From DirtyWiki

Where Claire Driscoll and her family lives. Page under construction, not house.

Contents 1 Address 2 History 3 Appearance 3.1 Outside 3.2 Inside 4 Floor Plans 4.1 Ground Floor 4.2 First Floor 4.3 Second Floor 4.4 Third Floor 4.5 Fourth Floor 4.6 Attic 4.7 Cellars 5 Outdoor Buildings 5.1 Pool House 5.1.1 Pool Side 5.1.2 Party Room Side 5.2 Guest House 5.2.1 Ground Floor 5.2.2 First Floor 5.2.3 Second Floor 5.3 Gatehouse 5.4 Garage/Coach House 5.4.1 First Floor 5.4.2 Guest Floor 5.4.3 Top Floor 5.5 Stables 6 Gardens 6.1 Burial Plot 6.2 Maze 6.3 Flower Gardens 6.4 Ponds 6.5 Forest

Address

77 Beach Rd, Granger Bay
Cape Town, 8002
Western Cape, ZA

History

Built in 1803, the Fitzwilliam Estate has been the home of a core branch of the Fitzwilliam family for just as long.

It originally stood just three floors and covered only a couple thousand square feet of cleared land overlooking the bay. As the family was from England, the war and conflict with the Dutch made living steadily in that mansion rather perilous until the Dutch East India Company declared bankruptcy and England annexed Cape Colony in 1805.

From there, the family helped attempt to control law and legalities in the budding English colony, overlooking military training and recruitment. Eventually, one of the family members went from magistrate to governor, and for most of the nineteen century, found themselves in heated political dealings, especially during the Boer uprisings.

In late 1867, Jameson Fitzwilliam, eldest son of Lord Alexander Fitzwilliam, was present during an excavation that unearthed the first diamonds in South Africa. This added fortune helped expand the house several hundred square feet up, making it four floors and adding onto the outdoor kitchens and buildings where their servants slept.

In 1880, after many family members were brutally murdered in the back of the property, no Fitzwilliam stepped foot inside the manor until 1933, when twenty three year old Randolf Fitzwilliam brought his new wife to see their old property and to marry. It had fallen into severe disrepair due to vandalism that the caretakers couldn't control, so he and Isabella spent the next four years renovating the interior, bringing proper plumbing and kitchens into the house and tearing down the servant housing outdoors. There were still servants quarters inside, but these were not done away with, as Isabella told her husband that to break through those walls would bring terrible misfortune for part of the family. That part of the family was, unknown to Randolf, already deceased. Benjamin Fitzwilliam and his two lovers were haunting the rooms.

Randolf had very big dreams and he pushed the house to its final count of five floors and built an entire wing for a deluxe kitchen. The house broke 15,000 sq. ft. and continued upward a couple thousand more until renovations were completed just before the birth of Charles Fitzwilliam in 1934.

Unfortunately, with the National Party's control of South Africa, turning it from an Ally to an ally of the Nazis (fortunately done when WWII was nearly over) and instating laws that eventually became Apartheid, Isabella claimed to not feel safe living there. They were white South Africans with money and power and influence, despite their political neutrality. They had Charlie and Scott before moving back to England. They returned in 1950, but stayed only long enough to fix up the house. Randolf and Isabella left the house for Charlie in 1954, the year of Charlie's marriage to Ruth Andrews.

Ruth helped update the interior of the house and the couple added a guest house, pool house, and renovated the gatehouse and added extra rooms over a newly-added five car garage. Charlie has an affinity for collecting expensive cars (mainly Rolls Royces).

Their renovations on the house expanded rooms and wings, but was mostly an interior redecoration, despite the fact that Isabella and Randolf kept many of the original nineteenth century appearances inside, from the carved tile ceilings to the elaborate furniture. There were, however, many 1930's sort of looks about the house, primarily in the new wings and rooms, and Ruth had them modernized and also brought in a bit of the nineteenth century appearances.

Of course, that was completed in the 70's, so when they left for England in 1980 and their oldest daughter Claire and her new husband John Driscoll moved back to the estate in 1988, things needed additional updating. A lots of it.

They expanded the house to its current 30,000 sq. ft and restored many rooms to their former glory, while banishing the hideous look of the 70's in favor of very sleek, minimalist styles. Every room has state-of-the-art everything. And that's saying quite a lot, as there are eighty three rooms.

They added a pool to the guest house and redid the pool in the pool house, added much more landscaping and rediscovered the old family burial plot.

The house is now a stunning sight to see as you wind your way along Beach Road, nestled so lovingly against the beach itself.

The location of the Fitzwilliam Massacre.

Appearance

(Kind of.)

Outside

The first thing you'll run into upon approaching the estate is a gate. The gate is very elaborate wrought iron and has a silver D covering the original F. The gate is set in two large, stone-covered columns that are duplicated in the outdoor kitchen on the patio. In one of the colums is the post box, which faces the house rather than the street.

