Monday 18 November 2013

One large slice of Jacobean Heaven!

When we were back in England for our summer holidays, we visited (as one does) various country houses.  
As members of the National Trust, we were eager to see some of the more 'out of the way' houses; ones that were off the beaten (tourist) track.

One such house was Chastleton: a fabulous, drop dead gorgeous, Jacobean manor.
We had tried to visit Chastleton one Christmas a few years ago but it was closed at that time.  This time we made sure it was open before motoring over to see it - only to find that we had arrived half an hour before closing time!
One week later we were back.  Chastleton was open and ready for business - and we were in Jacobean Baroque heaven!



Armed with our guide book and iPad camera we spent a very enjoyable time poking into every nook and cranny the house had to offer; and now it is your turn: So polish your shoe buckles, fix your ruffs, doff your caps and come with me as we go on on a little tour of this wonderful 17th century time capsule.



Chastleton was built between the years 1607 and 1612 by a man named Walter Jones. He had bought the site from the infamous Robert Catesby (of Gunpowder Plot fame), after that man had sold it to help pay a huge fine to the Government after having taken part in the revolt of the Earl of Essex back in 1601.  Walter had plans drawn up which resulted in the existing house being pulled down and a new "modern" house built in its place. The result is Chastleton House as we see it today.

Walter's people had been successful Welsh wool merchants while for his part, he had made a name for himself as a lawyer. The house he built remains little changed since his time and stayed in his family for the next four hundred years before being handed to the National Trust in 1991.  Little changed over the years because the family gradually became impoverished and had not the funds to do anything in the way of modernisation.  To quote from the guide book:

"Barbara Clutton-Brock, the last owner, often said that 'poverty is a great preservative'.  Lack of funds had held her Jacobean house and garden in such a suspended state that its remarkable survival was of national significance." (page 2)

The Trust decided not to renovate the house, but to conserve what was there, and what a fab job they have done!
No flash photography was allowed and so I took photos as best I might, using my iPad, but some rooms were too dark and some photos just didn't come out right at all.

Here is the White Parlour:

The plaster work is wonderful, as is the old 'turkey carpet':

I like the way the ancient tapestries are not hung necessarily for display but rather to serve their original purpose, which was to keep out the cold.  Here a Teniers tapestry hangs similar to a curtain in the great parlour, with a chair and an old wooden writing box nearby:
(Note the ever present teasels to stop anyone attempting to sit on the fragile old chairs)

The Great Chamber has a monumental fireplace emblazoned with the arms of the builder, Walter Jones.

I like the way this portrait is hung so that the light from the lamp illuminates two two porcelain vases while at the same time shining up onto the painting.  It isn't perfectly done and I guess that a proper picture lamp should have been used, however, this is how it was when the family lived there and it 'works'; giving the home a true 'lived in' look rather than a 'museum' feel...

This room is known as the 'Cavalier Room'.  It is called this because unbeknownst to the parliamentary troops were sleeping in there during the English Civil War, the owner of the house - Arthur Jones, who at that time was the local Royalist fugitive for whom they were looking - was hiding in the secret room next door.  After having had their wine drugged with laudanum by his wife, Arthur was able to slip out through this room, past the sleeping soldiers, take one of their horses, and ride swiftly away in to the night!   The bed is of the period as is the linen on the bed:
The reason that the linen remains here is that Anne Jones, wife of the then owner, was a frugal person who was widowed when relatively young.  She managed to lift the family out of debt and made these sets of linen for her daughters once they were married.  They were to receive then once they bore children.  Unfortunately her daughters never did have children and so consequently, the linen was never given away.

This is the secret room, where Arthur Jones hid from the parliamentary soldiers sleeping next door.  I like the simple oak wall panels and the way that the large paintings is set on the floor:

Here is a view down the East staircase.  It is dated 1636 but was rebuilt in 1830.  This was the staircase for important visitors so it is somewhat apt that you can see AGA's feet in the bottom left hand corner...



At the top of the house, it is possible to enjoy one of the wonders of England: the Chastleton House Long Gallery.  Running the entire 22 metres length of the house, this is the 'longest surviving barrel-vaulted ceiling of its date in England':

I couldn't get the entire length into the photograph but you get an idea of what it looks like.  That trunk on the right wall is Spanish and probably dates from around 1500.

