Chatsworth House

Grade I listed

List Entry Number: 1373871

PARISH OF CHATSWORTH CHATSWORTH PARK SK 2570/2670 6/82 29.9.51 Chatsworth House GV I Country house. South wing 1687-9 by William Talman. East front 1689-91 by Talman, west front 1700-03, north front 1705-7 by Thomas Archer. Alterations and additions 1756-60 by James Paine, mostly replaced by alterations and additions including the north wing 1820-42 by Jeffrey Wyatt, later Sir Jeffrey Wyatville. Baroque and Neo-classical styles. For the First, Fourth and Sixth Dukes of Devonshire. Sandstone ashlar (mostly local) with other stones and marbles used for decoration. Roofs hidden behind parapets. Basically preserving the plan of the previous Elizabethan house, of four ranges around a courtyard, and with a long north east wing with a return range to south and wall enclosing a long entrance courtyard. Three floors, the ground floor treated as a basement due to the fall of the land. North wing of one storey over a basement. South front of twelve bays, 3-6-3 with a rusticated basement and two upper floors of equal height. Advanced end pavilions have giant fluted Ionic pilasters. Full entablature with carving to the frieze of the pavilions and bold inscription CAVENDO TUTUS across the centre. Balustrade added in 1693 and urns in 1701. The basement has segment headed glazing bar sashes and in the centre a double return flight staircase, a replacement of 1837 by Wyatville. The first and second floors have twelve glazing bar sashes in moulded architraves with stepped keyblocks. East front of 1-8-1 bays, continues the rusticated basement, entablature, balustrade and urns. Segment headed sashes to ground floor and glazing bar sashes in keyed moulded architraves, to the two upper floors. The end bays are set back and are flanked by paired giant pilasters. The front was altered by Wyatville in 1823, who removed a row of attic windows and refaced the whole front. West front (originally the entrance front) of 3-3-3 bays. The centre three advanced and pedimented, on four fluted Ionic attached columns. The outer bays have giant fluted Ionic pilasters. Rusticated basement with segment headed glazing bar sashes and a central flat arched entrance with moulded architrave. Two tiers of glazing bar sashes above, in moulded architraves with stepped keyblocks, the centre and upper ones decorated with relief carving. Complete entablature with carved frieze, carving also in the pediment. Balustraded parapet with urns. Garlands around the centre windows. Carving by Nadauld and by Samuel Watson. North front of 3-5-3 bays, the centre five forming a shallow curve, taller than the rest. Rusticated basement, giant fluted Corinthian pilsters to the centre bow, and glazing bar sashes in moulded architraves. The facade was altered by Wyatville whose north wing abuts it. He altered the fenestration of the centre part, removing attic windows and making the pilasters fluted. The internal courtyard has elevations of five and seven bays, mostly in their present form as altered by Wyatville. Plain pilasters with carved trophies by Watson. Top floor windows with alternately triangular and segmental pedimented architraves. Wyatville replaced an open colonnade on the south side. North wing has north elevation of 1-5-5-5-1 bays, followed by the orangery of 2-5-2 bays. Of the first part the middle and end bays are divided by plain pilasters and have solid parapets with urns rather than balustraded parapets. Rusticated basement with segment headed glazing bar sashes and glazing bar sashes in moulded architraves above. The orangery has the five middle bays advanced and divided by plain pilasters. Large casement windows. Balustraded parapet, dated 1827. The wing is terminated by a three by six bay pavilion and belvedere, rising to four storeys. Entablatures between storeys, glazing bar sashes in moulded architraves and the corner bays with plain pilasters. The belvedere has open colonnades on all sides. Lower pavilion beyond. Return range to west with gateways and entrance lodges. Tripartite composition with three round-arched carriageways. The centre flanked by paired Tuscan Doric columns, triglyph frieze, entablature and parapet, partly balustraded. Flanked by glazing bar sashes in moulded architraves and rusticated advanced end bays. Partly balustraded parapet. The central gates are re-set and are late C17 by Jean Tijou. Wall to south enclosing entrance courtyard with statues on pedestals. Interior: North entrance hall converted from a kitchen by James Paine. Tuscan Doric columns with triglyphs. Wyatville replaced the chimneypieces and widened the staircase. North corridor enclosed and altered by Wyatville. The Painted Hall of two storey height. Ceilings and walls painted by Laguerre, assisted by Ricard, in 1694. Stone carvings by Samuel Watson. Staircase 1911-12 by W H Romaine-Walker. The south range commences with private apartments, one room with an early C18 chimneypiece, another with early C19 painted panels in the window reveals. The Oak Room has panelling and twisted columns of c1700, brought from Germany by the Sixth Duke. The chapel in the south west corner is of two storeys, with an east gallery. Cedar panelling with limewood carvings by Samuel Watson. Sumptuous Baroque alabaster reredos designed by Cibber and carved by Watson. Completed in 1694. Walls and ceilings painted by Laguerre. On the west side, the west stairs with iron balustrade of 1702 by John Gardom, with wrought iron panels on the landings by Tijou. Painted ceiling by James Thornhill. West entrance hall with Grisaille painting. Leather Room and Lower Library redecorated in 1839 by Crace. The ground floor of the north wing contains service rooms. First floor has mostly private apartments, taking in the upper half of the chapel and hall, except the north wing. On the south side private dining and drawing rooms, basically early C18 but redone in 1780s by John Carr. The dining room was altered by Wyatville. In the west wing the centre bedroom was originally a vestibule and has late C17 panelling. Other rooms with delicate late C18 plasterwork. Duchess' dressing room ceiling by Joseph Palfreyman, 1775. The Red Velvet Room has a chimneypiece by Kent. On the north side the Library made in 1832 by Wyatville with woodwork and fittings by Armstrong and Siddons. Late C17 ceiling with painting by Verrio. The Ante-Library by Wyatville with ceiling painting by Hayter. To the north the suite of rooms in Wyatville's north wing. Dome Room, the Great Dining Room with segmental arched coffered ceiling and chimneypiece by Westmacott the Younger and Sievier. Sculpture Gallery lit by three lantern skylights. At the north end ormolu capitals to the columns, by Delafontaine of Paris. Bas reliefs by Thorwaldsen and collection of neo-classical sculpture. Second floor contains the state rooms along the south wing. Great Staircase designed by Talman (1689-90). Ceiling by Verrio; statues and doorcases by Cibber, balustrade by Tijou. The state Dining Room, Drawing Room, Music Room and Bedroom fill the south side. They have painted ceilings by Verrio, Laguerre and Ricardi and a profusion of wood carving by the London carvers Lobb, Davis and Young, assisted by Watson. The rooms were decorated in 1689-99, but only the Dining Room survives in its original state. In the centre of the west wing is the Sabine Bedroom, originally a lobby, with uninterrupted illusionist painting over ceiling and walls by Thornhill (1708). In the north wing are smaller family rooms and in the east wing the Queen of Scots Rooms, a suite of rooms redone by Wyatville c1830. The oak stairs between ground and first floor are by Wyatville, 1823-4. At the end of Wyatville's wing is the Theatre, designed in 1833 as a banqueting chamber. The painted ceiling panels of c1700 by Cheron and Thornhill, were originally in the Library. Sources: William, 6th Duke of Devonshire Handbook of Chatsworth & Hardwick, London 1844. J Lees-Milne and J Cornforth Chatsworth. Nine articles in Country Life April-September 1968. Duchess of Devonshire The House: A Portrait of Chatsworth MacMillan 1982.

