Sunday 15 October 2017

You know us, we always have to visit the National Trust.....

....when we're on our travels.  Recently we visited Cotehele (previous post) and then we visited


Have been there before, but the beauty of visiting these properties is there is always something different and new to discover, so well worth going back to.







This room had paintings stored as the room they usually hang in was having the carpet and other items repaired, but I'll show you the pictures of that later in this post


I loved this courtyard, which went to the kitchens




The kitchen was interesting as it was set out as though still being used. It really gives an insight to how life was back in the day.

The large range on the left had a flue under the floor, which went to the fireplace you see on the right. It then went up inside of the wall and the heat turned the rotisserie - the heat also gave them hot water to the taps over the sink in the next picture.


These copper sinks were in a side room.  The usual two taps, and the third was from water collected in the garden



These sinks were for preparing meats

and this sink for vegetables...Yes, it is a LEAD sink!!!!   Not such a good idea!

I wasn't expecting to see so much scaffolding but it was needed to protect the ceiling and added a walkway for visitors to view the work being done on the carpet

Can you see the walkway on the left of this picture, it made a really good viewing platform.


The work looked so precise and backbreaking

Not so many years ago, a lot of National Trust properties would close during the Winter months.  That's when some of the major works/conservation  would be  carried out.  But nowadays, properties try to remain open as much as they can, hence visitors now get to see conservation-in-progress.  

I really enjoy seeing this side of the Trust, it's nice to know how things are preserved and learn more about them.   Another factor to the properties remaining open is central heating.  Not that they want properties to be too warm, that would damage precious artefacts, so temperatures are monitored carefully, but it does ensure that volunteers will still help. Nobody wants to stand around in the cold all day for their volunteering efforts.  

One volunteer I spoke to at Saltram told me she wouldn't be helping if it weren't for some heating, so there you have it, there has to be some compromise between them staying open in the Winter and preserving the property.

You wouldn't expect me to visit without doing some sketching...




Visitors in the gift shop

Visitors walking the grounds

and finally my sketch of the house itself



~ Hope you enjoyed this post ~








12 comments:

Judy said...

Thanks for the tour of this beautiful place! I love the kitchen!

Marie Smith said...

A unique look behind the scenes! Great!

Eileen H said...

Very interesting post. I love to see old kitchens especially as you say set out as though they were being used. It's good to see the restoration taking place, that must be very skilled work on the carpet. Your sketches are good, it looks a lovely place to visit.

robin cox walsh said...

I totally enjoyed this!! Almost as good as being there! That first picture is STUNNING! Nice that they stay open and you can see how much hard work goes into the upkeep too. Thanks for letting us tag along. :)

Shammickite said...

I love the colours of the copper pans and the sinks, but perhaps the lead one isn't such a good idea.

ann @ studiohyde said...

We enjoy seeing the other side of life back in the day. So often historic houses only show the 'living on the good side of life' but it is nice to get a peak into downstairs life.

ann @ studiohyde said...

Glad you enjoyed the peak into the kitchens :)

ann @ studiohyde said...

Thanks Eileen, definitely was worth another visit and seeing that they had all that scaffolding up. Seeing the people working on such detailed restoration too was very good.

ann @ studiohyde said...

Wish you could have been there, so much to see. Another trip that way and we will no doubt visit again and there will be more to explore.

ann @ studiohyde said...

Yes, it makes you cringe to think of a lead sink doesn't it! lol

Joan Tavolott said...

Great photos and I love that you did some sketching too.

ann @ studiohyde said...

Thanks Joan, I've rarely been disappointed with these National Trust properties :)