To open the gate (if you are not arriving in a taxi or in some delivery truck), you must know the code and punch it in. There is an old fashioned lock but the only keys are with Claire and used only in an emergency. The gates themselves open inward and you are faced with a winding brick drive that inclines slightly and is lined in low-hanging trees. The drive curves up and around in front of the house and leads to the garage or right back to the main stretch of driveway.

The house is white, as are many of the outbuildings. It was originally built out of wood, but the danger of fire led many parts of the house to be "insulated" with brick. Now, it is a combination of stucco, giving it the feeling of a Mediterranean villa, as was Claire's goal. Many of the flower boxes and outdoor accents are wrought iron, curved and elaborately put in place.

There is ivy and other vine flowers running along various parts of the house, including around the kitchens and up around the giant, two floor windows in the sitting room. There are also vines around the back of the house and around the conservatory.

The patio in front has a built-in outdoor kitchen. There is also another in the back, nestled in a bit more of a natural setting.

The windows in the house are all large and take in a great amount of light, keeping its appearance consistently warm and inviting, rather than intimidating.

Inside

Floor Plans

The Fitzwilliam Estate is incredibly large, but Claire's ultimate goal was to make it feel like a home, rather than a mansion. And while you can't escape that it is a mansion, you at least won't be frightened if you get lost.

A lot of people get lost.

Ground Floor

View larger

• Foyer
• Front sitting room
• Three bathrooms
• Trophy room
• Library
• Study
• Music room/formal ballroom
• Conservatory
• Ladies parlor/back parlor
• Coat room
• Sewing room
• Storage room
• Very Formal Parlor/party room
• Playroom
• Formal dining hall
• Kitchen/breakfast nook
• Three stairs (one hidden)
• One balcony (over the foyer)
• A few storage cupboards and linen closets
• Many built-in bookshelves
• Veranda
• Mini-veranda
• Hidden servants' staircase

First Floor

(Subject to change once Scout draws the floorplan.)

• Master bedroom/bathroom/giant walk-in closet (Claire and Johnny's room)
• Bess's room
• Annabelle's room
• Playroom
• Gold Room
• Guest Room #1/Bathroom (Green Room)
• Guest Room #2/Bathroom (Red Room)
• Two bathrooms
• Powder room
• Two linen closets
• Balcony/small deck
• Tea room
• Bess's studio room
• Storage room
• Many built-in bookshelves

Second Floor

(Subject to change once Scout draws the floorplan.)

• James's room
• Jake's Guest Room #3/Bathroom
• Guest Room #4/Bathroom (White room)
• Guest Room #5/Bathroom (Purple room)
• Bathroom
• Many built-in bookshelves
• Two Linen closets
• Benjamin's Parlour with access to servants' stairs
• Claire's office
• Billiard room (now more of a TV/activity room)
• Art room
• Reading room
• Storage room
• Arcade

Third Floor

(Subject to change once Scout draws the floorplan.)

• Guest Room #6/Bathroom (Yellow room)
• Guest Room #7/Bathroom (Blue room)
• Bathroom
• Two linen closets
• Nursery (unused)
• Miniature ballroom
• Gym
• Reading room
• Sun room
• Theatre
• Brown Room
• Many built-in bookshelves
• Pearl Room
• Servants quarters (hidden)
• Two lane bowling alley

Fourth Floor

(Subject to change once Scout draws the floorplan.)

• Avery's room (shared with Jake and Jack)
• Avery's Room/Bathroom/Balcony
• Servants' bedrooms between attic and forth (hidden)
• Bathroom
• Guest Room #8/Bathroom (Black room)
• Guest Room #9/Bathroom (Pink room)
• Linen closet (one on each wing)
• Stairs to attic
• Morning room
• Sugar Glider room
• Many built-in bookshelves

Attic

(Subject to change once Scout draws the floorplan.)

• Fireplace
• Storage
• Roof access
• Trap door

Cellars

(Subject to change once Scout draws the floorplan.)

• Laundry room
• Food storage
• Water heater/heating, etc.
• Storage

Outdoor Buildings

Pool House

(Subject to change once Scout draws the floorplan.)

The pool house is a very relaxing building that closely resembles what you might find in a tropical, five star resort. The interior is divided in two parts, joined by a very short hall and two sets of French doors, one set at each end. In this hall, on either side (right and left) are the doors to the locker rooms.

On the pool side, the 15ft x 50 ft pool (which has a "broken tile" and fossil design on the floor, as well as an underwater soundsystem) has a grotto shielded by a waterfall that takes up a corner of the building and goes partially under the water level, as well. It is on the shallow end so that the kids can play in it somewhat safely.

Near the pool is a large jacuzzi, behind which is a door that blends into the wall. Beyond the door is a sauna. Also in the pool end is a large, glass-door storage area for towels and other pool items. There are open showers with large, old-fashioned silver showerheads near the back windows.