Everywhere one looks, one see treasures.
Look at these wonderful carvings and plasterwork:


There are paintings:

Cabinets and curiosities such as this old hearing trumpet

The play of light and shadow in unexpected corners:

And more decorative plasterwork than you can poke a stick at:

(This is also in the Long Gallery)

Just look at this old long-case clock in the hall.  It has a lenticle so that one can see the pendulum swinging without opening the door:
(The clock is somewhat dusty but such things sits well in this old house)

Down in the kitchens, the original range sits just as it was when the last owners were in residence:


For some reason I don't have many photos of the gardens.  They were more of the green and bushy type rather than the colourful, floral variety:


And in the adjoining field stands the family dovecote (an important source of foods for the Jacobean household):

I hope you enjoyed this little visit to Chastleton House.  If ever you get the opportunity to visit then I would thoroughly recommend it!


31 comments:

  1. Hello Kirk, What a find you have shared with us in Chastleton House. I love these "time-capsule" buildings; they have the ability to take you back in time far better than elaborate restorations with their velvet ropes and Lucite cases. Moreover, for study purposes, nothing can beat original finishes and furnishings, even if they are a little the worse for wear, but I like that look anyway. I particularly admire the long gallery in the house--in addition to the ceiling, the windows are beautifully proportioned.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Jim,
      I thought that this house was one of the best we had seen. That Long Gallery was quite wonderful - I couldn't get the whole length in my photograph as there were children running about at the other end however you get the idea.
      It stated in the guidebook that the daughters of the house, back in the early century, used to play badminton up there!

      Delete
  2. Good evening Kirk! You always take the most detailed photos that truly transport me to places I know I will never see in person. Thank you for this special tour into the walls of history! Anita

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Anita for your kind comments but I would caution you on one thing: never say 'never'. Who knows what might happen one day - you may very well find yourself strolling around this wonderful house!!
      This was one of the nicest National Trust Houses I have been to.
      I hope you are having a lovely week!
      Bye for now
      Kirk

      Delete
  3. Hello Kirk,
    a house that hasn't been too fussed over, but left as if the owners had just popped out says more to me than a house all squeaky clean. It's forbidding, to me, on the outside but wonderfully warm within.
    It'd be impossibly expensive for almost anyone today to find the craftspeople to make it all, such as it was then done, so really, something like Chastelton is unique. I'm glad I've come along for the walk!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Faisal,
      I totally agree with you there. When we were walking through the house we had the exact same feeling. This was accentuated by the fact that the numbers in th e house at any one time were controlled.
      I didn't myself find the outside forbidding, but rather nice because of its deep honey-coloured brick/stone work. It made me think of all those adventure stories I read as a child where the children are sent to live with an aged relative/ distant family, in the country and end up having all sorts of fun adventures and magical happenings!

      Delete
  4. Dear Kirk - Chastleton House I know well, it is just a short journey from my home.
    It is a glorious approach as you wander down into the valley, and see it sitting there with virtually no intrusions encroaching from the 21st century. Lovely photos.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Rosemary,
      Thank you for your kind comments.
      You know, you do live in a wonderful part of the world. My family know this area fairly well too. My mother used to regularly holiday down in Stow and we ourselves spent a nice holiday over at Oddington one Christmas.
      Yes, when you come down through the copse and into the fields looking down on the House you might just as well be in the 17th Century yourself!

      Delete
  5. How I love these photos, but the one that really captures my heart is the window with the sun shining in and the basket of flowers. Sublime, indeed.

    Thank you for coming to visit me and leaving a message! It is really wonderful to visit you!
    Anita

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Anita,
      That is one of my favorite photographs. I intend to have it enlarged and framed as I do like photographs that show interesting contrasts between light and shadow.

      Delete
  6. Dear Kirk,

    Looking at these early houses, I'm always amazed by how much glass was used, and what a status symbol that alone must have been. And I am always a sucker for this sort of quoining. Thanks for all your detail shots, especially of the plaster work. I enjoyed the tour!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Mark,
      Yes the use of glass was important back then - a true status symbol. Hardwick Hall up in Derbyshire is a prime example of this.
      Thank you for your kind comments. These days when we are on hold and I am taking photographs, AGA will say 'Are you going to blog about it?' and I must say that I do find myself taking photos with an eye to a possible blog entry!

