Fire destroys historic house believed to have inspired iconic Jane Austen novel | EVI92V8 | 2024-03-10 11:08:01
A British country mansion believed to be the inspiration for Jane Austen's basic novel Pride and Prejudice has been destroyed in an enormous hearth.
Gennings Park, in Hunton, Kent, has partially collapsed after a fireplace ripped via the early 18th century constructing.
The hearth broke out 9pm yesterday prompting 50 firefighters to attend the scene.
Owner Andrew Lawrence was inside the house when the hearth began.
He advised the BBC: 'A smoke alarm went off and we thought it was perhaps a false alarm.
'I appeared outdoors and there have been flames coming by way of the roof.
'With the easterly wind it simply fanned the flames.'
No injuries have been reported however a technical rescue group was required because of the collapse of the building's roof.
The hearth was targeting the primary flooring and within the roof area of the property, presenting difficult circumstances for the firefighters.
Historic England say Genning's Park is 'considered the setting' for Jane Austen's novel.
The writer was a frequent visitor to Kent and had family dwelling within the county.
An investigation into the cause of the hearth continues.
In August, a fireplace destroyed another much liked constructing – Britain's wonkiest pub The Crooked House.
It was gutted by the hearth simply days after it was bought by a personal purchaser.
One aspect of the Crooked Home, which operated as a pub for nearly 200 years, was 1.2m decrease than the opposite because of a subsidence concern within the 1800s.
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More >> https://ift.tt/jkVP68Z Source: MAG NEWS