A Gothic Sunday Part 2: The House and Lawn Games

 Here are some more pictures from the Gothic Sunday. I have a few more pictures coming.

A choir on the the verandah

Some of the volunteers wore gowns made by a local seamstress and movie costumier. They were very friendly and willing to talk to me about their costumes. This lovely lady was wearing an elaborately jet beaded bodice that the pictures do not do justice.

Look at the white lacing up the left side!

Amazing painstakingly done beadwork!

Another volunteer in a gown with elaborately decorated bustle. There was also some beautiful textured material on the bodice.

THE HOUSE

If I remember right, the house was on a few stories, each coming off to the side of the main staircase. I can't remember what stories which rooms were on, I think that the ground floor rooms were a parlour and such which were mainly closed off or being used in tours, the first floor was the pictured parlour and the cupboard room and the top floor was bedrooms.

There was a matching set of these decadent lamps.

Hard to see from far away, but I think that's a charming pianoforte and a lovely chaise lounge under a sunny window.

A place to sit and write, and play cards.

I love animal foot furniture! I'd love a claw foot tub!

Someone appears to have been writing a letter.

A sort of cupboard bedroom, but much nicer than Harry Potter's.

It was roped off, but of course, I had to try and get the best photos I could by leaning and angling the camera, while staying outside the room.

Lovely old clock in the corridor.

A sofa at the top of the stairs. I assume it wouldn't have been so haphazardly placed back in the day, but it'll be good for tired guests to sit and look out the window during house tours nowadays.

The nursery. In the past, all the children were brought up in one big room, boys and girls together, so that they could all bond as a family. 

Oooh and zoetrope! And a doll. I don't think I'm scared of cloth dolls, although I'm scared of other sorts of dolls.

Apparently in the Victorian era boys wore red dresses, and girls wore blue. Hence disproving pink is for girls, blue for boys, and also that little boys don't wear dresses! They were actual historical pieces, and we got to touch them which was wonderful!

A wardian case, a glass case for growing gardens inside, especially good for London, where the smoggy acidic atmosphere was known for killing plants. Don't even think about what it did to people.

I think this might be a nursing chair. Didn't have time to ask. 

Look at this bed! <3

Flowers made of fabric, perhaps paper or wool. I can't remember, and it was hard to get a good picture, they were far away and backlit by the window. A very elaborate display, though!

I have a thing for elaborate balustrades! This one makes the lovely ones at my uni look almost spartan.

In the kitchen:

Looks like possibly some cardamom cakes (?) and a pie of some sort.

Amazing copper/brass jelly moulds or cake tins in the kitchen. I didn't get time to ask. Look how many there were! Four shelves worth!

Lawn games- croquet. I should get my own set sometime. I'm terrible at all sports, but it's fun when you do it with friends and everyone isn't very good. I refuse to play with talented people.

On the hill are the stables, I think. I never really went inside, although I think we went into the attic bit of them where they stored a lot of awesome stuff not on display. 

The side of the house. 

The wall is so high and the vines are huge, it's like The Secret Garden. I got my friend to take a pic with just the vines behind, you can't even tell there's a wall there!

A view of the house from further away. So large and magnificent.