On the party room side, many summer parties are hosted there due to its very open and airy environment, and easy pool access. One full wall of this size of the pool house opens up like a garage door, but is glass (that is the general way to access the party room side directly, or you can walk around to the French doors in the back--most people go through the French doors in front on the pool side). There is a very elaborate day bed with a linen canopy and many pillows. This faces the open wall. There is also a kitchen and a full bar, as well as a small dining area behind the bed.

In front of the entire pool house is a small pond/pool that you can cool your feet in, but usually people just sit out on lawn chairs, along the wooden, multi-level porch/patio and admire it. There is lush landscaping and gorgeous flowers all around the steps and the pond.

Pool Side

• Pool (with underwater soundsystem and waterfall/grotto)
• Jacuzzi
• Sauna
• Locker rooms (one for ladies, one for gentlemen)

Party Room Side

• Kitchen/bar
• Sitting area
• Bed
• Patio
• Outdoor pond/pool (mostly decorative)

Guest House

(Subject to change once Scout draws the floorplan.)

This baby has an outdoor pool, as well.

Ground Floor

• Foyer
• Kitchen
• Dining room
• Sitting room
• Bedroom/bathroom
• Bathroom
• Library
• Porch

First Floor

• Two bedrooms/bathrooms
• Bathroom
• Reading room

Second Floor

• Bedroom/bathroom
• Storage room

Gatehouse

(Subject to change once Scout draws the floorplan.)

• Storage

Garage/Coach House

(Subject to change once Scout draws the floorplan.)

First Floor

• Five car garage and storage

Guest Floor

• Two bedrooms
• Bathroom
• Kitchen
• Dining room
• Sitting room

Top Floor

• Storage space

Stables

(Subject to change once Scout draws the floorplan.)

• Barn
• Stables
• Pastures
• Storage
• Bathroom
• Indoor ring

Gardens

(Subject to change once Scout draws the plans.)

Claire would be an extensive gardener if she wasn't quite busy and didn't have gardeners to do it for her. But she helps the landscape designers do their thing, and the result is quite beautiful.

The fence in front of the estate, which really reaches back instead of stretching out from side to side, is covered in vine flowers to make it less harsh against the beautiful beachy landscape across the road. Along the front (brick) drive are a series of low-hanging trees that soften the intimidating size of the house. But the trees aren't the only things that help soften the shock. The theme of the landscape is overgrowth, and many areas on the property are covered quite artfully in vine plants and flowers that create cozy areas, especially in the back of the house.

The front of the house, around the patio especially is a great amount of vines that wrap up and gently envelop the siding. There are ponds in several areas on the property, including a large fish pond just off the veranda on the side of the house, one in front of the pool house and one in the rose gardens.

Front lawn gardens with front covered patio and BBQ area Pond Several rose gardens Abandoned hedge maze Old graveyard Landscaping down both sides of the house and stretching out to the stables on one side and the pool house on the other Landscaping around the pool house Wide, empty grass field between pool house and woods Tree-lined (gum trees?) drive with elaborate and heavy gate Landscaping all the way up drive Woods surrounds entire property but is mostly owned by them Larger pond with waterfall in the forest Bent gum tree with a rope left on it for jumping in Latticework along the sides of the house

Burial Plot

(Subject to change once Scout draws the plans.)

Until 1881, the family buried its members right on the property, in an area off near the rose gardens, shaded with trees. It became forgotten after a brutal mass murder drove the family away from the property.

The last people buried there were:

• Edward Fitzwilliam (1848 - 1881)
• Thomas Fitzwilliam (1852 - 1881)
• Benjamin Fitzwilliam (1864 - 1881)
• Hans (? - 1881)
• Wilhelm (? - 1881)

Currently, it does not quite appear to be a burial plot at all. There are broken statues and cracked headstones with worn writing and overgrown brush that covers many of the oldest ones. A cracked angel is located in the center of the plot. Its wing is gone.

Maze

(Subject to change once Scout draws the floorplan.)

Originally sculpted in the mid-nineteenth century, the hedge maze has since become neglected. In recent decades it was carefully reconstructed and underbrush was cut away to reveal old iron benches in certain areas along the paths. Still, it is far from the perfection it once had and will likely remain a garden relic for all time.

Flower Gardens

(Subject to change once Scout draws the plans.)

Along with the flower gardens all over the front of the house, there are many rose gardens that wind their way around the back, in front of the hedge maze. There is also a pond and a swing and many trees planted around the periphery.

Ponds

(Subject to change once Scout draws the plans.)

Side of the house, in front of the pool house, in the rose gardens and one natural pond in a woody area near the edge of the property that has a low-hanging tree with a rope tied to a low branch. There is also a small, natural waterfall and cave.

Forest

(Subject to change once Scout draws the plans.)

The forests around the property were planted by the family shortly after they moved in. The trees are mostly not local and border three sides of the property for about a hundred feet or more in each direction. The natural pond amidst them was not there when the property was built, and its existence remains mostly unknown to a majority of the family--and those who know it exists do not know how it got there.

Forests also mean that there are a few dangeous wild animals that sometimes inhabit the areas nearby, including baboons. Security is incredibly tight on the property for this reason alone.