Listing NGR: SK2602270104

Sources

Books and journals

Devonshire, William Duke of, Handbook of Chatsworth and Hardwick, (1844)

Devonshire, Duchess of , The House a Portrait of Chatsworth, (1982)

'Country Life' in September, (1968)

historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1373871

The Vyne is a house and estate in Hampshire, UK, that is owned by the National Trust. The house was originally built in the early 16th century for Lord Sandys, Henry VIII's Lord Chamberlain.

The Summerhouse is possibly the earliest domed garden building in England, dating from c1635. Designed by John Webb, and built in the shape of a Greek cross, it is thought to be one of a pair planned for the garden and originally had a first floor which has now collapsed. Ornately decorated with plasterwork and richly painted, it was variously used as a banqueting house, a 'lust' house and a dovecote. Currently research is being undertaken into its original appearance and it will soon be undergoing restoration to its former glory.

Behind the Summerhouse is the ‘Hundred Guinea Oak’, so called because according to family legend, William John Chute declined to sell it to a passing timber merchant who offered 100 guineas for the wood. The wonderful oak tree is thought to be well over 600 years old.

On our visit in August 2006, the grounds were suffering from lack of rain. The wetlands were virtually dry and were occupied by grazing cattle instead of wading birds! The grass was also much less green than in other Flickr photos taken only a month before.

Tenuous Link: Sphere--> Dome

A country house erected by Edward Cookman JP (d. 1774), one-time High Sheriff of County Wexford (fl. 1763), representing an important component of the eighteenth-century domestic built heritage of County Wexford with the architectural value of the composition, 'a handsome mansion pleasantly situated on a gentle eminence above the Urrin [River] in a highly improved and richly wooded demesne' (Lewis 1837 II, 385), confirmed by such attributes as the neo-Palladian plan form centred on a Classically-detailed breakfront; the construction in an ochre-coloured fieldstone offset by silver-grey granite dressings not only demonstrating good quality workmanship, but also producing a mild polychromatic palette; the diminishing in scale of the openings on each floor producing a graduated visual impression; and the parapeted roofline. Having been sympathetically restored following a prolonged period of unoccupancy in the later twentieth century, the elementary form and massing survive intact together with substantial quantities of the original fabric, both to the exterior and to the interior, including crown or cylinder glazing panels in hornless sash frames: meanwhile, contemporary joinery; Classical-style chimneypieces; and "bas-relief" plasterwork enrichments, all highlight the artistic potential of a country house having historic connections with the Cookman family including Nathaniel Cookman (----); Edward Rogers Cookman JP (1788-1865) 'late of Monart House in the County of Wexford' (Calendars of Wills and Administrations 1865, 70); Nathaniel Narcissus Cookman JP DL (1827-1908), 'Country Gentleman late of Monart House Enniscorthy County Wexford' (Calendars of Wills and Administrations 1908, 96; cf. 15701922); and Captain Nathaniel Edward Rogers Cookman JP DL (1894-1983); and a succession of tenants including Lowry Cliffe Tottenham (1858-1937), 'Gentleman [and] District Inspector of Royal Irish Constabulary' (NA 1911)

Today Monart is a five hotel and spa owned by the local Griffin Hotel Group led with vision by Liam Griffin, former All Ireland winning manager of Wexford Hurling in 1996.

Monart Destination Spa is an adults-only property and is considered one of the finest spas in the world. Monart Spa has been named in the top 1% of all 5 star hotels in the world by Tripadvisor. Listed in the top 10 properties worldwide by Conde Nast Traveler and Forbes Magazine and named Ireland’s leading spa property for eight consecutive years in the Irish Independent Readers Choice Awards

Early grottos were mainly of the shell grotto type, mimicking a sea-cave, or in the form of a nymphaeum. The shells were often laid out in strict patterns in contemporary decorative styles used for plasterwork and the like. Later there was a move towards more naturalistic cave-like grottoes,[1] sometimes showing the early influence of the Romantic movement.

