Castle in the Clouds
An Arts and Crafts mountain house of 1914 above Lake Winnipesaukee, built by a shoe magnate who lost it in the crash.
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Thomas Plant made a fortune in shoe manufacturing, sold the business, and built Lucknow on a shoulder of the Ossipee Mountains between 1913 and 1914 - a granite and stucco house in Arts and Crafts manner with hand-worked woodwork, an octagonal room and a good deal of technology unusual for the date, including a central vacuum system and self-cleaning ovens. He then lost his money in later speculation and died in 1941 heavily in debt, with the house effectively out of his hands. The estate covers over two hundred hectares of mountainside with trails to waterfalls and ledges, and the view from the terrace runs down the whole length of Lake Winnipesaukee.
What you actually see
- An Arts and Crafts house of 1914 - granite, stucco and worked timber.
- Early domestic technology - central vacuum, self-cleaning ovens.
- A terrace over Lake Winnipesaukee - the length of the lake in view.
- Trails to waterfalls and ledges - across the mountain estate.
When to go
May to October; late September for foliage. Three hours.
Honest expectations
It closes for the winter. Autumn foliage weekends are extremely busy. The access road is steep and narrow. Trails are rocky and involve climbing.
Nearby
Lake Winnipesaukee is below; the White Mountains are north.
What to pack for Castle in the Clouds
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
