Friday 8 November 2019

The Draught Horse




Draught horses are heavy horses used for farm work, barge towing and similar tasks. This is a type, covering many breeds, developed from the mighty war-horses, which needed to be strong enough to carry a knight in full armour. The main object in breeding draught horses was ‘…to increase strength, activity, and power, to remove weight, as much as possible, and procure them of the height of sixteen hands, for general utility.’ At the close of the eighteenth century, the finest breeds were considered the Large Black as well as the Suffolk Punch and the Clydesdale. The Cleveland Bay was also viewed as a cart-horse, although it is not so now, being far lighter in build than the ‘heavies’. It is, of course, a superlative carriage horse. Prince Philip used to drive a team of the Queen’s Cleveland Bays, including competing most successfully in driving trials.

Thomas Brown informs us that a Mr. (Robert) Bakewell (of Leicestershire) introduced breeding stock from the Netherlands and produced one of the best horses of the kind which was ever seen, and sent it to Tattersall’s, for the inspection of his Majesty, King George IV.

The head of this individual was light and well set on, his forehand lofty, his shoulder deep, his legs clean and flat-boned, with the general activity of a pony. It was universally acknowledged, that for lightness, cleanness of make, and bulk, he was superlatively excellent. Mr. Bakewell recommended this horse as highly adapted for the purpose of breeding, with appropriate mares, cavalry horses, hunters, and strong hacks. His majesty did not, however, enter into Mr. Bakewell’s views.

The Large Black

The Large Black was a heavy animal, bred mainly in the Midlands, from Staffordshire to Lincolnshire. There were two types, the Midland or Leicester, and the Lincolnshire or Fen. The Midland was generally a lighter, finer type with greater endurance, while the Fen was commonly heavier with greater bone and ‘feather’ on the legs. Berkshire and Surrey farmers bought them at two years old and worked them lightly to recoup their keep until the age of four, at which time the youngsters were strong enough for sale in the London markets. Retaining sufficient numbers of mares and fillies for work on the farm, the breeders sold the two-year-old colts. Worked in a team of four to the plough by the farmers closer to Town, the youngsters learned to ‘draw’ without suffering exhaustion before being sold for a considerable profit.

These horses in general turn out noble looking creatures; but certainly, from the high feeding and fat produced by the soft food, are not able to compete with the lighter horses used in waggons, which are fed on hard and dry food.

The Irish Draught

The Irish Draught developed from indigenous stock through imported French and Flemish horses around 1172 when Ireland was invaded by the Anglo-Normans. When crossed with a Thoroughbred, the large, roomy Irish mares produce horses up to weight with strength and bone, good limbs and the ability to gallop and jump over all kinds of country.

The Shire

The Shire, bred in the English Shires, descends from the medieval war-horse known as the Great Horse, which was later named the English Black by Oliver Cromwell. (See the Large Black above.) Flemish and Flanders horses had a big influence on the breed in the sixteenth century when Dutch engineers, involved in draining the fens, brought Friesians with them. This influence continued into the early seventeenth century. The Shire is the greatest of the heavy breeds, both in height and weight, a stallion making as much as eighteen hands and weighing anything over a ton. The name first appeared in the middle of the seventeenth century, with records beginning to be kept, if not fully completed, by the late 1700s. A stallion by the name of the Packington Blind Horse is now accepted as the foundation sire of the Shire Horse breed and is in the initial edition of the Stud Book, published in 1878. He stood in Leicestershire, at Ashby-de-la-Zouch, from 1755 to 1770 as well as travelling about the county as was the common practice in those days. Throughout the nineteenth century, the Shire was in demand for the transport of various commodities from the coast or docks to both city and rural destinations. A commanding, powerful horse, the Shire has a broad, muscular body with a wide chest and legs set well beneath, yet possesses remarkable docility. Colours are generally bay, black or grey.