The porch of Scott's Grotto today.

The first recorded shell grotto in England was at Whitehall Palace; James I had it built in the undercroft of the Banqueting House in 1624, but it has not survived. Two years later the Duke of Bedford had a shell room built at Woburn Abbey, featuring shell mosaics and carved stone. This, and another at Skipton Castle, built in 1627, are the only surviving examples from the 17th century.[1]

The shell-free Crystal Grotto at Painshill

Shell grottoes were an expensive luxury: The grotto at Oatlands Park cost £25,000 in 1781 and took 11 years to build; and at Fisherwick Park the Marquess of Donegall spent £10,000 on shells alone in 1789.[2] The Grotto at Margate has 2000 square feet of mosaic, using some 4.6 million shells.

By the end of the 18th century, fashion had moved on to more naturalistic cave-like structures, like the weathered rock and crystal "Crystal Grotto" at Painshill in Surrey, before falling out of favour altogether. These were mostly outside, in garden pavilions, or built as caves beside water features. Many were demolished or have fallen into disrepair, but some 200 grottos of all types are known to have survived in some form in the UK. wikipedia

Things to See & Do

Painshill is an award-winning 18th century landscape garden where you are invited to walk around a work of art. Winding paths will take you on a journey to discover a living canvas with beautiful vistas and dramatically placed garden buildings. Stroll around the Serpentine Lake, wander through woodland and promenade past follies, including the Ruined Abbey, Gothic Temple and Turkish Tent.

www.painshill.co.uk/visit-us/

The stair at Royal Fort House in central Bristol with its cracking Georgian Rococo plasterwork that jumps right out of teh wall at you.

View LARGE to pick out some of the animals and birds populating the vines

One of the few areas of Oia that hasn't entirely whitewashed its building facades - I liked the coral and red hues of the plasterwork complemented the sky's colour from this angle.

More of this richly decorated room (surprisingly the house is only two rooms deep), with its wealth of stucco by Vassali, Artari and Serena. Although there's plenty of it, it isn't overpowering as it's white rather than gilded. It may have had wallpaper in the past, but the rather nice plain ochre there now is what was left once they'd scraped the paper off. This very striking architrave has two female heads that are not what you expect from the 1720s. The lower one is quite demure, the upper one not, and having them both on the same doorway is unexpected too.

The Saloon (main drawing room) at Saltram House in Plympton, Plymouth, is sometimes cited as one of Robert Adam's finest interiors. Complete with all of the original decor, plasterwork and furnishings, Saltram is one of Britain's best preserved examples of an early Georgian house. Originally home to the Parker family and Earls of Morley, Saltram House changed hands when, in 1957, it became a property of the National Trust.

John Parker inherited the house in 1743 and along with his wealthy wife, Lady Catherine Parker, (who largely funded the remodelling), clothed the building with symmetrical Palladian facades which cover the Tudor origins of the house. The interiors of the house were given delicate touches including Rococo ceiling plasterwork in the Entrance Hall, Morning Room and Velvet Drawing Room.

Parker's son, who was later created Lord Boringdon, succeeded his father in 1768, and the next few years are considered Saltram's golden age. Robert Adam was appointed to create a suite of neo-classical rooms along the east front which reaches its climax in the Saloon, perhaps the most iconic of all of Saltram House's rooms. Adam, who was the most fashionable architect and interior designer of the day, created everything from the door handles to the huge plasterwork ceiling. Not to be confined to the inside of the property, Boringdon also commissioned Nathaniel Richmond to lay out the present parkland which surrounds the house.

Hall of the Abencerrages (Alhambra) - Granada

UNESCO World Heritage Site (1984)

Of the two residential areas surrounding the Court of the Lions, the rooms located at the south end of the Court developed around the Hall of the Abencerrages, which derived its name from a legend of the 16th century, according to which the members of this North-African family were invited to a banquet and then massacred in this hall.

The main room stands up over the level of the Court, which can be seen from the inside through the only opening of the hall, a wide door that conserves the original door, which is decorated with intricate woodwork that has been restored on various occasions.

It has a square ground floor design with a central 12-side marble fountain flanked by two alcoves that are framed by double arches. Most of its plasterwork decoration was restored in the 16th century; the Seville tile covered socle also dates from the 16th century.

Noteworthy is the eight-point stalactite star of the cupola that spreads out into eight trunk-like stalactites.

Sutton Scarsdale Hall is a Grade I listed Georgian ruined stately home in Sutton Scarsdale, close to the town of Chesterfield in Derbyshire.

Construction on the present building started in 1724 by architect Francis Smith for the 4th Earl of Scarsdale and incorperated a previous building that stood on the site.

The building was complete by 1729 on a scale and quality with nearby Chatsworth House, internally it featured both oak ornamental panels, stucco plasterwork, carved fireplaces in both marble and Blue John, and a carved mahogany staircase.

The house was purchased by Richard Arkwright Junior in 1824. He was the son of Sir Richard Arkwright who invented the water frame and had a major involvement in the cotton industry.

The Arkwright family lived in the hall until it was auctioned off in 1919, it was bought by a group of local businessmen who asset-stripped the house, this went as far as removing the roof in 1920. Some parts of the building were shipped to the United States were oak panelling from the hall is now in the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

In 1946, the estate was bought by Sir Osbert Sitwell of nearby Renishaw Hall, with the intention of preserving the remaining shell as a ruin. The hall was designated as a Grade I listed building in 1951, and is now in the care of English Heritage.

