Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Gawthorpe Hall




The last time we were in England we visited Gawthorpe Hall.  We were disappointed to find it was closed due to renovations.  We had checked online and it had made no mention of this on the National Trust site. They are really good at giving times open at certain times of the year and such.  We enjoyed viewing the outside then, but wanted to explore the inside, so we traveled to check it out again.


If you are traveling to England, be sure to pack your brolly (umbrella) as a shower can pop up at any time.  There is a reason it's so green there!  We were happy to see that the outside of Gawthorpe had been cleaned.  Here is a photo of the outside that I took in 2015.

2015

As you can tell it needed a good cleaning.  This is how it looked when we went back.

2017

Gawthorpe Hall was the home of the Shuttleworth family for over 400 years. It had its beginnings as a Pele Tower.  These towers were all over English and Scottish borders to warn of impending danger.  Later Gawthorpe was built around the tower to be a handsome Jacobean home by the Shuttleworth's in 1600.  Inside are Victorian rooms furnished with historical pieces.  There are beautiful plaster work ceilings, textiles and paintings.  I'm so glad we were able to return.

As we enter the Hall and check in we are directed to the Dining room.





The gallery from the dining room has the original paneling and carvings from 1605. 



As we go into the drawing room it is quite evident this is a grand and opulent home.  Notice the beautiful plaster ceiling and the old paneling.





I loved seeing this priceless inlaid tea box table.  Tea was very expensive and was kept under lock and key.



As we ascend the stairs we see the garden through the old leaded windows.



Upstairs is a very exciting part of the home that continues to serve the community as a craft center.



We viewed the most exquisite pieces.



The Gawthorpe Textiles Collection is one of the finest in Europe.  Rachel Kay-Shuttleworth collected lace, quilts, costumes, embroidery and many other pieces that interested her.



I love her vision and what it has brought to this community.



This lovely tribute wall hanging speaks to the love she had of the arts.





I apologize for the glare of the glass, but I'm finding it difficult to leave out these lovelies.





Imagine the hours spent making lace.





Flour sack material quilts.



The dresses were so lovely.





I loved seeing this old triptych painting of Gawthorpe Hall over the mantel.



The Gallery Hall was added to the home to allow the ladies of the house to be able to take their walks inside.  




The flags were set up for an event that was going to be held.



There were a few bedrooms open as well.



All of them so ornate and dressed in lovely bed coverings.



There is so much more, but I must show you the lovely gardens that surround this lovely home.



There are still a few roses in bloom and beautiful lush shades of green in the formal garden.



On our way to the car park there is the great barn, coach house and farm house.



We enjoyed our second visit to Gawthorpe Hall very much. It made our hearts happy to return.  Thank you for coming along with us. 












24 comments:

  1. So interesting. It's nice you were able to give it a second chance and were rewarded with a wonderful visit and photos!

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    1. Gawthrope Hall is amazing on the outside, but most interesting on the inside, Dotsie. ♥

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  2. Love all the beautiful textiles!

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    1. They were so lovely, Cathy. It's an amazing collection of handwork. ♥

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  3. That looks like so much fun. I love touring old homes/mansions that have been restored!

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    1. Thank you for visitind, Angela. The ancient homes we visited in England were astonishing. ♥

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  4. The contrast of the outside, then and now, is quite notable. I'm sure you're happy that you took the time to return! What amazing textiles there on display . . . and those gardens! Gorgeous!

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    1. Oh yes, Gawthorpe Hall was worth going back for a look inside, Cheryl. ♥

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  5. You took us on a wonderful tour, I love the vision of the craft centre for the community. The wood panelling and ornate ceilings were a delight. I did smile at your mention of a brolley, yes we do have a lot of rain.

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    1. The vision of Miss Shuttleworth is a noteworthy contribution to the community. You would have loved seeing all the beautiful handwork.
      We are quite jealous of the rain in the UK. We are in the middle of a drought! ♥

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  6. That's a great tour, Martha. Nice to see some tourists venturing away from the usual sights of London, Windsor, Bath etc! Must admit, I've not made it to Gawthorpe yet - we are lucky to have so much choice. Unexpected property closure is irritating, especially if you've made a special trip. We've been caught out by this, without explanation, several times - National Trust as well as privately owned places. Good tip about the brolly!

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    1. Mike, would you believe we've never been to London or Windsor? The English countryside is what we love. You do have so many wonderful places to explore in your beautiful land. I do believe my heart is there. ♥

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  7. I think we can say Gawthorpe Hall scrubs up well! When you come to Wales, no need for a brolly. You'll be blown away like Mary Poppins as soon as the wind changes, which is every few minutes!

    What an amazing textiles collection! Exquisite! I know where I would have spent my entire visit. Thank you for taking us along {we're all quiet as mice, and quite well behaved, aren't we?} ~~~Deb in Wales xoxo

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    1. Thank you for being so well behaved, my friend. We wouldn't want to be asked to leave one of these lovely homes!
      I guess we'll need to have a raincoat with a hoodie when we visit Wales. I need a new one anyway.
      The textile collection here was difficult to leave--so amazing! Stay firmly planted to the ground! xoxo ♥

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  8. Wow that is an impressive place! I appreciate that they cleaned the exterior. One thing I dislike about the old europeon buildings are the black streaks which take away from their beauty. The interior detail carvings and trim are fantastic. I love that ceiling with the pine cones. The furniture is quite something- that ornately carved bed is amazing. It boggles my mind how much handwork the ladies used to do. II can’t imagine making some of that hand made lace! Thank you again for sharing these places you visited!

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    1. Liz, these ancient places are affected by pollution that collects over the hundred of years on the stonework. It's really quite a process to remove it and very expensive.
      We really enjoyed returning to see the inside and especially the textile collection-so beautiful. ♥

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  9. Nice tour! It sounds like enjoyed visiting Gawthorpe Hall! 

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  10. I'm glad you got to go back and take a tour of the inside, Martha Ellen. The outside really does look different and cleaner after the two years. The tea box table is quaint, and I liked seeing all the quilts and dresses. The wood work in the house is exquisite. Thanks for the tour, Martha Ellen.

    ~Sheri

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    1. Sheri, the old quilts were so lovely. Their designs were unique. We were happy we went back. Have a nice weekend, dear friend. ♥

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  11. The upstairs was a surprise with all the textiles. There are some things so tedious that company surely improved the doing of them...lace making and tatting come to mind. Glad you found the home open this time.

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    1. Vee, I have never attempted lace making or tatting. I can't imagine. Certainly not now with these old eyes! Yes, in the company of friends would certainly make it easier. Have a nice weekend! ♥

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  12. Hi, thanks very much for the photos. Can I please correct though that the hall was built around a pele tower? That was the impression intended by the family in the Victorian period when the turret was raised. In fact, when constructed Gawthorpe's symmetrical design was strikingly modern for its day, and probably the first of its kind in the county. The evidence against it having incorporated an earlier building is much stronger than the evidence for this. See the article by John Champness, former county conservation officer, here; http://lahs.archaeologyuk.org/Contrebis/Vol%2031%20Champness.pdf

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    1. Thank you for pointing this information to my attention. Here is where I read about Gawthorpe Hall source https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gawthorpe_Hall and is my reference to this post. Perhaps the Wikipedia information should be corrected. ♥

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