Suffolk Punch

Every Suffolk Punch can trace its’ descent from one stallion, Horse of Ufford, owned by Thomas Crisp and foaled in 1768. Although it originated in Suffolk, it is now considered native to East Anglia. The earliest reference dates to 1506 and the breed’s forebears may have descended from Viking stock. There are marked similarities between the Suffolk and the Jutland horse. The Suffolk Punch is particularly docile, possesses strength, endurance and longevity, and is a remarkable ‘good doer’. Muscular and powerful, it stands about sixteen hands with a deep, round body. It is short-legged and bears little feather. There are seven accepted shades, but Suffolks are always chestnut.

THE SUFFOLK PUNCH HORSE
THIS hardy and excellent breed has become now nearly extinct. They seldom exceeded sixteen hands in height. Their colour was almost invariably chestnut, or sorrel. They had rather large coarse heads, their ears were generally too long for modern taste, and placed very distant from each other, although, in some instances, they were short, pricked, and well-shaped. The carcass was deep, capacious, and compact. The shoulders were wide and thick at top, and somewhat low, with the rump more elevated, from which it is supposed they were enabled to throw so much of their weight into the collar. They were large and strong in the quarters, full in the flanks, and round in the legs, with short pasterns.
     These horses were celebrated on account of their speedy walking. They also trotted well, and were remarkably sure-footed; and, as draught horses, for steady drawing, and great physical power, might be said to have generally excelled all other horses. In the Sportsman’s Repository, we are told, that “they were the only race of horses which would, collectively, draw repeated dead pulls, namely, draw pull after pull, and down upon their knees against a tree, or any body which they felt could not be moved, to the tune of Jup, Jill and the crack of the whip, (once familiar, but abominable sounds, which even now vibrate on our auditory nerves,) as long as nature supplied the power; and would renew the same exertions to the end of the chapter.”
     The old Suffolk breed of horses brought very high prices, but of late a larger breed has become fashionable in that county and neighbouring districts, which, for largeness and beauty, certainly excel the old breed. They have been produced from a cross with the Yorkshire half and three-part bred horses of the coach kind, and are particularly beautiful and lofty in the forehand. 

The Percheron

The Percheron comes from the region of Le Perche in Normandy. Following the first Crusade in 1096-9, Eastern blood was introduced and by 1760, Arab sires were available at the stud at Le Pin. Mares of the basin around Paris were crossed with Norman, English, German and Danish horses. Sometimes standing over seventeen hands, the Percheron is broad-bodied and very muscular, with a deep chest and strong, hard limbs. The colour is generally dapple-grey or black. No doubt similar horses came to this country with the Normans, for the Percheron has been a war-horse as well as being used for farm work, as a coach horse and for heavy artillery.

The Clydesdale

The Clydesdale as a breed was not known until the late nineteenth century, when the Clydesdale Horse Society was formed in 1877. It was the first draught horse in Britain to have its’ own society. The first volume of its’ stud book was published the following year, with one thousand stallions listed. However, the breed has its’ origins in the mid-eighteenth century. It is said to have been developed from hardy ‘gig mares’ by the introduction of Belgian and Flemish stallions, the 6th Duke of Hamilton further improving the breed in the 1720s by importing six Flemish Great Horses. At this stage they were known as the Clydesman’s Horses by the local people. The modern Clydesdale stands about seventeen hands, has a kind nature and is active and almost elegant. Dark brown or black, the Clydesdale is renowned for its’ extensive feather, which accentuates the lively paces. It is short-coupled, with legs well set under its’ body and an honest head.

THE CLYDESDALE HORSE
THESE horses are strong, active, and steady, generally from fifteen to sixteen hands high, and not unfrequently sixteen and a half hands; and, as horses of husbandry, are perhaps superior to any in the kingdom.
     The Clydesdale horse is lighter in the body than the Suffolk Punch, and more elegantly formed in every respect, with an equal proportion of bone. His neck is also longer; his head of a finer form, and more corresponding to the bulk of the animal: he has a sparkling and animated eye, and evinces a greater degree of lively playfulness in his general manners than either the Cleveland or Suffolk horses. His limbs are clean, straight, and sinewy. The tread of this horse is firm and nimble: he is capable of great muscular exertion, and in a hilly country is extremely valuable. He is a very hardy animal, and can subsist on almost any kind of food. The equanimity of his temper, and steadiness of his movements, peculiarly adapt him for the plough. Not being too unwieldy in his size, he is no burden to the soil, while a pair are equal to the task of drawing a plough through a full furrow, with great ease. The horses of Clydesdale are not only celebrated on account of their value for agricultural purposes, but are also adapted for the saddle, and useful as carriage horses.