Escalera Noble

La Escalera de Honor o Escalera Noble

Terminada en 1740, es obra de García de Quiñones, quien se inspiró en la escalera del convento dominico de San Esteban (1553). Como en ella, las rampas colgantes se apoyan sobre arcos rebajados cuyo intradós está decorado en cada tramo por tarjetas con alegorías simbólicas.

En las paredes se pueden observar ahora los vítores que recuerdan a los obispos que han estudiado en la Universidad Pontificia, emulando las antiguas pinturas realizadas en sangre de toro (mezcla de arcilla, aceite y pimentón) en la fachada de la Universidad para celebrar el doctorado de los alumnos.

( Fuente Wikipedia)

The Staircase or staircase Noble

Completed in 1740 , is the work of García de Quiñones , who was inspired by the stairs of the Dominican convent of San Esteban ( 1553 ) . As she ramps hanging arches rest on whose soffit is decorated in each section for cards with symbolic allegories .

Tuscan order , is considered a " Renaissance nostalgia " in its plateresca . Most interesting , however , are the plasterwork and stucco dome . An inscription below the cornice reads as follows: THIS SCHOOL YEAR WAS FOUNDED 1614. ITS FOUNDERS WERE WITH KINGS REAL MAGNIFICIENCIE

the Catholics D. PHELIPE THIRD AND MARGARET OF AUSTRIA

The ceiling of the staircase is decorated with stucco and royal coats of arms and Margaret of Austria. Clearly exalts College guards , the Virgin and the monarchs.

On the walls you can see now cheers reminiscent of the bishops who have studied at the Pontifical University , emulating the old blood paintings bull ( mixture of clay , oil and paprika ) on the facade of the University to celebrate the Ph.D. of students.

THIS ELIZABETHAN HALL AND STANDS ON THE BANKS OF THE RIVER CALDER IN PADIHAM IN THE HEART OF INDUSTRIAL LANCASHIRE. THE HALL WAS BUILT BETWEEN 1600 AND 1605 GAWTHORPE HALL WAS THE FAMILY HOME OF THE SHUTTLEWORTH FAMILY FOR OVER 300 YEARS. INSIDE THE HOUSE YOU WILL FIND PERIOD ROOMS ON DISPLAY FROM THE 1850 REMODELLING BY RENOWNED ARCHITECT SIR CHARLES BARRY AND PUGIN AS WELL AS ORIGINAL PLASTERWORK CEILINGS, PANELLING AND THE IMPRESSIVE LONG GALLERY. ALSO ON DISPLAY ARE OVER 200 PIECES FROM THE NATIONALLY IMPORTANT GAWTHORPE TEXTILE COLLECTION.

THE NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY HAS LOANED OVER 20 PAINTINGS TO THE HALL ALL OF WHICH ILLUSTRATE ITS FASCINATING CONNECTIONS AND HISTORY, PARTICULARLY WITH THE ENGLISH CIVIL WAR. GAWTHORPE HALL IS AN ARTISTIC AND HISTORIC TREASURE TROVE IN THE MIDDLE OF INDUSTRIAL LANCASHIRE.

GAWTHORPE HALL IS CLOSED COMPLETELY FOR THE REST OF 2015. THIS IS DUE TO MAJOR BUILDING CONSERVATION WORK TO THE HALL, AND IS EXPECTED BE OPEN FULLY FOR 2016.

Carlton Place on the south bank of the Clyde opposite the city centre, in a composite photograph from 1960. In the centre with the tower is Gorbals Parish Church, which was demolished in 1973.

Designed by Peter Nicholson in 1802, Carlton Place was the showpiece river frontage of John Laurie's development of a high-class residential area, which he named Laurieston, to the south of the River Clyde. Despite considerable investment, however, Laurieston failed to become an exclusive suburb - the establishment of heavy industries in the area, and the unpleasant atmospheric pollution that they created, meant that affluent Glaswegians preferred to move to homes in the West End.

Italian tradesmen executed the sumptuous plasterwork and internal decoration in some of the buildings. This is especially true of Laurieston House, (No 52), the main feature of the terrace and once the home of John Laurie and his brother David. It is regarded as the most splendid, intact Georgian house in the city. Carlton Place has recently been restored to something of its original glory, and there are proposals to allow the public access to the restored Laurieston House.

Built in 1818, with single-bay three-stage tower to entrance (south-west) front on a square plan. Closed, 1992. Now disused. Interior including vestibule to tower; pointed-arch door opening into nave with timber panelled double doors having overlight; full-height interior to nave stripped, 1992, retaining tessellated terracotta-tiled central aisle between raised timber boarded floors supporting remains of timber panelled box pews, cut-white marble wall monuments) with pair of polished brass wall monuments, trefoil-perforated Gothic-style timber pulpit on an octagonal plan, timber boarded stepped dais to chancel (east) with wrought iron-detailed barley twist balusters supporting carved timber communion railing, and coved ceiling on timber construction on moulded plasterwork cornice centred on moulded plasterwork frame. Set in own grounds on an elevated site including graveyard with collection of cut-stone markers

Described as a church of modest size identified as an important component of the early nineteenth-century architectural heritage of Saltmills having been erected by Caesar Colclough (1766-1842) with financial support from the Board of First Fruits.

A brief history of Levens Hall

The first dwelling at Levens was a medieval pele tower, built by the de Redman family of Yealand Redmayne. The Bellingham family, who were wealthy landowners, chose Levens as their main residence in the 1590s and incorporated the fortified tower into a gentleman’s residence. They employed local craftsmen to carve the oak panelling, incorporated elaborate Italian plasterwork, including Elizabeth the First’s coat of arms and stained glass - all of which can be seen today.

