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The country house in society #48

Country houses are to be found throughout the British Isles and are a peculiarly English phenomenon. Houses range from mediaeval manor houses to classical Palladian mansions, elegant Georgian residences to the Gothic buildings of the Victorian era. A great many have survived for two main reasons: Britain has been spared much of the havoc of war and revolution affecting other countries. Wentworth Woodhouse, Yorkshire   Wentworth Woodhouse (above) is one of the largest stately homes in Europe and was visited by King George V and Queen Mary in 1912. It is now with the Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust and is much bigger than this photo shows!   The...

Change and the Country House #61

...ed as the 19th century moved on?  The Industrial Revolution caused a lot of change – the growth of industry spawned cities and a new class of people, self-sufficient and educated, not dependent on the old landlords.  This shift in power had greatly accelerated by 1890.  The mid-1870s had seen the agricultural depression take its toll and landed estates lost their attraction.  Also there were reforming Acts of Parliament and the ballot box which were creating a lot of change.  By the end of the 19th century, the traditional community responsibilities of the country gentleman had been eroded and institutionalized due to the creation of county councils in 18...

Hoar Cross Hall - Life Below Stairs #35

...This week I’ve done a history blog about the servants who lived at Hoar Cross Hall from the 1870s to the 1950s when the Hall became empty. They were an essential part of keeping a big house running but were often not appreciated by the aristocracy as they went about their day to day duties. The life of a servant in Victorian times was a hard one. They had to rise at 5am to clean and light all the fires and dust and polish the floors, then do a day’s work, often not getting to bed much before midnight. No wonder they didn’t live to a great age in those days! By the end of the 19th century there were nearly one and a half million servants; most young girls...

To the Manor Born #77

...18th and 19th century; however, there are a few older properties from the 1400s and I think there is evidence of a Roman settlement nearby.  The River Trent ran near to the village and in 1770 a canal was built and it seems that there was a thriving river port there at one time with a bustling community of boat-builders, rope walks, stables, workshops and offices.  They even say that Bonnie Prince Charlie marched through the village in 1745 on his way to claim the throne in London, stopping at nearby Swarkestone Bridge (which is the oldest stone bridge in the UK). So there was lots of history to this village and I had a very happy childhood there running fre...

Meet the Neighbours - Sudbury Hall #79

...round the 19th century.  Interestingly, the Meynell family kept their hunting hounds here in Grade II listed kennels which were built specially for them in 1873, and here they resided in their up-market residence until about a year ago when the hunt was disbanded. So there is quite a connection between Hoar Cross and Sudbury going back years!  But going back to the house, it is the 17th century craftsmanship that really shines through and it is considered to be one of the most richly decorated houses of the period.  The ornate Great Staircase and Long Gallery are beautifully carved and were built to impress and it certainly is an amazing piece of craftsmanshi...

The Chapel #68

...Continuing our series on the rooms that were open to the public during the 1970s at Hoar Cross Hall, we find the Garden Hall and Chapel leading off the Long Gallery at the east end of the house.  This private chapel was a later addition to the Hall and was designed by G F Bodley, the gothic revival architect, and completed in 1897 at a cost of just under £1000.  The walls have a fine linenfold panelling and the ceiling is richly decorated.  Many houses in days gone by had their own private chapel and it seems that before the chapel was built, services had been held in another room of the house.  I would imagine that Emily Meynell wanted a proper consecrated...