The Dray Horse

THE DRAY HORSE
THE Dray Horse should have a broad breast, a low forehand, deep and round barrel, with broad and high loins, and ample quarters, and his shoulders ought to be thick and upright. The forearms and thighs should be thick, the legs short, the hoofs round, with the heels broad, and the soles not too flat. These horses are frequently seventeen hands high, and upwards; and, from the slowness of their movements, are only fit for the drays and slop carts of the metropolis.
     This variety is better adapted for show than great physical power. With their fine harness, and sleek carcasses, they are particularly qualified to gratify the vanity of their owners. But the plea urged by those who use them is, that their great bulk fits them better for the shafts of a dray, in the ill-paved streets of London. Certainly they are to be pitied, for they suffer sad jolting, and many hard blows against their ribs from the dray shafts; and it must be admitted, that a light horse would be upset in so ponderous a machine, where the streets are so irregular.

Clydesdale Horses (Public Domain)

Notes from The Horse: An Author's and Reader's Guide, with italicized sections from Captain Thomas Brown's Anecdotes, 1830.


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(C) Heather King


Wednesday 25 September 2019

Some Regency Phrases


Greetings, everyone. Apologies for having been quiet lately, but this is why:




In her famous novels, Georgette Heyer employed many cant and lower class expressions, as used by gentlemen of the time. These were culled from the speech of pugilists, coachmen, ostlers, grooms and the racing fraternity. The Regency journalist, Pierce Egan, a fine exponent of sporting cant, was one of Georgette Heyer’s principal sources through the medium of his book Life In London.

Horses

·        A screw a very poor quality horse.
·        A sweet goer – a horse which is responsive to the rider, with a light mouth and smooth way of going.
·        Beautiful stepper – a quality horse which moves with a smooth, fluent action.
·        Blood cattle – horses with good breeding. Generally Thoroughbred.
·        Bone-setter – a commoner or horse of poor quality/action.
·        Cattle – horses.
·        Feeling his oats – feeling frisky, full of energy.
·        High-stepper – horse with a showy action which looks ‘flashy’ but is usually uncomfortable and inefficient.
·        Prime bits of blood and bone – best quality horses.
·        Short-stepper – short-striding horse or pony for fast travelling in harness; can jolt the carriage, giving an uncomfortable ride.

 Equestrianism

·        Bottom – a horse is described as having this when he has courage and stamina.
·        Drives to an inch – skilful driver who is very accurate.
·        Fettling the prads – grooming, tidying or making ready the horses.
·        Hunt the squirrel – the dubious pastime of following close behind a carriage, then shaving the wheel on the way past. Many a victim’s carriage was overturned by this dangerous practice.
·        Kick over the traces – when a horse gets its’ leg over the traces (part of harness) it can kick with more freedom.
·        Likely to throw out a splint – prone to going lame from injury (strain or knock) to the splint bone, a slender bone in the foreleg which runs alongside the main cannon bone.
·        Neck-or-nothing – from the hunting field, meaning someone who will brave any fence, or take on any challenge. A rider, male or female, who is daring and bold.
·        Spring ’em – to set the horses quickly into their collars and into a gallop.
·        [The lady] will give you as good a run as Reynard – the lady will be as brave and wily as a fox on the hunting field.
·        Throw one’s heart over a fence – to ride with commitment to a fence so the horse will jump.
·        To part company – to fall off the horse.

This is just one section in my new book on the horse for authors, readers and horse lovers alike - the perfect Christmas gift!





The Horse: An Historical Author’s And Reader’s Guide is mainly aimed at those interested in the Georgian/Regency era, although it covers a wider historical period, including the development of various equine breeds and short histories of equestrianism, racing and racecourses already in existence. It is a fascinating journey through the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, packed with information vital to the historical author and of interest to any reader with a passion for horses. Bowling along the major routes, past picturesque coaching inns, we visit racecourses and other places of pleasure whilst meeting a rogue or two along the way.

