Thursday 25 October 2012

WELCOME TO BURTON AGNES




Never, in our many years of country house snooping, have we had such a warm welcome as that which greeted us when we pushed open the door to Burton Agnes Hall


"Please feel free to sit on our chairs and our window seats, and you may take photographs of all our antiques and works of art!" There were no prickly holly leaves and not a dried teazle head in sight. 



Situated near Driffield in the East Riding of Yorkshire and built between 1601 and 1610 to plans by Robert Smythson, the house contains fine 17th century plaster ceilings, carved chimneypieces and more...

AUGUSTUS JOHN

...Here, mingling with Chinese porcelain and finely painted ancestors, is a large collection of modern art. 

JACOB EPSTEIN


I love this set of tree-decorated drawers by John Makepeace


There are intriguing views through glass up here in the long gallery.



The family who live here are devoted to Art. This person, glimpsed sketching,  may be an artist in residence or perhaps a local season ticket holder, all of whom are encouraged to "treat the garden as your own".


As we were leaving, I noticed this view - Burton Agnes church, St Martins, where distant ancestors of Mr N were married.

                                                                                     Photo: Paul Glazzard on Geograph

I wanted to find something inside the church that a wandering family eye might have rested on during the service - and there, in the chancel quite low down on the wall, I spotted this characterful face - it looked familiar.


I wasn't sure of the date. Do you recognise this stubborn brow, those determined lips?

                                                       
It is William Wilberforce, leader of the movement to abolish slavery, from nearby Kingston upon Hull. His carved stone likeness was placed in the church by his son Robert, Archdeacon of the East Riding and vicar of Burton Agnes in the 1840s.
                                                  
                                                         ***

22 comments:

  1. What a find ! How lovely to feel so welcome, and what a fabulous combination of treasures to look at and appreciate. I'm sure you must have had a great time wandering around. Just brilliant. J.

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    1. The gardens are interesting too, with a small maze. Also a lovely friendly cafe - but the gift shop needs a re-think, it's not a patch on the one at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park.

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  2. My jaw dropped at the photographs you took at this wonderful place! It's most unusual to see modern art in this setting and it goes extremely well. I've heard of Burton Agnes but (again!) never been. I feel quite 'wowed' - thank you so much for visiting, recording and providing such a fantastic place!
    Axxx

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    1. Mr N keeps grumbling, "Some of those photos are mine y'know!"

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  3. As a great lover of England 'I am always
    on your blog and see the places that you go to visit,
    your photos are beautiful and fountains of inspiration
    for my travels English summer.
    Thanks for the tips
    Love Susy x

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    1. How lovely! We aren't very adventurous travellers (we hate flying), but we make the most of the nice places in the UK.

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  4. Dear Nilly - Another place to add to the ever growing list of places to visit - I have wanted to visit that area ever since I discovered about the deserted medieval village of Wharram Percy.
    Love the John Makepeace set of tree drawers. We first met John in the early 1980s when he was a young man and his star was in the accent.

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    1. I was hoping to include Wharram Percy on this trip as I've never visited, but we ran out of time. Garton-on-the Wolds, also nearby, has a very interesting church. It is Norman, quite plain outside but in the 19th century was painted inside in Gothic Revival style - a little odd, but pretty amazing.

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  5. Hi Nilly, another interesting visual trip for us all to see.
    How lovely that you were asked to use the seats and made to feel, most welcome.
    My daughter has just been learning all bout William Wilberforce and the abolishing of slavery!
    She was talking about the series 'Roots' by Alex Haley.
    I remember watching this when younger and thinking how awful it all was...
    Love Maria x

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    1. Wilberforce House Museum in Hull is very good, if your daughter can get to see it. We went there on a day when a party of Africans was also visiting. It made us feel very guilty and uncomfortable, though perhaps some of our ancestors were also "slaves" during the Industrial Revolution.

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  6. now this is my kinda House!
    Living, as we do in a lodge house to a large National Trust property, I have an inbuilt aversion of blimmin teasel!

    What a wonderful name Burton Agnes Hall, sounds like a 1920s authoress (or was that Radcliffe Hall?)

    Have a good weekend ahead
    x

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    1. Phew - I thought I'd dropped a clanger with my spelling of teasel! But teazle is permissable - just!

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  7. Really enjoyed this tour and how nice to be encouraged to take photos. I remember being severely reprimanded in a National Trust House for taking photos of some copper in the kitchen and I felt very small! I see you have included an Augustus John painting as I wrote about him in a recent blog post.

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    1. Yes - I thought of your post when I saw the Augustus John works. There were drawings too, but I particularly liked this painting. By the way, most National Trust properties allow photography now, though not all.

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  8. When not selling your wares at antique fairs and the like, you are visiting wonderful homes of yore. A lovely life if I may say so. Keep up the good work and the lovely informative posts.

    LLX

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    1. Yes LL - "diverting" is what I call our life-style - and we all need that, if possible! Just wait for the next installment...

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  9. What an incredible name, it just had to be amazing. What a stunning building and how great to be made to feel welcome. The last place I visited was Holyrood Palace and I felt we were herded through, no time to ponder on the past. Your images are incredible, I have said it many times, and I am going to say it again, you do take a fantastic photograph. I always feel as if I have visited alongside you. Thanks. Jayne x

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    1. I must give Mr N credit for some of those photos, Jayne!

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  10. Ah............ Nr Driffield. NOW you are talking ........ sigh...... SO homesick.

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    1. Oh yes! I forgot. I love the Wolds - they always look a bit American or Amish to me - rolling fields & doll's house farms dotted about.

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  11. I just love Burton Agnes although it's been a few years since I was last there. The long gallery is as quirky as it ever was. Isn't there a simply huge yew tree approach to the church door?

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  12. We went about 15-20 years ago and I have a feeling we had a very good guided tour at that time. Yes, the yews are still there and some wonderful monuments inside.

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