The historic house became the property of Colonel James Grahme in 1688 after his career at Court in the service of King James II. He brought with him a young French gardener, Guillaume Beaumont, a pupil of le Notre at Versailles, to plan a fashionable garden at Levens. This family home contains fine furniture, paintings, one of the best examples in Europe of Spanish leather wall coverings, the earliest English patchwork, Wellingtoniana, clocks and miniatures, and has become one of the finest stately homes in south Cumbria.

ASTLEY HALL IS A MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY HOUSED WITHIN A GRADE I LISTED HISTORIC HOUSE. THE HALL IS SET WITHIN THE BEAUTIFUL SURROUNDINGS OF ASTLEY PARK WHICH INCLUDE HISTORIC WOODLAND, A LAKE, AND A FULLY RENOVATED VICTORIAN WALLED GARDEN ALONGSIDE CLEAN AND MODERN FACILITIES FOR VISITORS TO ENJOY.

THE HALL IS PERHAPS BEST KNOWN FOR ITS STUNNING JACOBEAN PLASTERWORK CEILINGS AND THE HOUSE IS BUILT AROUND AN INTERNAL ELIZABETHAN COURTYARD. THE FOUR WINGS OF THE HOUSE WERE EXTENDED BY THE FAMILIES WHO LIVED HERE AND MOST OF THE ORIGINAL FEATURES ARE RETAINED TO THIS DAY. THE HOUSE CONTAINS MUCH OAK FURNITURE FROM THE 1600S, INCLUDING THE SIRLOIN CHAIR AND A 27FT LONG SHOVEL BOARD TABLE.

Canons Ashby House is an Elizabethan manor house located in Canons Ashby, Northamptonshire, England. It has been owned by the National Trust since 1981. The interior of the house is noted for its Elizabethan wall paintings and its Jacobean plasterwork.

The Temple of the Four Winds is a historic building in the grounds of Castle Howard, in North Yorkshire.

The temple was designed by Sir John Vanbrugh, who also designed the house at Castle Howard. Its design was inspired by Andrea Palladio's Villa la Rotonda, in Vicenza, and was intended as a space for reading and writing, with a cellar below for servants to prepare food. It was constructed between 1724 and 1726, being completed after Vanbrugh's death. Dan Harvey carved the stone doorhead, and the statues may be by John Nost. The building was completed with plasterwork applied from 1737 to 1739, by Francesco Vassali.

The temple was originally dedicated to Diana, and there was a corresponding Temple of Venus further down the hill, which is now ruined.

The Grade II Listed Bodnant House, located in the nantional Trust's Bodnant Gardens, in Conwy Valley, North Wales.

The structure of Bodnant house was built by Colonel Forbes between 1770 and 1821 at a small distance from the original house called Old Bodnod. The late Georgian house, with 7-bay symmetrical S facade including outer wings, was bought in January 1875 by Henry Pochin, a wealthy industrial chemist and china clay magnate from Lancashire.

The house was progressively rebuilt from 1875-6 in Old English style by W J Green of London who refaced the house with hard blue local stone, used Talacre sandstone for window dressings and quoins and replaced the sash windows with stone mullions and casements. An architectural drawing of 1880 by G Richards Julian (in estate office) shows the remodelled exterior before the Drawing-Room wing and conservatories were added.

The conservatory attached to the SE corner was built for Pochin by Messenger & Co in 1881-2 (contract dated Nov 1881) and the adjoining fernery was in place and planted by 1883. The conservatory originally had a gabled porch to the S side and there were double doors to the fernery.

Henry Pochin's daughter married the first Lord Aberconway and she and her son and grandson have further developed the house and hugely improved the gardens. The large Drawing-Room wing was added in 1898 to the NW tower of the house to designs by Ould of Grayson and Ould, architects of Chester. The Dining-Room was extended in 1911 including the bay towards the terraces, and the upper room over the porch (chimney-piece dated 1911) was added at that time. Other dates appear in the Drawing Room plasterwork - 1935 when the Shobdon panelling was inserted - and the Turret Room of 1936 which has panelling from Wheatley Hall, Doncaster.

Information gained from britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/300025063-bodnant-eglwysbach...

Hardwick Old Hall - the top floor where the most important rooms were... some of the beautiful plasterwork is still there.

One of four shots from here.

HFF!

ISFAHAN-in progress

The unique blue tiles of Isfahan's Islamic buildings, and the city's majestic bridges, contrast perfectly with the hot, dry Iranian countryside around it, Isfahan is a sight you won't forget. Not only is the architecture superb and the climate pleasant, but there's a fairly relaxed atmosphere here, compared with many other Iranian towns. It's a city for walking, getting lost in the bazaar, walking in beautiful gardens and meeting people.

The famous half-rhyme Isfahan nesf-e-jahan (Esfahan is half the world) was coined in the 16th century to express the city's grandeur. There's so much to see that you'll probably have to ration your time and concentrate on must-sees such as the Imam Mosque, a magnificent building completely covered in Isfahan's trademark pale blue tiles; This mosque is situated to the south of Naqsh-e-Jahan sq. built in the reign of shah Abbas, tile work and architecture of this Mosque is amazingly superb. Its minarets Are 48 meters high. Naghsh-e-Jahan (world picture) Square, one of the largest town square in the world. The Chehel Sotun Museum & Palace, a marvellous 17th century pavilion and a great place for a picnic; this palace is another building dating back to the Safavid period, built amidst a vast garden covering an area of 67000 sq m. The building has a veranda with 18 pillars and a large pool in front of it. Being mirrored in the still water of the pool, the pillars create a beautiful view. The wall painting in the interior of the building is superlative in their kind.Ali Qapoo Palace Situated to the west of Naghsh-e-Jahan Sq. belongs to the Safavid period. It was used for the reception of the Ambassadors and envoys from other Countries. Ali Qapoo is a six-storied plasterwork and paintings of which are extremely impressive. and the Vank Cathedral, the historic focal point of the Armenian church in Iran. Taking tea in one of the teahouses under the bridges is also an essential part of the Isfahan experience.