Volume I will give the reader an insight into the way horses were treated, regarded and worked, their care – including ailments and methods of treatment when ill – and essential terminology. 

The Horse: An Historical Author's and Reader's Guide is available in Kindle now and the paperback will be available soon.

                                   Amazon UK                                       Amazon US

It really throws me out of a book when the horse stuff is wrong, so I hope those historical authors who don't know their forelock from their fetlock will find it useful!

All the best,

Heather

Tuesday 4 June 2019

EAST NOR WEST FOR A DAY OUT



Eastnor Castle c. 1880, Morris
Courtesy Wikipedia Commons

’Twas the start of Half Term and Bank Holiday Monday to boot. Susana, Lady Ellis, and I, escorted by my two faithful hounds and a large picnic, set off for Eastnor Castle in Herefordshire. ’Tis not a real castle, you understand, but a revival or mock Gothic fortress, and lies in the feudal village of Eastnor, two miles outside the market town of Ledbury.

A fortified house in the Norman style, with towers and turrets at each corner around a central keep, it was built by John Cocks, the 2nd Baron Somers (later the 1st Earl) between 1810 and 1824, according to the Castle web site. The date is variously recorded as 1810, 1812 and 1814; one article cites 1812 – 20. Designed by Sir Robert Smirke, the architect of the British Museum, it contains a wealth of historical treasures and artefacts, including paintings, tapestries, armour and carved walnut furniture.

The Cocks family arrived in Herefordshire in the late sixteenth century and bought the Manor of Castleditch, going on to purchase more land round about during the next two hundred years. Marriage between the Cocks family and the Somers family of Worcestershire improved their fortunes further, John Somers, the 1st Baron and Lord Chancellor of England, passing to his descendants a considerable inheritance. Then, at the start of the eighteenth century, the 1st Earl Somers sold his father’s estate near Evesham and the funds from this, in addition to those acquired from the Cocks Biddulph bank (now a part of Barclays) put him in the financial position he needed to build Eastnor Castle early in the Regency. Described as a ‘princely and imposing pile’ when it was built, the mansion cost £85,923 13s 11½d, and took 4,000 tons of stone, 16,000 tons of mortar and 600 tons of wood in the first eighteen months alone! Iron was used for roof trusses and beams to save money. Being a family respected in the fields of politics, the law and the army, an estate in keeping with their social standing was deemed de rigueur. Being a canny individual, the 1st Earl married the daughter of celebrated (and wealthy) historian Rev. Treadway Russell Nash, and thus further increased the family coffers.

The mansion was built as a sign of the family’s status in defiance of the reverses, adversity and concern caused by the war with France. Basically, Lord Somers was cocking a snook at Napoleon and the establishment, although the house possesses a stern symmetry in keeping with the family’s talents rather than the sprawling splendour of the earlier and more romantic Smirke design at Lowther Castle in Cumbria for the Earl of Lonsdale. Nevertheless, it has not been universally approved. In A History of the Gothic Revival, published by Longmans, Green & Co. 1872, Charles Locke Eastlake wrote a somewhat scathing report of the architecture:

It is a massive and gloomy-looking building, flanked by watch-towers, and enclosing a keep. To preserve the character at which it aimed, the windows were made exceedingly small and narrow. This must have resulted in much inconvenience within...” he said, and went on, “…The building in question might have made a tolerable fort before the invention of gunpowder, but as a residence it was a picturesque mistake.”

Eastnor Castle from the Lake Walk

The house has remained in the ownership of the Cocks family since the Regency and is occupied today by descendants of the 6th Baron. As James Hervey-Bathurst and his family reside in the castle, it is only open to the public at certain times during the summer. Perched on the hillside above a shallow valley, the house enjoys wonderful views towards Midsummer Hill and Hollybush Hill, both part of the famous Malvern Hills. Below the castle is a pretty lake (one can easily imagine Mr. Darcy diving into it!) which sparkles in the sun before a backdrop of woodland, set within a three hundred acre deer park. As the visitor faces the front entrance, to the right lies an Arboretum, around which one can walk. There is a tree hunters’ trail, a kind of ‘I Spy’, much enjoyed by children of all ages, as evidenced by the number of eagerly brandished clipboards and pens.

