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Bacon's 'Essay on Gardens' # 56

...e Hall in Country Life magazine from 1902 shows a formal garden of unbelievable splendour. There were elaborate bedding schemes, fountains, pleached walks, yew hedges and the six smaller gardens of individual character. The article reads thus: “The broad lawns lead to well-hedged enclosed spaces, radiant with a varied wealth of flowers, and delightful throughout the year. The formal, planned garden is well kept with geometrical paths filling the space. There is enough here to charm the most fastidious in every line of gardening. However, nothing is so attractive than the grand hedges of yew, which are kept in superb order, in some places cut as with embattlem...

Hoar Cross Hall meets Downton Abbey #99

...With the new Downton Abbey film out this month I thought I would do a comparison of the two family homes, Downton and Hoar Cross Hall, the latter being my old family home for those of you who are new to these blogs.  Although Downton Abbey is fictional, the house on which it is based is not, it being Highclere Castle in Hampshire which was built in 1679 and is owned by the Earl of Carnarvon. Hoar Cross Hall was the original home of the Meynell Ingram family who first came from Leicestershire and was built in 1863.  Hugo Meynell of Quorndon was the High Sheriff of Staffordshire and Member of Parliament for Lichfield and the family owned considerable property in...

The Halifax Estates - Garrowby #46

...I found a Country Life article written in 1949 showing photos of the interior and exterior of the house and grounds – a fascinating look at how the other half live! Interior shots of Garrowby Hall   Don't miss next week's instalment:  "Behind the green baize door"   If you would like to follow my story from the beginning, click here and please feel free to share with your friends.Follow me on a personal tour of my childhood home on YouTube. OUT NOW!!  'My Dad Bought a Mansion' book is available on Amazon.     All my memoirs packed with lots of original photographs from the times.Go check it out and let me know what you think! ...

Royal visitors at Hoar Cross Hall #10

...From earliest times the king's court has traveled around the kingdom so the king could see first hand what was going on in his realm. When the king showed up, the local subjects were expected to provide food, entertainment, and accommodations usually in the form of mediaeval banquets.  For the King or Queen's subjects this could be very expensive and not all royalty was welcome! However, this was the only way that people could see their King or Queen and know that they were real. Fast forward from the twelve century to the 21st century and royals are still touring the Country so their subjects can 'see them and believe in them'. The Queen's grandparents, King...

Royal Visitors at Hoar Cross Hall #20

...From earliest times the King's court has traveled around the kingdom so the King could see first hand what was happening in his realm. When the King showed up, the local subjects were expected to provide food, entertainment, and accommodations in the form of mediaeval banquets.  For the King or Queen's subjects this could be very expensive and not all royalty was welcome! However, this was the only way that people could see their King or Queen and know that they were real. Fast forward from the twelve century to the 21st century and royals are still touring the Country so their subjects can 'see them and believe in them'. Although I published this blog in June...

Royal Visitors at Hoar Cross Hall #49

...With the King's Coronation looming on 6th May in the UK, I thought I'd do some royal family related articles this month starting with royal visitors at the Hall in the 1920s. I also have a book called Queen Alexandra's Christmas Gift Book which was left in the Library and shows personal photos from her own camera which she took of the royal family between 1900-1910 -  a rare insight indeed into what the royals did in their leisure time!  I will be sharing these photos over the next month leading up to the Coronation and hope you find them as fascinating as I do. Royal Visitors From earliest times the king's court has travelled around the kingdom so the king...