Not Just a Granny

Hatfield House.  This is the follow on to my previous post about the Henry Moore exhibition that I was so lucky to attend on Monday 18th April.

Stepping back in time through the enormous heavy wooden doors I got goosebumps running up and down my spine, my legs and arms! You know that feeling you get when your scalp crinkles….thats what it felt like! Awesome!

Enter through the portals of time and into a world of Courtiers and Knights, intrigue and gossip, servants and coachmen, Lords and Ladies, upstairs downstairs and in my Lady’s chamber.  A chapel here, a staircase there, chandeliers, coats of armour, Knights in shining armour,

brocaded chairs, a crimson and gold brocaded throne,

ornate clocks that tick away 400 years or more, a carved wooden crib; echoes of a baby’s cries.  Enormous hallways filled with portraits of the ancestors, old coats worn hundreds of years ago hang incogruously from pegs on the walls, a chequered marble floor within a hall that towered above with the biggest fireplace I have ever seen.

 The walls and ceiling adorned with intricately carved figurines and paintings, fabulous portraits, ancient clocks and gilded tapestries. A musicians gallery, intricately carved.

Walking through an arched doorway you step into a scene from the Arabian Nights, along the whole length of the hall, windows decorated with swirls and whirls from floor to ceiling allow dappled light to shine through.

  The opposite side of the hall is lined with portraits and paintings, Knights stand guard in full body armour, swords and shields adorn the walls, a large porcelain bathtub sits incogruously against the windows, a rocking horse waits patiently in the shadows.

 At one end a  fabulous organ, glittering gold decoration inset with intricate decorations, pipes waiting to burst forth with sound!

At the other end a beautifully decorated Chinese Screen hides a family sitting room from prying eyes.

Stepping up a wide wooden staircase to the upper level, your breath is taken away, not only by the sight that fills your eyes, but also by the length of the hall.  It fades away into the distance, lined with brocaded chairs that stand back to back, side to side waiting for the music to begin.

Side nooks filled with books and recent photos, a carved wooden chest, a chest of drawers inset with intricate mother-of-pearl pastoral scenes.  Fireplaces line the walls, empty now, but shut your eyes and you can feel the heat of the hearth as you slip silently into the shadows and watch the ladies glide by, their gowns and petticoats swish across the floor as their slippered feet glide effortlessly to the strains of the orchestra, candlelight flickers, sending bursts of colour dancing above on  a heavily ornate gold ceiling.

The view outside from the window is no less enchanting, gilded towers supporting intricate wind-vanes, ancient creepers and vine vie for a foothold.  Tinkling fountains splash merrily in manicured gardens, step through the wrought iron arches and onto a golden pathway stretching into the distance betwixt emerald green lawns, and there, if you look closely enough is a gilded coach just coming into view on the horizon!

Stepping through a hidden door and down a flight of wrought-iron stairs you enter another world; a world of cooks and butlers, maids and mice.

  A Victorian kitchen, so large that you would need a map to navigate to the other side.  Along the wall a massive cooking area with winches and chains  to support roasting succulent pigs, and not one but three fireplaces to feed the massive iron monster that sits squat and brooding in the corner.

  Dressers lined with gleaming copper pots, kettles, jugs and jelly moulds. And here a candlestick holder to light you to bed.

  A pastry room sistered by a tiny scullery leads off at one end of this vast cavern below stairs. Opposite the ‘Still Room’, an alcove for cook to rest her feet

– you can hear the faint echoes through space and time; the shouts and gossip of staff long gone.
Hatfield House is quite simply enchanting.

Lord knows that if I had my life over, I would study history more closely.  Always one of my favourite subjects in school, the European history of particular interest, I wish I had learned more than I did. And now I can. 🙂
Two great projects achieved completion in 1611; the building of Hatfield House and the publication of the King James Bible. Only 27 copies of the King James Bible were produced and the only known surviving copy remains in the possession of the Cecil family and is on display in the Anniversary exhibition.
2011 marks the 400th anniversary of Hatfield House, situated just 20 miles from London in the green, rolling landscapes of Hertfordshire.  Home of the Cecil family for 400 years, the house, also known for it’s Elizabethan portraits, in particular the two celebrated ‘Rainbow’ and ‘Ermine’ portraits of Queen Elizabeth I, is steeped in Elizabethan and Victorian political history and intrigue. Commissioned by the First Earl of Salisbury, Robert Cecil, the architect, Inigo Jones was involved in the design of Hatfield House.   Stroll around the grounds and enjoy the scented borders and herb garden of the West garden, see the famous Knot garden of the Tudor Old Palace where Elizabeth I spent her childhood and visit the Victorian kitchen, featured on the BBC2 programme ‘Royal Upstairs Downstairs’  as one of the houses visited by Queen Victoria during her lifetime.
The Hatfield House 2011 visitor season runs from Saturday April 23rd until September 30th.
Prices:
Henry Moore, House, Park and Garden
Adult: £18.50 Concession: £17.50 Child: £11.50
Henry Moore, Park and Garden
Adult: £12.50 Concession: £11.50 Child: £8
(in my considered opinion, if you are going to travel all that way, make the most of it and take the full ticket, it is so worth it.  The Jacobian House is magnificent and shoud not be missed). http://www.hatfield-house.co.uk/
The House, Park and West garden are closed on Mondays (except bank holidays) and the House alone is closed on Tuesdays, the East Garden is open on Wednesdays only.
Hatfield House is one of the ‘Treasure Houses’ of England, 10 of the most magnificent palaces, stately homes and castles in England. For more information on these houses visit www.treasurehouses.co.uk.
How to get there:
Take the train from Kings Cross Overland Station to Hatfield. At time of writing the ticket is £10.50 return. Situated on Euston Road, Kings Cross Station can be reached via St Pancras Station, and the Northern, Victoria, Piccadilly, Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan Lines, as well a great number of buses.