Those of a more mature disposition (and of energetic pooches) can go a little further afield and seek a modicum of peace on a Bank Holiday by walking paths in the woods, circling the Arboretum to visit the Ice House before following the path around the lake. The Arboretum walk takes 20-25 minutes and is moderately hilly, while the lake walk is level and takes 30-40 minutes. A fairly decent walk can thus be found for the sprightlier canine within easy reach of the castle. There is also (joy for the dog owner!) an off lead area to the left of the maze near the entrance from the car parks.

Unlike most country houses, Eastnor Castle welcomes dogs into the castle itself and gains a dozen Brownie points from this author for doing so. Although there is not a lot of space for two large hounds when the whole of Herefordshire seems to have chosen the same day to visit, it is wonderful not to have to miss out or rush back to the one left outside holding the ‘babies’. I did feel, however, a few more signs indicating walks around the grounds would have been helpful, since the plan was not particularly clear – and I am a competent map reader. I resorted to following my nose and it all turned out happily. I daresay it is a question of once you have been a time or two, you know where to go.

As remarked above, the day we visited was Bank Holiday Monday, and there was a traction engine display in the forecourt before the main entrance. This was noisy and there were a lot of people, so it was difficult to linger and properly absorb all the architecture and, within the mansion, the furniture &c. Nevertheless, there was much to see and enjoy.




A flight of steps leads the visitor into the Entrance Hall, where another, red-carpeted staircase rises to the Great Hall. Along with early Gothic style benches and chairs, designed by Robert Smirke for the house, and medieval armour collected by the family in the late nineteenth century, the Entrance Hall contains portraits of John Harrison Cocks Jnr., the 1st Earl Somers, and the 12th Earl of Shrewsbury (later Duke), Sir Godfrey Kneller.

The Great Hall measures 16m x 8m and is three storeys high. Sunlight blazes in from windows high above and reflects on the highly decorated walls and furnishings introduced by G.E. Fox in the 1860s. The marble columns in the gallery were also added at this time. However, carved walnut furniture is still much in evidence in accordance with Smirke’s original plan.

Three doors lead off the Great Hall, to the Staircase Hall, the Red Hall and the Octagon Room. The tour moves into the Red Hall, from which the State Dining Room is situated at the front of the house. Unfortunately, because of the crush of visitors, we were not sure quite which way to turn from here and missed the Dining Room. That would seem an excellent excuse to return!

The Great Hall

The Red Hall is lit by high, leaded windows and is dominated by a fabulous knight on horseback, armour rich in red and gold, and bearing the Italian arms of the Visconti family on his shield. The room also contains an eighteenth century Dutch clock, an Elizabethan sea chest, fourteenth century Austrian pavises (shields used to protect crossbowmen when reloading) and mid-nineteenth century armour from Northern India.

Knight's Armour in the Red Hall

The State Dining Room measures 11m x 7m and looks incredible from the picture. It has deep blue walls, covered in gilt-framed portraits with half panelling below, a marble fireplace and a ceiling decorated in gilt panels to reflect the paintings. This was done in the 1850s, the panels containing crests of families with some connection to either the Cocks or Somers lines. A large gilt and glass chandelier hangs in the centre of the room, above a long dining table with at least a dozen carved walnut chairs. The latter, along with benches and fire screens, are part of the original design for the castle. A sideboard graces the end wall and appears also to be walnut. The dining table is original and is made of Cuban mahogany. Robert Smirke designed the room with Gothic arches at each end and over the doors, but these were removed in 1933. The ceiling decoration reflects these in a complicated design in blue and gilt.

