Pictures from my afternoon out at a Historic country house and gardens

[hollydolly]

Today I took a drive over to a Historic house and gardens about 1/2 an hour away to have a mooch around. I've been there before some years ago, but on a nice day it's a lovely place to walk around.

A little bit of background

'' Audley end house is largely an early 17th-century house . It was once renowned as one of the finest Jacobean houses in England. Audley End is now one-third of its original size, but is still large, with much to enjoy in its architectural features and varied collections. It is currently in the stewardship of English Heritage and remains the family seat of the Lords Braybrooke.''

Anyway they have preserved the house and gardens in the way it would have been when it was a normal house with servants back in the late 1800's...and made it almost a museum, but looking as though you were almost transported back a century ago as you wander around. The house was self sufficient and had a dairy, a laundry, and a walled kitchen garden with hot houses growing everything they needed.. which today is tended and cared for organically..

It sits in large beautiful grounds, and is really a lovely calm place as well as being educational. You can visit the house but you aren't allowed to take pictures unfortunately but you are permitted to take pictures of everything in the servants wing and the gardens.

This is the front of the house...

more to come in a little while...

 

[Ameriscot]

Nice mansion! Looks like a lovely day as well.

 

[applecruncher]

Nice. The first view reminds me of a private prep school here in the city where I live.

 

[hollydolly]

The lawn at the front leads down to a stream, and on further to the kitchen gardens..

 

[hollydolly]

Over now to the service wing and first the laundry rooms...all set out and furnished as they would be around 1880

I have no idea what this is...some kind of linen press perhaps..it's quite big and wide..

This was the washing hanging on the pulleys on the ceiling.. petticoats and underwear...very large too LOL

 

[hollydolly]

The ''wet' laundry room....

http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Mar...ounding villges/DSCF4205.jpg.html?sort=2&o=31

These sinks are wooden and verrrry deep...

These are the boilers...where they would have lit the burner behind the cover near the bottom until the water reached boiling and then the lined would be washed in there using grated soap..

..

Hand wringers, and laundry baskets...also you can see the washing plungers in the sinks on the left

 

[Josiah]

I guess the prohibition on picture taking is to promote business in the gift shop, but it still seems a bit shabby given how unshabby the building and grounds are. Thanks, Holly.

 

[Ameriscot]

The weird gadget is described in the sign you posted - linen press. Looks very strange. I love to visit old houses where they show what life was like back in earlier times.

Lovely grounds!

 

[Ameriscot]

Just asked husband and he said he visited the mansion many years ago.

 

[hollydolly]

It's not a mansion Annie, it was a Jacobean palace.. oh yes I hadn't noticed the press on the poster *duh*

Yes I think you're right Josiah the gift shop does sell all the paraphernalia about the house..

 

[hollydolly]

This is the yard behind the kitchen and the dairy...the 'stables' is now the information centre...with video footage of the history of the house..

These little barrows in the same yard...

Servants Entrance to the kitchen from the yard behind the main house..

These copper pots and pans are HUGE...

The sinks are deep and lined with lead

 

[hollydolly]

This looks quite small but actually the window is very large for the time, the worktop very long...

 

[hollydolly]

There were no fridges or freezers in those days in domestic settings so everything was kept chilled in a cold larder room...

 

[hollydolly]

This tiny little room is situated just off the kitchen for the head cook, where she could keep an eye on her staff while doing her accounts or having a break...

Back in the kitchen

The enormous black leaded kitchen range where all the cooking was done for the whole Main house...as well as 20 servants...it had to be stripped, cleaned and black leaded regularly

 

[hollydolly]

 

[hollydolly]

Back out in the yard ..and onto the Dairy

a little corner where the housekeeper or butler could have their tea

Inside the dairy room

 

[hollydolly]

Butter churn..

 

[Ameriscot]

It's not a mansion Annie, it was a Jacobean palace.. oh yes I hadn't noticed the press on the poster *duh*

Yes I think you're right Josiah the gift shop does sell all the paraphernalia about the house..

It's definitely bigger than I'd want to have to clean all by myself!

 

[AZ Jim]

Very interesting Holly! I always love your pics.

 

[hollydolly]

Yes I'm with you, I wouldn't want to clean it either Annie..

Thanks Jim glad you're enjoying them...more to come..tomorrow..

 

[Ameriscot]

How many bedrooms does it have? I love places like this. So much history.

 

[Raven]

Holly, It's so interesting to see your pictures of the Historic country house.
I have always loved visiting historic houses to see how people lived years ago.

 

[SeaBreeze]

I really enjoyed looking at these photos Holly, thanks for posting!

 

[hollydolly]

Some of the extensive lawns...

 

[hollydolly]

These are at the rear of the house...