Post Script to Previous and a Christmas present suggestion

I've found my Bramall Hall guidebook now, so I can post a couple more pictures of the table carpet and the Painted Chamber. The pictures still don't do justice to the pieces, but you can get more of an idea.
The carpet (left) as it says in the perhaps difficult to read blurb under the photo was commissioned in 1560 by William Davenport III, owner of Bramall Hall, and would have covered the high table in the Great Hall. The border depicts the shields of allies, and commemmorates the marriages of the Davenport family between 1397 and 1560. The heraldry in the centre of the panels are the arms of Mary Tudor, Elizabeth I and the Earl of Derby. The background design is of poppies but the red has faded over the centuries. It still doesn't say if they would have eaten off it, but I suspect not!

Here are two more pictures of the Painted Chamber. The colours still aren't vibrant enough, but imagine the walls covered in all this kind of thing. It gives great richness and texture.





Finally, how about that Christmas present for the history buff in your life, or a child in need of a cuddly companion. A friend pointed this one out to me.... http://tinyurl.com/2l4q3h

Bramall Hall and shameless touting for votes!

North West Libraries is running a programme called Time To Read and as part of a drive designed to get people fired up about books and libraries, they have a promotion titled Pure Passion. It's designed to showcase the breadth and depth of the best examples of Romantic Fiction and a selection of titles has been shortlisted for a public vote. The Scarlet Lion is one of the shortlisted titles and represents the scope of historical fiction. If anyone feels they want to vote for The Scarlet Lion (pretty please, grovel, grovel) then they can do so here: It's number 18 on the voting form http://tinyurl.com/2huj8z

Anyway, so that this blog is not a piece of shameless self promotion, let me go on to say that as part of the programme, North West libraries has been holding a series of author visits and events for the region. Last month I was asked to give a talk about The Scarlet Lion at Bramall Hall just outside Stockport. I do come from that neck of the woods originally, but I left when I was very young, so I had no inkling that this wonderful place existed. http://tinyurl.com/22euyw
The hall itself dates back to the 14th Century, but the main effect is Tudor. It's a stunning building both from the outside as you can see here and the interior (below)

I gave my talk in the Great Hall, with the audience seated in the body of the hall and me standing in the fireplace! To the right of where I was standing, the original 13thC hall door is still in situ and it reminded me very much of William Marshal's doors at Chepstow on a smaller scale. (not in photo)



















Upstairs, there was a fabulous chamber (now known as The Ballroom) covered in detailed wall paintings from the 15thC. My camera was playing up and no photographs were allowed anyway, but here is a picture from the guidebook. It doesn't do the room justice at all. The colours were far more vigorous than this. What you see as a dingy dun colour on the walls in this photo is actually a melange of rich autumnal colours and textures, including red and green. There were hunting scenes, mythical scenes, and a vignette of a man and woman at courtly play, the man with a lute and the woman graciously listening. It truly is stunning and a work of national importance.
















In another room there was a display of a magnificent hand embroidered 'table carpet' dating to the Tudor period and worked with a design of poppies.
There is also a fabulous chapel which has decorations from several different eras, including the earlier medieval period.

If you are in the area do go and look around. It's now owned by the council and you'll have to check when it's open to the public, although I understand that the grounds (70 acres) are open on a general basis. It's a gem of a place.