Returning to the Red Hall, the circuit continues with the Gothic Drawing Room. An imposing apartment, the drawing room is 11m x 7m and remains much as it was when redecorated in 1849 for the 2nd Earl. A.W.N. Pugin designed the decoration, including the desk, table, chairs and bookcase, the work being executed by the Crace Brothers. A large and highly ornate fireplace by Bernasconi is topped by a colourful representation of the family tree and has tiles by Minton and firedogs by Hardman of Birmingham. The latter was also responsible for the beautiful chandelier, which was put on display at the Great Exhibition in 1851. A grand view of the lake can be obtained from this room.

Gothic Drawing Room

The Octagon Salon comes next, boasting large pier glasses and three fine floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Upper and Lower Terraces, with the lake beyond. An octagonal table with a carved edge stands in the centre of the room while rich, red Regency chairs and a sofa grace the walls and sit before the centre window. More portraits adorn the walls, including Lady Henry Somerset, her sister Adeline, later the Duchess of Bedford, and their father, the 3rd Earl Somers. The carpet was made in 1994 to replace one of a similar design to those in the Long and Little Libraries. The ceiling is divided into panels of a geometric design in gilt, cream, black and red lines.


Sofa in The Octagon Salon



After this we moved on to the Long Library, which is definitely a room with, in modern parlance, a wow factor. Four windows adorn the right-hand wall and bookcases line the opposite side of the room. The inlaid woodwork and shelves were made in Italy and built in situ by workmen on the estate. Between the bookcases sit two carved fireplaces and above hang tapestries dating from the seventeenth century. These depict scenes from a poem written in honour of Catherine de Medici, while between the windows more tapestries show scenes from Classical Mythology. Two chandeliers are suspended from the ceiling, which is decorated with symbols representing virtue and vice.

Long Library

From the Long Library the visitor passes into the Little Library, currently home to a large billiards table (sadly dating only from the twentieth century) and a lovely Regency score ‘board’. Apologies for the photograph; against the light from the window, it is rather less than great, but as few still exist, one hopes it gives the reader of this article some idea of what such scoring systems looked like. Done in shades of blue, the room boasts a large looking-glass above the fireplace and some lovely walnut furniture, including seventeenth century bookcases from Siena. Redecorated in 1990, the walls are covered in a fabric specifically reprinted by Watts of Westminster to a Victorian design. More portraits hang above the bookcases and a bay window opposite the fireplace gives another view over the lake.

Billiards Score Board, 1800s

The Staircase Hall may not be to all tastes, for modern sensibilities are often offended by mounted animal horns, an elephant’s foot and stuffed birds in glass cases. However, it is through the Victorian thirst for exploration that we know so much about various species of fauna and flora. It is not the object of this article to discuss the rights or wrongs of such artefacts. The walls are hung with several sixteenth century tapestries, the largest depicting the meeting of Cleopatra and Mark Anthony. There is a set of three tapestries from Bruges, showing biblical scenes of Judith, Susannah, and Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. The benches and chairs date from the seventeenth century, and the chandelier, also of wood, was acquired from the Palazzo Corsini in Florence.

Staircase Hall

At this point, we went up the Smirke-designed staircase, with its cast-iron banisters and deep red carpet. However, the ground floor tour completes with the State Bedroom, accessed from the Staircase Hall and thence back to the Great Hall. The State Bedroom was the 3rd Earl’s bedchamber and is a very grand apartment. A carved walnut, canopied bed greets the eye immediately one enters the room. Hung with rich red and blue-grey hangings, the bed appears fir for any visiting dignitary, even the King. Of Italian workmanship, it dates from the seventeenth century and belonged to Cardinal Bellarmine, now Saint Robert. A large wardrobe and chest of drawers are also seventeenth century and come from Genoa. Above the fireplace is the motto of the Cocks family, ‘Hope Knows No Defeat’, in Latin. Wall hangings were created by the Royal School of Needlework, while two paintings, The Last Supper and The Birth of Christ were produced by disciples of Jacopo Bassano and Tintoretto respectively.

State Bedroom


State Bedroom

Adjoining the State Bedroom is a Victorian-era bathroom, complete with white enamel bath in the centre of the room, the taps on standing pipes through the floorboards!

