Friar Park
Encyclopedia
Friar Park is the 120-room Victorian
neo-Gothic mansion
previously owned by the eccentric Sir Frank Crisp in Henley-on-Thames
and bought by the musician
George Harrison
in 1970, as he left his former home Kinfauns, in Esher
.
nuns belonging to the Salesians of Don Bosco
order. The Nuns ran a local Catholic school in Henley, the Sacred Heart School. Purchased by George Harrison in 1970.
tape
-based recording studio
in a guest suite, which at one stage was superior to the one at EMI
's Abbey Road Studios
. Harrison's albums recorded there usually mention F.P.S.H.O.T., or Friar Park Studio, Henley-on-Thames. Besides records by Harrison or artists he produced, the studio was also used by Shakespear's Sister to record their 1992 album Hormonally Yours
.
Harrison immortalised the building in his song "Crackerbox Palace
" (his nickname for the mansion, after Lord Buckley
's home in California
). A further song, Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll)
, was also inspired by the mansion's history. Harrison loved tending to the gardens personally, and among the groundskeepers were his older brothers Peter and Harry.
The mansion was largely open to the public, until the murder of John Lennon
in December 1980; shortly afterward, the gates were locked, and security features such as razor-wire fences and video cameras were installed. Despite these measures, an intruder broke into the residence in the early morning hours of 30 December 1999, attacking Harrison and his wife, leaving Harrison suffering a punctured lung, seven stab wounds, and head injuries. In 2009, Olivia Harrison won the right to put in a permanent fence for her protection, some of the neighbours objected to the fence for concern to their cats being injured by the sharp edges of the razor-wire fencing.
Harrison's widow, Olivia, and son, Dhani
, continued to live in the mansion after Harrison's death from cancer in November 2001.
s designed by Crisp, including a grotto, and stones just underneath the surface of the pond (providing a walking-on-water illusion). The park also includes a sandstone replica of the Matterhorn
. Reflecting Crisp's sense of humour, among the statuary is a monk holding a frying pan with holes in it, and a plaque reading "Two Holy Friars". Harrison was photographed amongst garden gnome
s located in the garden for the cover of All Things Must Pass
, and again with his father Harry a few years later, with the photo appearing in his album Thirty Three & 1/3
.
Harrison and his wife Olivia restored the gardens.
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
neo-Gothic mansion
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
previously owned by the eccentric Sir Frank Crisp in Henley-on-Thames
Henley-on-Thames
Henley-on-Thames is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in South Oxfordshire, England, about 10 miles downstream and north-east from Reading, 10 miles upstream and west from Maidenhead...
and bought by the musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
George Harrison
George Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
in 1970, as he left his former home Kinfauns, in Esher
Esher
Esher is a town in the Surrey borough of Elmbridge in South East England near the River Mole. It is a very prosperous part of the Greater London Urban Area, largely suburban in character, and is situated 14.1 miles south west of Charing Cross....
.
History
Owned by Sir Frank Crisp from 1875 to 1919. Owned by Roman Catholic ChurchRoman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
nuns belonging to the Salesians of Don Bosco
Salesians of Don Bosco
The Salesians of Don Bosco is a Roman Catholic religious order founded in the late nineteenth century by Saint John Bosco in an attempt, through works of charity, to care for the young and poor children of the industrial revolution...
order. The Nuns ran a local Catholic school in Henley, the Sacred Heart School. Purchased by George Harrison in 1970.
George Harrison
Harrison installed a 16-trackMultitrack recording
Multitrack recording is a method of sound recording that allows for the separate recording of multiple sound sources to create a cohesive whole...
tape
Magnetic tape
Magnetic tape is a medium for magnetic recording, made of a thin magnetizable coating on a long, narrow strip of plastic. It was developed in Germany, based on magnetic wire recording. Devices that record and play back audio and video using magnetic tape are tape recorders and video tape recorders...
-based recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
in a guest suite, which at one stage was superior to the one at EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
's Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios is a recording studio located at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music company EMI, its present owner...
