Posted on 30/04/2017 20:11
I see that tonight's Antique Roadshow is based at this house. It's a house that we have often peered at from a distance, from the NT gardens.
Didn't know that the Trust had now been given the house. Looks like it needs a lot of work.....I wonder when it will open to the public?
Posted on 09/05/2017 21:27
It is open but the NT have an awful lot of work to do. Apparently the NT were given the house and estate with proviso the family stayed in the house and maintained it. The family were the Spodes of the pottery fame. They had one of largest Spode collections and a couple of years ago sold the lot at auction raising several millions. I was told they then just quit the house and the NT were left with a lot of work to do. It was fairly empty the last time I went, but the grounds themselves are well worth a visit.
Posted on 10/05/2017 19:11
I also think that the NT waste an awful lot of money on refurbishing properties.
They spend a fortune on a paint that perfectly matches what was on the walls hundreds of years ago. Or they have carpets specially woven, to look like one that was once there.
When these houses were occupied, they constantly evolved and often used the latest materials available.
Most (if not all) visitors would simply not notice if modern equivalents were used and it would not detract from the visitor experience.
IanH