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Harewood House, a Return Visit

2/28/2023

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Austere elegance describes the Palladian facades of Harewood House in West Yorkshire; the upper two versions, from the drive facing north; the lower two are the south façade, from the terrace. Please click on the pictures for full-size versions. BTW, we were told by a docent at the house that its name is pronounced HAIR-wood.
As on my first visit over a dozen years ago, the massive alabaster sculpture of Adam by Jacob Epstein (1880-1959) under the elegant ceiling of Robert Adam's Hall is rather a shock, a dramatic contrast of styles separated by nearly two centuries.
     Above left, bust of Princess Mary, Countess of Harewood (1897-1965), grandmother of the present 8th Earl of Harewood. She was Princess Royal, the only daughter of King George V and Queen Mary, and aunt of the late Queen Elizabeth II. The Old Library is shown at above right.
​        Below, left, Princess Mary's Dressing Room; right, the East Bedroom. 
Above left, a view of the hand-painted Chinese wallpaper in the East Bedroom; it had been hung in a different bedchamber by Chippendale's staff in 1769, but the style fell out of favor subsequently. The paper was removed and stored for almost two centuries. It was rehung when the East bedroom was renovated in 2007-08. Above right, a Chinese-style cabinet from Chippendale's workshop.
     Below, left, a map of the Caribbean Sea, from which the sugar plantations owned by the Lascelles family provided the funds for building and maintaining the estate in Yorkshire through the labor of enslaved Africans. At right, a portrait of Dr. Arthur France MBE, a leader of the Caribbean community in nearby Leeds, by artist Ashley Karrel. Born on the island of Nevis, Dr. France celebrated fifty years of the Leeds West Indian Carnival, part of efforts to "open up conversations about diversity, representation and ultimately equality in society today." An accompanying exhibit showed colorful costumes and events from the Carnival.
Above, left and right, the elaborately draped bed in the State Bedroom, designed by Robert Adam (1728-1792). This room also includes the Chippendale commode, one of his most famous creations. Above it and at the left is a double portrait by Richard Cosway  (1742-1821) of Mrs. Scott and her daughter Henrietta, later Duchess of Portland.
    Above left, the Spanish Library, in which conservation of (right) a portrait of PM Spencer Percival (1762-1812) by artist George Francis Joseph was underway. This room was redecorated in the Victorian era; it formerly was the State Dressing room, now named after its tooled Spanish leather fittings.
    Below, the Library, transformed by the Victorians from the former Saloon, retained its Adam ceilings, as seen below. As usual in these libraries, our temptation to hide and stay behind for a night of stealthy reading was hard to overcome.
     Above, my images of the Library, which is said to be the central living area of the house for family gatherings. 
     Below, left, each room has a tablet on hand to explain the furnishings and décor.  Right, Among the most admired creations of the Chippendale firm are the delicately ornate mirrors.

   Above left, each ceiling is different and relates to other furnishings, particularly to the design of the rugs.
  Below, the Cinnamon Drawing Room. Left, my photo. Right, from Harewood's website showing the Sir Joshua Reynolds portrait of the infamous Lady Worsley, in red, who spent part of her childhood at Harewood.
The Gallery, also used as a ballroom, is another triumph of the pairing of Robert Adam and Thomas Chippendale (1718-1779). I have often marveled at the windows on which the gathered draperies and all other fittings are carved and painted wood with the exception of the textile fringe. You cannot tell even when as close as it is possible to get. Below, right, a corner of the Music Room.
    Above, the Dining Room, adorned with family portraits under another brilliant Adam ceiling.
   Below, a rainy day on the terrace, built in the Victorian era, which contrasts with the Capability Brown landscape beyond.

Below, a brief pause in the drizzle allowed us a turn about the sculpture and cyclamen beds in the gardens.
Below, on the lower level of the house, we got a glimpse of the servants' world. Dozens of footmen, housemaids, kitchen workers and scullery maids were required to run the house, not to mention to outdoor gardeners and farm/stable workers for the dogs and livestock.
    Harewood has been the scene for many films and tv series. Interestingly, it plays itself as the home of the Princess Royal and her husband, in the 2019 feature film Downton Abbey. At a ball there, the Princess confides that she has decided to stay with her husband despite a background of marital problems. Whether or not the view of that marriage was strictly fictional in the movie, I do not know, but no mention of strife was ever made at the house itself on either of my visits.
    Next, we visit Castle Howard, followed by Chatsworth.
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Visiting Lyme Park, Part Two

2/13/2023

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Picture
The word in February from Lyme Park is the snowdrops are blooming in the gardens. On my recent visit in September, 2022, and my previous visit in September, 2017, displays in the magnificent gardens were colorful and spectacular in the early Autumn. Above, the Palladian (South) façade of the house as seen from the Dutch (sunken) Garden, sometimes called the Italian Garden.
   Below, left, the hunting tower seen on the drive before you reach the car park, dates from the 16th C., rebuilt in the 18th.  It is known as The Cage. The painting on the right is a view from the north in the 17th C. The middle row, left, the North façade as it looks today. A view from the south; The sunken garden is behind the wall.
 Above, left and right, the South façade, rebuilt in the 18th C. by Giacomo Leoni in a Palladian style with baroque features as well. 
      The estate came to the Leghs of Lyme by marriage in 1388 and remained in the Legh family until it was given to the National Trust in 1946. The house was built in the 16th C. and largely redesigned by Leoni. In the 18th C., architect Lewis Wyatt made further changes, leaving the house as a combination of Elizabethan, neoclassic, baroque and regency styles. 
     Formal gardens were created and developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. During World War II, the Royal Air Force used the deer park as a lorry depot.
Above, left and right, visiting the sunken garden in 2017. Below, photos from 2022.
Immediately to the northeast of the house is the Orangery, added to the house in 1862. Inside is a peaceful sanctuary for quiet contemplation to the tune of tinkling fountains.
  Elsewhere, below, the verdant lawns and parterres merge into the 1400 acre deer park where, they say, descendants of the original red deer herd from the middle ages still roam, though I didn't see any. Which, I suppose, is why they are still around!
Next, Harewood in Yorkshire.
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    Victoria Hinshaw, Author


    Here I will share some of my articles on favorite topics, such as English Country Houses, the Regency Royals, Jane Austen, and the like. Some of these articles have been published elsewhere, probably on the blog I share with Kristine Hughes and Louisa
    ​Cornell:  numberonelondon.net

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