Isfahan is about 400km (250ml) south of Tehran.

The Litomyšl Castle is an outstanding example of an arcaded Renaissance country residence, a type of structure first invented in Italy and then developed in the Czech Lands to create a mature form with special architectural value. Situated at an important communications junction on the main route between Bohemia and Moravia, in the Pardubice region, Litomyšl was a fortified centre on the hill where the castle now stands.

The work on the Renaissance building began in 1568 under the supervision of Jan Baptista Avostalis (Giovanni Battista Avostalli), who was soon joined by his brother Oldřich (Ulrico). Most of the work had been completed by 1580. The castle interior underwent alterations between 1792 and 1796, based on the designs of Jan Kryštof Habich, but he was careful to preserve the fine building’s Renaissance appearance with impressive gables.

The castle is a four-winged, three-storeyed structure with an asymmetrical disposition. The western wing is the largest, whereas the southern wing is a two-storeyed arcaded gallery, closing the second square courtyard (a feature that is unique to Litomyšl). The groin-vaulted arcading continues around the western and eastern sides of the courtyard. The south-eastern corner of the eastern wing contains the castle chapel. One of the most striking features in the interior of the castle consists in the fine neoclassical theatre from 1796-97 in the western wing. The original painted decoration of the auditorium, stage decorations and stage machinery have survived intact. The house has richly decorated interiors, basically Renaissance in form and with lavish late Baroque or neoclassical ornamentation in the form of elaborate plasterwork and wall and ceiling paintings.

The buildings associated with the castle were all built or rebuilt during the course of the modifications that the castle itself underwent over time, and this is reflected in their architectural styles. Among the ancillary buildings, the most interesting is the Brewery, the birthplace of Bedřich Smetana, one of the greatest Czech composers of all time. It lies to the south of the first courtyard. Originally constructed to complement the castle, with Renaissance sgraffito decoration, it was remodelled by the well-know

n architect František Maximilián Kaňka after the 1728 fire and received what is its present appearance. The ensemble also includes the former French formal garden with its saletta (pavilion) in the Baroque style and an 18th-century English-style park. (whc.unesco.org/en/list/901/)

Boroujerdi Historical House, Kashan, Iran.

The house was built in 1857 by architect Ostad Ali Maryam, for the bride of Haji Mehdi Borujerdi, a wealthy merchant. The bride came from the affluent Tabatabaei family, for whom Ali Maryam had built the Tabatabaei House some years earlier. It consists of a rectangular beautiful courtyard, delightful wall paintings by the royal painter Kamal-ol-molk, and three 40 meter tall wind towers which help cool the house to unusually cool temperatures. It has 3 entrances, and all the classic signatures of traditional Persian residential architecture, such as biruni and daruni (andarun). The house took eighteen years to build using 150 craftsmen. It has three entrances and all the classic signatures of Persian architecture. The main entrance is in the form of an octagonal vestibule with multilateral skylights in the ceiling. Near the entrance is a five-door chamber with intricate plasterwork. Walking through a narrow corridor, one reaches a vast rectangular courtyard that has a pool and is flanked by trees and flowerbeds. The house is famous for its unusual wind towers, which are made of stone, brick, sun-baked bricks and a composition of clay, straw and mortar. Three 40-meter-tall wind towers help cool the house to unusually cool temperatures. Even the basements consistently benefit from the flow of cool air from the wind towers. Since exceptional attention has been paid to minute architectural details demanded by the geographical and climatic conditions of the area, the house has attracted considerable attention of architects as well as Iranian and foreign scientific and technical teams. While Boroujerdi House used to be a private home, it is now open to the public as a museum. The museum is divided into four sections, namely reception, ceremonies, residential halls and rooms.

Canons Ashby House (previously known as Canons Ashby Hall) is a Grade I listed Elizabethan manor house located in the village of Canons Ashby, about 11 miles south of Daventry, Northamptonshire. It has been owned by the National Trust since 1981 when the house was close to collapse and the gardens had turned into a meadow.

The house had been the home of the Dryden family since its construction in the 16th century; the manor house was built in approximately 1550 with additions in the 1590s, in the 1630s and 1710. The interior of Canons Ashby House is noted for its Elizabethan wall paintings and its Jacobean plasterwork. It has remained essentially unchanged since 1710 and is presented as it was during the time of Sir Henry Edward Leigh Dryden (1818–1899), a Victorian antiquary with an interest in history.

The house sits in the midst of a formal garden with colourful herbaceous borders, an orchard featuring varieties of fruit trees from the 16th century, terraces, walls and gate piers from 1710. There is also the remains of a medieval priory church (from which the house gets its name).

The Augustinian priory was founded by Stephen la Leye on a site to the south of the present church between 1147 and 1151, in the reign of Henry II. The present church dates from around 1250, and is less than a quarter of its original size, following the disolution of the monasteries.

Chastleton House, which we visited recently, has been left “as found”rather than as it was at its best. Here are some examples of faces found in the panelling and plasterwork... What a bunch!

HTT!

The Temple of the Four Winds is a historic building in the grounds of Castle Howard, in North Yorkshire.

The temple was designed by Sir John Vanbrugh, who also designed the house at Castle Howard. Its design was inspired by Andrea Palladio's Villa la Rotonda, in Vicenza, and was intended as a space for reading and writing, with a cellar below for servants to prepare food. It was constructed between 1724 and 1726, being completed after Vanbrugh's death. Dan Harvey carved the stone doorhead, and the statues may be by John Nost. The building was completed with plasterwork applied from 1737 to 1739, by Francesco Vassali.