State Bathroom

Several rooms are open for viewing on the first floor, most from the doorway. There is a wealth of interesting items, from portraits and clocks to canopied beds of various design, tables and other furnishings. One room contains a small chapel with stained-glass windows and a decorated screen.  Another, far smaller bathroom than that pictured above contains a commode fitted against the wall and a free standing child’s version. A gallery of portraits face on to the Great Hall.


Child's Commode

Much of what the visitor sees today is due to the hard work of the Hon. Elizabeth Cocks Somers and Benjamin Hervey-Bathurst, parents of James Hervey-Bathurst, the current owner. They came to Eastnor in 1949, inheriting dry rot, empty rooms and a succession of repairs which had been left untended for many years.














Although the family’s fortunes had flourished in spite of the huge expenditure incurred by the building of the castle, their prosperity was not to last. Although owning over 13,000 acres, Reigate Priory in Surrey and Somers Town in London (gifted to Lord Chancellor Somers by William III), the latter years of the nineteenth century proved the family’s downfall. Having an income from agriculture proved almost disastrous when the depression of the 1870s hit the country. The earldom became obsolete in 1883 and by the time the 6th Baron Somers inherited, the castle’s art collection had been divided between he and his cousin, and much of the land sold. The family moved to Australia when he was appointed Governor of Victoria in 1926, and Eastnor Castle was closed up. They returned in 1931 and made use of some rooms, evacuating eight years later so the house was available to the Government during the war. All the contents were removed, although in the end it was never used. Between 1845-9, Lord Somers’ widow returned to live in the servants’ wing after death duties left her almost ‘without a feather to fly with’.



When repairs began in 1949, they were funded partly by income from the estate and partly from the sale of artefacts. Grants from both the Government and English Heritage have restored the battlements of the corner towers following storm damage in 1976 and helped pay for other outdoor renovations. James Hervey-Bathurst and his family continue the work by offering the mansion as a venue for weddings, conferences and corporate entertaining, in addition to opening their heavy wooden doors to the public.

I am sure you will join Lady Ellis and I in wishing them joy of their endeavours and the very best of good fortune for the future.

Heather King


All photographs are the property of Heather King unless otherwise stated and may not be copied or downloaded without the expressed permission of the owner.


Thursday 25 April 2019

Easter Sale!



Lovely readers, as a thank you for the support, both of my blog and my books, I have an Easter gift for you.

ALL my digital books are on sale price of £0.99 in the UK and the equivalent elsewhere ($1.29 in the US) so why not pop over to Amazon and give yourself a late Easter treat which won't go straight to your hips or tummy!

Just follow the links or search your usual Amazon for my books. Beware, though! Make sure you get the correct Heather King!

Then sit down with a cup of your favourite brew and enjoy.

This offer is only open until Sunday, so don't delay!

Cheers,

Heather




Saturday 20 April 2019

Hidden Treasures




A Day Out at Croome

With my good author friend Susana Ellis due to arrive next month for her annual sojourn in the United Kingdom, I thought it about time I shared last year’s visit to one of my favourite stately homes.

Readers of this blog will be familiar with the glories of Croome Court near Croome d’Abitot in Worcestershire. However, through reasons which will become clear in a moment, this particular visit was even more special.

Susana and I, complete with my Staffie X and newly recruited Labrador, met up with another author friend, Sue Johnson, and Croome Volunteer, Chris Wynne-Davies. Chris had promised us a guided tour of the places not usually open to the public!

Our first port of call (after a cup of tea in the picnic area near the Visitor Centre – thank you, Chris – was the Ice House. Situated in the woods near St. Mary Magdalene Church, the Ice House is an egg-shaped building with a thatched roof. As one might surmise from the name, ice was stored here for the Earl of Coventry’s household. Nearby there is a shallow pond with a brick edge. In winter, when the pond froze, the ice was cut and moved in blocks to the ice house, there to be packed in straw. Eighteen feet tall on the outside, inside the ice chamber is thirty-three feet from top to bottom. Two thirds of it is underground, the base being shaped like a keel, to help the dispersal of melt water.