. Harrison's albums recorded there usually mention F.P.S.H.O.T., or Friar Park Studio, Henley-on-Thames. Besides records by Harrison or artists he produced, the studio was also used by Shakespear's Sister to record their 1992 album Hormonally Yours
Hormonally Yours
Hormonally Yours is the second album released by pop duo Shakespears Sister. The album, released on London Records in 1992, became a critical and commercial success in the UK and achieved a modest level of success in the U.S...
.
Harrison immortalised the building in his song "Crackerbox Palace
Crackerbox Palace
"Crackerbox Palace" is the ninth track on George Harrison's 1976 album, Thirty Three & 1/3. The song was released as the second single from the album and reached #19 on the American pop charts.-History:...
" (his nickname for the mansion, after Lord Buckley
Lord Buckley
Lord Richard Buckley was an American stage performer, recording artist, monologist, and hip poet/comic...
's home in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
). A further song, Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll)
Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll)
"Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp " is a song written by George Harrison from his 1970 album All Things Must Pass, and a tribute to Frank Crisp, a 19th century lawyer that had been a previous owner of Harrison's Victorian residence Friar Park....
, was also inspired by the mansion's history. Harrison loved tending to the gardens personally, and among the groundskeepers were his older brothers Peter and Harry.
The mansion was largely open to the public, until the murder of John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
in December 1980; shortly afterward, the gates were locked, and security features such as razor-wire fences and video cameras were installed. Despite these measures, an intruder broke into the residence in the early morning hours of 30 December 1999, attacking Harrison and his wife, leaving Harrison suffering a punctured lung, seven stab wounds, and head injuries. In 2009, Olivia Harrison won the right to put in a permanent fence for her protection, some of the neighbours objected to the fence for concern to their cats being injured by the sharp edges of the razor-wire fencing.
Harrison's widow, Olivia, and son, Dhani
Dhani Harrison
Dhani Harrison is an English musician and the son of George Harrison of The Beatles and Olivia Harrison. Harrison debuted as a professional musician when completing his father's final album Brainwashed after George Harrison's death in November 2001...
, continued to live in the mansion after Harrison's death from cancer in November 2001.
The gardens
Friar Park has extensive gardens and water featureWater feature
In landscape architecture and garden design, a water feature is one or more items from a range of fountains, pools, ponds, cascades, waterfalls, and streams. Before the 18th century they were usually powered by gravity, though the famous Hanging Gardens of Babylon are described by Strabo as...
s designed by Crisp, including a grotto, and stones just underneath the surface of the pond (providing a walking-on-water illusion). The park also includes a sandstone replica of the Matterhorn
Matterhorn
The Matterhorn , Monte Cervino or Mont Cervin , is a mountain in the Pennine Alps on the border between Switzerland and Italy. Its summit is 4,478 metres high, making it one of the highest peaks in the Alps. The four steep faces, rising above the surrounding glaciers, face the four compass points...
. Reflecting Crisp's sense of humour, among the statuary is a monk holding a frying pan with holes in it, and a plaque reading "Two Holy Friars". Harrison was photographed amongst garden gnome
Garden gnome
A garden gnome or lawn gnome is a figurine of a small humanoid creature, usually wearing a pointy hat, produced for the purpose of ornamentation and protection from evil sorcery, typically of gardens or on lawns....
s located in the garden for the cover of All Things Must Pass
All Things Must Pass
All Things Must Pass is a triple album by George Harrison, recorded and released in 1970. The original vinyl release featured two LPs of rock songs as well as Apple Jam, a third LP of informal jams...
, and again with his father Harry a few years later, with the photo appearing in his album Thirty Three & 1/3
Thirty Three & 1/3
Thirty Three & 1/3 is an album by George Harrison released in 1976. As his first release on his Dark Horse Records label, Thirty Three & 1/3 was beset with misfortune during its production, yet Harrison still managed to deliver one of his most celebrated albums.-Background:After satisfying his EMI...
.
Harrison and his wife Olivia restored the gardens.