We were fortunate to squeeze in one last National Trust property today, as the strong winds are forcing many of the places to close for the rest of the weekend.
So, we'll have to rethink tomorrow's plans. I'm not quite sure what 50 mph winds feel like. Nor do I think that I want to find out. But' we'll face that challenge tomorrow.
In the meantime, we started out with a delicious breakfast made by our young hosts here at the Mill House.
Then we headed out to Felbrigg Hall early so that we could see most of it before the predicted bad weather hit.
Febrigg Hall is a country home that can be traced back to Tudor times. Parts of the present day house date back to 1620 with a wing added in 1680. The west wing was added onto the house in 1680.
When we first arrived, the house was not yet open for touring, so we opted to take a walk, while the weather was still decent, and head to the church on the grounds. Funny, but while we were looking at the map, attempting to find the path, a local man asked if he could help. He commented that the maps could be confusing, which lifted my spirits as it proved that we aren't the only people having issues following these maps!
He pointed the direction to us, through a gate, then along a path in an open field where sheep were grazing. Wouldn't be a first for us.
But once through the gate, there was a lot of commotion. A loud string of bleating "Bahhh" was echoing around us, and when we looked up, this group was headed towards us at high speed, bleating while running.
We were clueless as to what was happening, and I have to admit, it was slightly frightening for a few minutes as they came charging towards us.
But then, they suddenly stopped.
All as if frozen in time. How crazy is that?
We can only presume that they spotted a feed truck that was behind us, but driving away, when they came running. But when it appeared that they were all staring at us, we didn't think to turn around and look back. What a relief!
It didn't take long to come to St. Margaret's church.
We had been told that it was closed, but a husband/wife couple were inside cleaning, and they welcomed us inside to take a peek.
The church dates back to the 15th century.
One of its unusual features is its collection of memorial brasses. These are flat, engraved, memorial plates. There are several at the base of the altar. This one of a young woman is missing the name plate. It is unknown who she is.
I was amused by these "booths" that were apparently assigned to families. I'm fairly certain those were installed more recently. There were benches in there, four in each.
Over time, the roof needed to be repaired, and this one dates to the 17th century.
Other items caught my eye as well.
This memorial is a genealogist's dream. It mentions, births, wives, number of children, and death...all in one place.
Of course, all of that information is recorded elsewhere, as this family kept very keen records.
We walked out of the church to find that the weather was beginning to turn, so we headed to the Walled Garden to try to beat out the rain. And, what we found behind the wall was nothing less than amazing!
I know, it's a lot of garden photos. (I actually took more.)
There was even a dovecote. It was located behind the pleasure fountain.
And it was certainly a busy place with doves flying in and out. I managed to get a photo of one who was just sitting inside. Marty was buzzed by about half a dozen attempting to fly out. Luckily, he was wearing a hat!
There was some interesting metal statuary scattered about.
And even a special place for bees.
Certainly a lot to see considering that the peak season is long gone.
It was now time to enter the house.
We were sent to the Morning Room which was from the 16th century. It's pretty much used to show off the family paintings, as you can see.
I was impressed with the fall floral arrangements, which came from flowers that had been picked and dried on the estate.
Across the way and we were in the Great Hall.
The doorways, ceiling drops and stained glass windows were added in 1840.
The desk for Robert Wyndham Ketton-Cremeer, stands on the far end. He was the man responsible for maintaining the collections. He had no children, so he donated the estate to the National Trust upon his death, to preserve all of the hard work he had put into the house.
This led to the dining room. It was remodeled in the 1750's.
From here we pass into the drawing room.
A table in the corner holds a teapot gifted to the family by Queen Mary, who stayed a night in the estate.
The staircase is from the 1750's.
It actually led to a very large library at the top. Passing through, we came to this unique bathtub . It is called a Victorian Slipper Bath.
I'd never seen one before, but was told that they are actually quite common.
From here we walked through the Yellow Bedroom
to the Rose Bedroom
Red Bedroom
And, finally, the Chinese Bedroom.
It features wallpaper from 1752.
I couldn't get my ahead around the fact that the decor on these walls was the original paper from that time period, somehow miraculously preserved over the centuries.
From here we walked down the servants staircase which took us to a long hall where the Butler's Pantry stands. The tables were adorned with fruits and vegetables that came from the estate.
Very impressive!
Now that the tour was finished and the rain was falling, we decided to stop for a cream tea in the cafe, then headed back to the B&B.
We attended mass just up the road at a church entitled Our Lady of Refuge, which seemed appropriately named considering the weather conditions.
Afterwards, we enjoyed dinner in the same restaurant as last night, but this time, we drove instead of walking.
I have NO idea what tomorrow's plan will be with the scheduled trust site being closed.
Marty mentioned something about a tank museum. I can't say that the prospect thrills me.
But what IS really exciting is that we change the clocks an hour tonight, meaning we get an hour's extra sleep! Then, next weekend at home, we get to do that again! I'll be looking forward to that, believe me!
In any event, thanks for following along. I hope you enjoyed the tour.
I'll be sure to keep you posted about tomorrow's plans.
Until next time....
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