The temple was originally dedicated to Diana, and there was a corresponding Temple of Venus further down the hill, which is now ruined.

To view more images, of Hintlesham Hall Hotel click "here"

From my achieves!

Please, no group invites; thank you!

Hintlesham Hall Hotel - A grand, early-Georgian facade (added in the 1740s) disguises the hotel's 16th-century origins. Painted a distinctive, soft orangey-pink with white stucco and large white sash windows, the main house is flanked by two wings either side of a broad, gravelled courtyard; original features include wood-panelled walls, marble fireplaces, plasterwork ceilings, windows with cased shutters and a 17th-century oak staircase. Grounds include a hedged herb and kitchen garden, lawns and small fruit orchard behind the house. There is a small, rather dated spa annexe and swimming pool. There are 33 rooms; 10 in the courtyard and 23 in the main house, many under the beamed eaves on the top floor. A rolling programme of refurbishment is under way, but some of the courtyard rooms are particularly comfortable with rich fabrics and smart bathrooms. One of the most popular is "Cherry Orchard", the room formerly used as a kitchen by Robert Carrier, who ran his cookery school here in the Seventies, with spacious sitting area and mezzanine bedroom. Main house rooms are mainly on the top floor, under the eaves. "Braganza" is the hotel's top suite, taking up the entire first floor of the south wing with a vast drawing room that has a historic ornately plastered ceiling.

1722-26 by James Gibbs. Portland stone, leaded roof. Highly influential Neoclassical design with steeple and restrained use of Baroque detail. Large Venetian east window.

Fine interior, evolving from Wren's St Clement Danes and St James's Piccadilly, with a giant order carrying arches and the segmental tunnel vault, the inevitable galleries butting into column shafts. The chancel is narrower than the nave with noteworthy and theatrical feature of boxes to sides (that to north the Royal Pew) set on splay as a transition between nave and chancel. Fine plasterwork by Artari and Bagutti, fittings and monuments, lowered box-pews, etc. Warped window added in 2008 as part of restoration.

The church has a close relationship with the royal family, whose parish church it is, as well as with 10 Downing Street and the Admiralty.

Palacio de Fuensalida, Toledo, Castilla-La Mancha, España.

El Palacio de Fuensalida es un palacio situado en Toledo (Castilla-La Mancha, España), construido en la primera mitad del siglo XV. Es la actual sede de la Presidencia de Castilla-La Mancha.

El palacio de Fuensalida se encuentra en el casco histórico de la ciudad de Toledo, junto a la iglesia de Santo Tomé y el Taller del Moro (con el que se comunica mediante una antigua escalera),en la Plaza del Conde, ocupando prácticamente todo el único flanco edificado.

El palacio de Fuensalida fue mandado edificar por Pedro López de Ayala y Castañeda, I conde de Fuensalida, a comienzos del siglo XV. Durante el siglo XVI fue sede de la corte de la emperatriz Isabel de Portugal mientras se ejecutaban las obras del Alcázar,​ y en este mismo lugar murió a consecuencia del parto de su sexto hijo, Juan, el 30 de abril de 1539.

Entre 1580 y 1603, el Palacio de Fuensalida fue una de las Academias literarias del Siglo de Oro español más prestigiosas de Toledo. A partir de una reunión organizada en el salón de la casa del canónigo don Diego López de Ayala, más adelante y con reglamento inspirado en el de una academia madrileña, la continuará en su palacio don Pedro López de Ayala (sexto duque de Fuensalida). Entre sus miembros más destacados se encuentran José de Valdivielso, Francisco de Pisa, Luis Quiñones de Benavente y el anotado simplemente como el Pintor, sin duda, El Greco. La vinculación del pintor con esta Academia se refuerza por la estrecha relación que los condes de Fuensalida mantenían con la Iglesia de Santo Tomé (Toledo), a cuyas expensas se realizó el cuadro El entierro del conde de Orgaz.

En el interior del edificio se encuentra un gran patio central de estilo mudéjar, con pilares poligonales de ladrillo y zapatas. También en su interior se conservan restos de yeserías mudéjares. La escalera que comunica el edificio con el Taller del Moro posee un artesonado plateresco, con casetones, del siglo XVI.

La portada del palacio es de sillería, con escudos de los condes de Fuensalida (véase condado de Fuensalida), y flanqueando la puerta de entrada hay unas columnas rematadas por leones.

The Fuensalida Palace is a palace located in Toledo (Castilla-La Mancha, Spain), built in the first half of the 15th century. It is the current seat of the Presidency of Castilla-La Mancha.

The Fuensalida Palace is located in the historic center of the city of Toledo, next to the church of Santo Tomé and the Taller del Moro (with which it is connected by an old staircase), in the Plaza del Conde, occupying practically the entire only built flank.

The Fuensalida Palace was ordered to be built by Pedro López de Ayala y Castañeda, 1st Count of Fuensalida, at the beginning of the 15th century. During the 16th century, it was the seat of the court of the Empress Isabel of Portugal while the works on the Alcázar were being carried out, and it was in this very place that she died in childbirth of her sixth child, Juan, on 30 April 1539.

Between 1580 and 1603, the Palace of Fuensalida was one of the most prestigious literary academies of the Spanish Golden Age in Toledo. Starting from a meeting organised in the hall of the house of the canon Don Diego López de Ayala, later and with regulations inspired by those of a Madrid academy, it was continued in his palace by Don Pedro López de Ayala (sixth Duke of Fuensalida). Among its most prominent members are José de Valdivielso, Francisco de Pisa, Luis Quiñones de Benavente and the one noted simply as the Painter, without a doubt, El Greco. The painter's connection with this Academy is reinforced by the close relationship that the counts of Fuensalida maintained with the Church of Santo Tomé (Toledo), at whose expense the painting The Burial of the Count of Orgaz was painted.