Ice House Entrance


Susana, Sue, Chris and Hairy Hooligans


A stroll in the glorious sunshine took us down the hill to the Court, which sits in its’ landscaped bowl like a pearl in an oyster. The dogs being somewhat over-excited, I took a rather more circuitous route through the Evergreen Shrubbery, beautifully restored by the National Trust.



Croome Court from the Evergreen Shrubbery


The path took us by the Temple Greenhouse, the Lake and the Sabrina Grotto, as well as the imposing Worcester Gates.


The Worcester Gates


Returning via the Chinese Bridge, the dogs and I met up again with the rest of the ‘gang’. Then, not only did we authors enjoy a personalized tour of the upper floor and the ‘hidden’ treasures of Croome, Chris – the perfect guide and the epitome of gentlemanliness – also escorted us around the Red Wing. The latter is only open by arrangement and with a member of staff; it also a hard hat endeavour! Sadly, the Red Wing was allowed by a previous owner to fall into terrible disrepair – to the point where it is dangerous in places – and has only recently been acquired by the National Trust. The roof has been restored and, hopefully, in time the building will be too. Here are a few of the many pictures I took.



Rotten floorboards in the Red Wing


Artist’s impression of Red Wing during the Earl’s time.


Brick fireplace in (perhaps) the Steward’s Room.


Sue and Chris, fireplace in the kitchen


Servants’ passage


Pastry room


It was enormously exciting and a great privilege to be allowed to see the Red Wing. What it must have been like before the ravages of time, neglect and the various occupants did their worst! As you may have gathered, dear reader, it was the service wing of the Court and if you know where to look on the staircase inside the house, you can see where one of the two connecting doors has been closed off. A two-storey building, it is L-shaped and joins the house on the eastern side. Built of stone as well as the red brick which gives it its name, it has a slate roof and was constructed by Capability Brown between 1751 and 1752. A wall on the far side joins the Red Wing to the stable courtyard. Unfortunately for this horse-loving author, the stables no longer exist, having been sold long ago and converted into human accommodation. Sacrilege!



North Front, showing Red Wing and Stables beyond


Stables with carriage arch and gates leading into service wing


The Red Wing housed the servants’ quarters, kitchens and offices. It also had apartments upstairs for the 6th Earl of Coventry in his later years.

From this scene of dereliction and decay, the glories of furniture and paintings not generally seen by the public gladden the eye even more. Passing through a rope cordon, one climbs to the third floor of the house. Reduced to this ignominious (if historical) position in the stairwell, because of his size and to conserve him from damaging sunlight, hangs the enormous painting of Jack-a-Dandy (The Great Horse), circa 1680-1710 and attributed to John Wootton. Belonging to Sir Henry Coventry, a soldier, ambassador and politician, Jack-a-Dandy was pitted against Sir Henry’s brother-in-law’s horse in a race, the loser to found alms-houses in Droitwich and name them for the winner. Thus the Coventry Charity Alms-houses were founded by Sir John Packington (or Pakington) and named for Sir Henry because Jack-a-Dandy was triumphant. A wide-angled lens is needed to take a full picture, the painting is so large. This is half of it!


Jack-a-Dandy, The Great Horse, c 1680-1710, attributed to John Wootton


Here are some more of the treasures above stairs.


Elizabeth (left) and Maria Gunning, the famous Irish sisters who took London by storm


The 5th Earl and family


The Marquis of Anglesey, who lost a leg at Waterloo


The 9th Earl’s 1863 Grand National Winner, Emblem; her full sister, Emblematic, won the race the following year, the only time that particular double has been achieved.


The Earl of Coventry’s bedside table


A Georgian Commode (nothing to do with bathroom facilities!)


A semicircular table


I hope you have enjoyed this whistle-stop tour of some of Croome Court’s hidden treasures, and if it is at all possible, I encourage you to visit and view them for yourselves. The staff and volunteers at Croome are incredibly helpful and friendly and I can almost guarantee you a wonderful day out!

All photographs © Heather King and may not be reproduced without the expressed permission of the owner.

© Heather King