      Delete
  7. Welcome back, Kirk! Thank you for sharing the splendor of Chastleton with us. That long gallery is quite impressive!! As are the antique oak furniture pieces. Adding this to my list.
    Cheers,
    Loi

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Loi,
      It's good to be back! I think that you would love visiting this house. I am glad you have added it to your list. It certainly provided us with a lot of inspiration for the future. I rather fancy having a house with a long gallery in it!
      Bye for now,
      Kirk

      Delete
  8. Hi, Kirk!
    I love your photos of this old Castle particularly the Arthur Jones' bedroom and beautiful bed! I love this woodcraft. The ceilings are wonderful as well, the work is masterpiece. Thank you for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Nadezda. I like that bed too. We visited another house where the bed had a key hole in it because it had been recycled back in the 18th Century from an old door!

      Delete
  9. Such an impressive house Kirk. I will keep it in mind for next year when we visit England again!

    Wishing you a happy week!

    Madelief x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Madelief,
      It is indeed an impressive house and I think you should go. For some reason the locals don't like visitors going to the house and put signs up all over the place but I thumb my nose at them and encourage everyone to visit this wonderful old building.
      I hope you have a nice weekend!
      Kirk
      x

      Delete
  10. Dear Kirk,
    Thank you for the tour of a truly beautiful and special house-- I'm thoroughly enjoying all of your beautiful photos and longing to get there to see Chastleton for myself. It seems as though every corner of the house was rich with detail and history... I especially liked the story of the hidden room! Thanks for taking us along to see it.
    Warm regards,
    Erika

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Erika,
      Chastleton is a marvel. I am glad you enjoyed the tour. I would love to have a house with a secret room! Maybe one day I will. . .
      I hope you are enjoying your late autumn weekend!
      Bye for now,
      Kirk

      Delete
  11. Simply stunning! Thanks so much for the tour. This is a house I would fall in love with!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I totally agree. At first I was okay if we didn't go because there always seemed to be a problem but AGA had tea about it and said it would be worthwhile. Once I walked through the doors I was entranced and the house shot up in the rating to be near the top of my favourite country places to visit.

      Delete
  12. I'm having trouble posting my comment, Kirk. So this might show up twice.
    Just wanted to say that I loved your tour of this British treasure. The hidden room, the long room with the barrel shaped ceiling. SO wonderful. Thank you for sharing. I visited some treasure houses once upon a time when I visited England. You are so fortunate to be able to visit at will.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Yvette,
      Your post only appeared once so all is okay. Sometimes there are difficulties with using blogger but thankfully this isn't often.
      We are enjoying our time in this part of the world. It is all part of our Grand Adventure and involves visiting all sorts of interesting places! We have another Adventure in mind for when we come to the end of this one.

      Delete
  13. What a fabulous post Kirk, but it beats me how you managed to slip into my house & take a shot of my kitchen!!
    Millie x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. How? The cat let us in while you were out. ;-)
      Kirk

      Delete
  14. I am not surprised that the family needed a hidden Cavalier Room since royalist or parliamentary troops were always looking for the opposition, hidden away. But it is interesting that the parliamentary troops were sleeping in there during the war and could not find Arthur Jones, the owner of the entire estate.

    I wonder where he went, once he got away from the parliamentary troops and I wonder if he got back safely after the war. Being a royalist would not have been a good thing, once Charles was executed.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Arthur did return, having spent time, if I remember correctly, in France. The troops had had their wine dosed with laudanum by Mrs. Jones, and this enabled him to tip toe past them, out of the room, down the hall and out into the courtyard, where he pinched one of their horse and rode off in to the night!
      I love stories like that!

      Delete
  15. Hi Kirk, I really enjoyed reading your post about Chastleton House! I just love seeing the English manor houses and this one is no exception. It is amazing to me that the house stayed 400 years within one family. In your photos it feels, as if they have just left. I like the green gardens surrounding the house a lot. They seem to emphasize the architecture of it and don't' take away from it. Wishing you a nice rest of the week!
    Christina

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Christina,
      Thank you for your kind comments. I agree with you about the garden: The green seems to compliment the honey colour of the house perfectly.
      I hope you have a nice week too, my friend!
      Kirk

      Delete