astor's dinner parties. Beechwood also boasts a library, dining room and a music room with wallpaper imported from Paris. When Mrs. Astor died she left it to her son John Jacob Astor IV, who married his second wife Madeleine in its ballroom. After John's death on the Titanic in 1912, it passed to his widow Madeleine, who turned the entire third floor into her own personal walk-in closet. After she died it was turned into Newport's only living history museum^[1] and featured actors portraying the daily lives of those who inhabited, ran, and cared for the estate. While run as a tourist attraction, the estate was marketed as Astors' Beechwood Mansion.

After walking the Cliff walk we walked along Bellevue Avenue to see the street frontages and this is the view from the street of the Beachwood property.  I wanted to get closer to take a pic but the security guard stopped me and said I wasn't allowed but could take a pic from the curb side!!! I also got out of the guard that it had been derelict for decades, but now belongs to Larry Ellison from Oracle who is renovating the property but its been like this for a couple of years! 

Marker #11 : The Marble House as stated on the Newport Mansions site was built between 1888 and 1892 for Mr. and Mrs. William K. Vanderbilt.  It was a summer house, or "cottage", as Newporters called them in remembrance of the modest houses of the early 19th century. But Marble House was much more; it was a social and architectural landmark that set the pace for Newport's subsequent transformation from a quiet summer colony of wooden houses to the legendary resort of opulent stone palaces. 

Mr. Vanderbilt was the grandson of Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt, who established the  family's fortune in steamships and the New York Central Railroad. His older brother was Cornelius II, who built The Breakers. Alva Vanderbilt was a leading hostess in Newport society, and envisioned Marble House as her "temple to the arts" in America. 

The house was designed by the architect Richard Morris Hunt, inspired by the Petit Trianon at Versailles. The cost of the house was reported in contemporary press accounts to be $11 million, of which $7 million was spent on 500,000 cubic feet of marble. Upon its completion, Mr. Vanderbilt gave the house to his wife as a 39th birthday present. 

Marker #12 : Chinese Tea House as stated on citimaps... In 1912, Alva Vanderbilt Belmont commissioned Richard and Joseph Howland Hunt to design an oriental garden pavilion to stand on the cliffs overlooking the ocean behind her summer cottage, Marble House. The Hunts journeyed to China to research the project. The roof with upswept eave ends, decorated with stylized animal figures, was inspired by temple buildings in southern China. The interior decoration includes wooden panels painted in the style of the Ming Dynasty.

Centre Tee House Tunnel 

Clarendon Court Tunnel

Walkway views

Marker #13 : Rough Point as stated by Citimaps... was originally built for Frederick W. Vanderbilt, sixth son of William H. Vanderbilt. When it was commissioned in 1887, Rough Point was the largest house that the Newport summer colony had yet seen, replacing two wood-frame houses at the extreme southeast end of Bellevue Avenue. The house was designed in what has been described as the English manorial style, built with the intent of evoking the feel of an English country home.  The home now belongs to Newport Restoration Foundation and operates as a museum.

Marker #14 : Land's End as stated on Citimaps... was designed in 1864 and completed in 1865 by John Hubbard Sturgis for Samuel G. Ward, a Boston banker.  It got the name Land’s End from the colonial name of the reef that it is built upon.

Marker #15 : The Waves as stated on Citimaps is located along the end of Ledge Road in Newport, Rhode Island, stands John Russell Pope’s home, The Waves. This former home was built between 1928 and 1930 on the foundation of a previous summer cottage, Breakwater.  This property has now been turned into condominiums. This is also one of my favourite properties... I think its the tudor-Cotswold design.

Marker #16 : Bailey's Beach as stated on Citimaps is a private beach in Newport Rhode Island and was founded in the 1890s after new trolley service gave mill workers from Fall River ready access to Easton’s Beach, a wider expanse closer to downtown Newport that the well-to-do had claimed as their own. Not wishing to associate with people who took their lunches in buckets, high society relocated several miles to Spouting Rock, named for a geological formation. Though much smaller than Easton’s Beach, the beach was safely beyond the reach of trolleys. Today, approximately 500 families belong to the exclusive Spouting Rock Beach Association, commonly known as Bailey’s Beach. The  SRBA also owns the elite Newport Reading Room.  

The organization has attracted notable members of nearby families such as the Vanderbilts, Astors and Kennedys. Bailey’s Beach was one of the centers of elite Newport social life along with other institutions such as the Redwood Library, Newport Country Club, Trinity Church, Clambake Club, Newport Reading Room, New York Yacht Club summer clubhouse and the Newport Casino.

Despite the exclusive status of the beach club and membership, the northeast end of the beach where Cliff Walk ends is open to the public and known colloquially as Reject’s Beach.

Along the walk came across a prayer on a gorgeous tiny tree house with enclosed treasure too, and a poem.

Inside the Breakers... wow!! 

The great Hall...

a water fountain underneath the staircase!

The stained glass ceiling half way up the staircase

The dining room... 

The house was wired for electricity but because it wasn't very reliable in the earlier years the chandeliers also had a gas connection to it.  Very ingenious!!

 The music room

The games corner... playing cards...

 The morning room...

 The Library...

The back patio...

The cherub on the left has a train behind it, representing the original railroad fortune and the cherub on the right has a ship behind it, representing the later shipping fortune...

Mrs Alice Gwynne Cornelius Vanderbilt's bedroom... she used part of her room as an office too as she ran the household. 

Telephone & servants call buttons

Dressing room and closet

Mr. Cornelius Vanderbilt II's luxury bathroom with carved marble bathtub... notice the bath has four taps... two of them fill directly from the ocean with hot and cold running sea water!! 

Mr Vanderbilts Dressing room

The kitchen...

Dumb Waiter

Butlers pantry....

Servants call buttons...

The speaking tubes was installed on the second floor of the mansion and connected to the basement. It was a one-way communication system. The butler opened the door to the tube, said his command, to which the staff in the basement would hear it.

The travelling trunk

The grounds were immaculate too

Front entrance.. 

Driveway

Side view of the home.  The tope two floors belonged to the servants.  Notice the much smaller windows on the top floor.

This home was absolutely stunning and a must to visit.  Its well worth paying US$24 to enter.  This was the only home we visited as we were short of time.  People do say that this is the best one to visit too.  While walking through the home I could just sense the hussle and bussle of parties and servants going about their business.  

On our walk back to our B&B we stopped off at the International Tennis Hall of Fame for a drink and a look around the courts.  Unfortunately we didn't get a chance to look through the inside museum.

A well earned Pimms and a beer after walking 23,336 steps, 11.8 miles (19ks)!!

While we were relaxing a little rabbit popped up to enjoy the garden...

Time for a quick change and out for dinner to the Black Pearl!!  I enjoyed the Clam chowder... the best in town, and that's no joke!! Dave had delicious scallops, and to wash it down a Black Pearl Planters Punch (Bacardi Superior Rum & a Gosling's Black Seal Rum Float) and Dave enjoyed a Harpoon IPA beer.

After a full day and night we crashed!!!  More tomorrow on our trip to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.