Picnics on the Grand Newport Estates

Back in the 1960's, there was a severe problem with lack of privacy. It started when average Newporters, walking along the Cliff Walk, decided to venture out onto the grand estates that bordered the Cliff Walk. Most just wandered the grounds, though some families had the nerve to set up picnics and some even went up and looked inside the windows. One such incident happened at 'Vinland', the Twombly cottage, when a man went right up to a window and starting peeking in, right over Mrs Twombly's shoulder. To solve the problem Doris Duke bought two large doberman, built a large barbed wire fence and had the outlines of her property covered in broken glass.  And then there was the incident at 'Wakehurst'.

'Wakehurst' had been in the Van Alen family for over 100 years

Daisy Post Van Alen Bruguiere was Newport's leading grand dame and society matron

"Some years ago, A large family

piled out of their beaten-up van

onto the grounds of 'Wakehurst',

Mrs Bruguiere's estate, and proc-

eeded to have a picnic. The grand

told her servants to leave the strangers

along but to get the car's license

number and to have her butler

follow them. The following Sunday 

she arrived at their home in her

chauffeur-driven Rolls Royce

and her footman proceeded

to set up an elaborate picnic for

Mrs Bruguiere, complete with

gold dinner service, french china 

and crystal cups. The owner

came out and asked what she was 

doing. "You honored me

with a visit last week and I wanted to

return the compliment" Mrs

Bruguiere replied and continued

her solitary meal"