Enter the world of Lord Armstrong, a Victorian inventor, landscape genius, and Victorian inventor.
Armstrong had a lot of “firsts” on his resume. He designed Cragside, the first home in the world to be lighted by hydroelectricity, as well as the first appropriate installation of the electric light bulb, in partnership with architect Richard Norman Shaw.
He was also the world’s first worldwide arms dealer, with most of the cash needed to build Cragside coming from the weaponry he created, which were utilised in battles all over the globe.
Cragside House was a true Victorian marvel. It’s jam-packed with clever devices, the majority of which are still functional. Along the kilometres of pathways that crisscross the rocky mountain, there is a wonderful forest environment with gardens and watercourses to be explored. Nelly’s Labyrinth, a network of walkways and tunnels carved out of a large rhododendron woodland, will enthral children.
