Monday 8 August 2022

The Judge's Lodging, Presteigne and the Kilvert connection

 The car boot sale yesterday was held in the grounds of Baskerville Hall at Clyro (which Kilvert would have known well).  Our first walk along the one row of sellers didn't look very hopeful, but I bought a modern horse painting made to look as if it were 200 years old. On the way back, more stuff had been put out and I found several items including some French enamel ware, a lovely little straw-work box and a big heavy clear glass vase for flowers which daughter Gabby was looking for. Worth getting up early for.


Yesterday Tam, Gay and I went to Presteigne yesterday to visit the Judge's Lodgings, which is a museum I had intended to visit for a long time, but just a bit too far from Carms.  Here it's only 20 miles away.   The building is painted in the original yellow colourway that they discovered during renovations.


The building is a combination of the grand accommodation for the circuit judges and the Court they worked in, and a good exhibition downstairs about the Radnorshire Constabulary.  This leather Scotch cap was worn by prisoners during the Separate System in mid-Victorian times.


There were a good selection of photographs of shops in the town in former times - this was one of sevefral compilations.


In the hallway was this enormous and very grand heavily-carved mahogany Victorian sideboard.  I would lay money on it that this piece hasn't moved since it was put in place!




Poor Mary Morgan - the last person to be hung in Wales.  She was only 17. More of her later . . .



Hah! Another connection with Kilvert - the Reverend Richard Lister Venables, Vicar of Clyro and JP for Breconshire.



The dining room which had plate warmers, a huge wine cooler and all modern appurtenances.  Very grand.


Here is the great man's bedroom , very sophisticated for the time, and  next door was his dressing room and next door to that, his bathroom.



Now, the very best bit of all, the kitchens, larder etc.  Lit by gas, as it was back in the day, it was very atmospheric but I bet they couldn't see that well on a mid-winter afternoon, let alone at night-time.



Note the use of an old flannel Welsh quilt across the table.


Great Aunty's bloomers!



The biggest dresser I've ever seen - wall to wall across the room.




Isn't this gorgeous?!  I could be SO at home here.


Reflective lighting, like they used when lace making.


On the left of the sinks is a Victorian water filter.


Bottle jack and spit, for cooking joints of meat.



I will do posts on our perambulation of the town and a visit to St Andrew's Church in further posts.

15 comments:

  1. We don't need to travel we have you doing it all for us. Thank you for such a comprehensive look at the Judge's lodging. Beautiful kitchen I would agree, but think of keeping it free from dust and grease.

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    1. It was so dim down there, you'd scarce notice any dust! Glad you are enjoying the armchair travel.

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  2. Glad you had some success for the price of an early start. Oh, that kitchen is definitely the best part, but regarding the quilt table cloth, I shall gloss over showing up in my new "shawl" at a party, only to find the table identically attired. I wonder how many times that sideboard has been painted around?

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    1. RP - oh you did make me smile, with your matching "tablecloth"!!! I bet that sideboard has ever been painted round - you wouldn't be able to budge it an inch :)

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  3. That looks a fascinating place, I do enjoy looking around the 'below stairs' areas best in old homes, and of course Great Aunty's Bloomers are the icing on the cake :-)

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    1. Aren't the bloomers brilliant? Made it feel very homely. It was a really interesting building - just like stepping back in time.

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  4. All those meat plates!! What an amazing kitchen - thank you for sharing, think that's somewhere I would love to go too

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    1. Some of the brown dishes were modern replicas which are for sale in the shop - any that say Veg, Beef, Lamb etc. I'm sure you would love it there.

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  5. Interesting place to visit. I have seen a sign for that near Radnor. That mask reminds me of a visit I had to Reading Prison

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    1. It is indeed well signposted Billy, and well worth visiting. The town is an absolute delight to walk around - so many beautiful old buildings - just my cup of tea.

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  6. That's quite a place. I was taken by the very bright wall colors. George Washington's home is also now in it's original colors, acid green, peacock blue...

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    1. It's good when the original colours of a historic property have been used - makes it come to life.

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  7. Thanks for the tour.... Love that kitchen.

    God bless.

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  8. That huge sideboard indicated a large staff coping with many mouths to feed. All jostling around in a room with no electricity and I saw no piped water. All heated on the range and carried. I'd rather be an aristocrat than a servant!! Wouldn't you?

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  9. What a fantastic place - never been there but ust go. My friends owned Kilvert's former rectory in Chippenham - very grand it was too.

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