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Moving in - to a stately home! #2

...Victorian fire ladders   One day whilst on baby sitting duties my little brother went missing in the woods and we were terrified that he might have fallen into the ponds that we’d recently found – a huge search was mounted by everyone and he was eventually found safe and well in another part of the woods. I watched him like a hawk after that!   Paths full of weeds near Robert Bakewell gates   At other times we’d play tennis in the Ballroom – I’m not sure if my parents knew we were doing this but it was good fun while the room was empty – it was incredible that we didn’t do any damage to the large ornamental pieces hanging from th...

An Englishman's Home is his Mansion! #2

...Victorian fire ladder   One day whilst on baby sitting duties my little brother went missing in the woods and we were terrified that he might have fallen into the ponds that we’d recently found – a huge search was mounted by everyone and he was eventually found safe and well in another part of the woods. I watched him like a hawk after that! At other times we’d play tennis in the Ballroom – I’m not sure if my parents knew we were doing this but it was good fun while the room was empty – it was incredible that we didn’t do any damage to the large ornamental pieces hanging from the ceiling!! And so the summer rolled into Autumn and we were abo...

THE RENOVATIONS BEGIN #4

...THE RENOVATIONS BEGIN: As previously mentioned, there was an East Wing and a West Wing to the house.  My dad decided to convert the first floor rooms of each wing into three separate apartments, as he had done at our previous house.  This would generate income from rents until we got the main house open to the public.  It wasn’t a big job to convert the rooms as the East Wing had four main rooms and two bathrooms already there, which would have been used as guest bedrooms in Victorian times.  He made these into two, one-bedroom apartments and made small kitchens in the spaces which connected the lounge and bedroom, probably once used as cupboard space. Th...

DIY Stately Home #4

...We moved into Hoar Cross Hall during the summer holidays and my parents quickly realised they had a lot of work on their hands to make the place habitable as well as to earn some money from it. As previously mentioned, there was an East Wing and a West Wing to the house. My dad decided to convert the first floor rooms of each wing into three separate apartments; he had done this at our previous house. This would generate income from rents until we got the main house open to the public. It wasn’t a big job to convert the rooms as the East Wing had four main rooms and two bathrooms already there, which would have been used as guest bedrooms in Victorian times. H...

Reburbishing our Mansion #4

...REFURBISHING OUR MANSION :       We moved into the Hall during the summer holidays and my parents quickly realised that they had a lot of work on their hands to make the place habitable as well as to earn some money from it.  As previously mentioned, there was an East Wing and a West Wing to the house.  My dad decided to convert the first floor rooms of each wing into three separate apartments; he had done this at our previous house.  This would generate income from rents until we got the main house open to the public.  It wasn’t a big job to convert the rooms as the East Wing had four main rooms and two bathrooms already there, which would have been u...

Our mansion gets a facelift #4

...OUR MANSION GETS A FACELIFT:        We moved into Hoar Cross Hall during the summer holidays and my parents quickly realised that they had a lot of work on their hands to make the place habitable as well as to earn some money from it.  As previously mentioned, there was an East Wing and a West Wing to the house.  My dad decided to convert the first floor rooms of each wing into three separate apartments; he had done this at our previous house.  This would generate income from rents until we got the main house open to the public.  It wasn’t a big job to convert the rooms as the East Wing had four main rooms and two bathrooms already there, which would...