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Sir Francis's Folly |
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Classical inspiration
The excavation of the West Wycombe caves enabled Sir Francis to relieve distress in the locality, but this does not explain why they were cut in such an intricate pattern. As the current Sir Edward Dashwood says, "If all he [Sir Francis] had wanted to do was to provide employment and chalk for the road then he would have built a pit into the side of the hill, not a tunnel that goes underground".
The shape of the caves is obviously symbolic. From the gothic entrance above ground, a long winding passage leads past several small chambers to the massive , then over the 'River Styx' to an 'Inner Temple' almost 300ft below ground.
There are conspicuous references to classical mythology, and, in particular, the Eleusinian mysteries - an ancient, Athenian religious ceremony that is shrouded in mystery and mysticism. The River Styx that runs through the caves, for example, is lifted straight from Greek mythology, and refers to the dark waters that separate the land of the living from the land of the dead.
© West Wycombe Caves
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Sir Francis had a great love of classical art and was a founder member of the Dilettante society. Much of the architecture above ground at West Wycombe Park reveals his passion for classical antiquity, such as the erected in 1765, which took its style from Constantine's Arch in Rome.
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