Inside the building there is a large central courtyard in Mudejar style, with polygonal brick pillars and footings. Also inside there are remains of Mudejar plasterwork. The staircase that connects the building with the Taller del Moro has a plateresque coffered ceiling, with caissons, from the 16th century.

The doorway of the palace is made of ashlar, with coats of arms of the counts of Fuensalida (see county of Fuensalida), and flanking the entrance door there are some columns topped by lions.

Another of the fine Fitzroy historic buildings - The Champion at 50-54 Gertrude Street.

This building was constructed in 1911 for the Victorian Insurance Company” (the builder and architect are unknown).

The hotel replaced an earlier hotel constructed in 1873 which probably did not confirm to the strict standards of the Licensing Reduction Board and was demolished.

The building is of a flamboyant composition, employing red brick and cement render to achieve a decorative yet quite clumsy design of many mixed elements.

At the corner is a dominating open-work pavilion tower an unusual and rare building element of the day.

The use of the three centred arch is characteristic of the period, and there are many other Queen Anne motifs: art nouveau/Arabic foliated capitals, elevated pediment with lush plasterwork and intact lead lighting in the corner tower window.

The Champion Hotel has been so drastically and insensitively Modified it is considered for addition to the Historic Buildings Register.

It is of significance as a large scale and ornate Edwardian building.

Its scale, design (incorporating adjoining shops) and corner location make it an important streetscape element.

Stuart Area Historic District, Kalamazoo, Michigan.

In the last snowstorm of the winter? Please?

From the Michigan Historical Marker:

"Dorr O. French (1861-1919) built this Queen Anne-style house designed by H. B. Flagler in 1895. It included butternut moldings, stained-glass windows, decorative plasterwork, and a forest-scene mural in the dining room. French operated a law firm, served as justice of the peace, and was a circuit court commissioner in Kalamazoo. Harold B. Allen (1896-1983) bought the house in 1928. Allen worked for the Upjohn Company from 1932 to 1961 and served as finance director and corporate secretary. He held leadership roles in many Kalamazoo service organizations."

The Grand Bridge was designed by John Vanbrugh and built between the years of 1708-1724. The Bridge was designed to provide a level arrival route connecting the main drive to the Palace and was described as being “a mansion” and a “cool retreat in summer.” Internally, there were a number of rooms.

When restoration work was undertaken in 2018 and the lake levels lowered these rooms were seen for the first time in over 250 years. A large number of rooms and passageways, some containing original plasterwork, stairways and potentially cooking ranges were revealed.

The bridge is Grade II listed.

124 pictures in 2024 (95) semi circle

ANSH 129 (11) hidden (the hidden rooms that were revealed by the restoration work are now hidden under the water again; also the people about to cross the bridge are almost hidden, zoom in twice by clicking on the image to see them and get the sense of scale.)

I just realised that I hadn't added this to the ANSH group. Lucky I checked!

Compton Verney, Warwickshire

Boroujerdi Historical House, Kashan, Iran.

The house was built in 1857 by architect Ostad Ali Maryam, for the bride of Haji Mehdi Borujerdi, a wealthy merchant. The bride came from the affluent Tabatabaei family, for whom Ali Maryam had built the Tabatabaei House some years earlier. It consists of a rectangular beautiful courtyard, delightful wall paintings by the royal painter Kamal-ol-molk, and three 40 meter tall wind towers which help cool the house to unusually cool temperatures. It has 3 entrances, and all the classic signatures of traditional Persian residential architecture, such as biruni and daruni (andarun). The house took eighteen years to build using 150 craftsmen. It has three entrances and all the classic signatures of Persian architecture. The main entrance is in the form of an octagonal vestibule with multilateral skylights in the ceiling. Near the entrance is a five-door chamber with intricate plasterwork. Walking through a narrow corridor, one reaches a vast rectangular courtyard that has a pool and is flanked by trees and flowerbeds. The house is famous for its unusual wind towers, which are made of stone, brick, sun-baked bricks and a composition of clay, straw and mortar. Three 40-meter-tall wind towers help cool the house to unusually cool temperatures. Even the basements consistently benefit from the flow of cool air from the wind towers. Since exceptional attention has been paid to minute architectural details demanded by the geographical and climatic conditions of the area, the house has attracted considerable attention of architects as well as Iranian and foreign scientific and technical teams. While Boroujerdi House used to be a private home, it is now open to the public as a museum. The museum is divided into four sections, namely reception, ceremonies, residential halls and rooms.

Plas Mawr (English: Great Hall)[1] is an Elizabethan townhouse in Conwy, North Wales, dating from the 16th century. The property was built by Robert Wynn, a member of the local gentry, following his marriage to his first wife, Dorothy Griffith. Plas Mawr occupied a plot of land off Conwy's High Street and was constructed in three phases between 1576 and 1585 at a total cost of around £800.[a] Wynn was known for his hospitality, and the household was supported by Wynn's local dairy herds, orchards and gardens. On his death he laid out complex instructions for dividing his estate; the resulting law-case took years to resolve, effectively preventing the redevelopment of the house and preserving it in its original condition.

After 1683 Plas Mawr passed into the hands of the Mostyn family and ceased to be used as a family home. It was rented out for various purposes during the 18th and 19th centuries, including for use as a school, cheap lodgings and finally as the headquarters of the Royal Cambrian Academy of Art. In the 20th century the house became increasingly well known for its preserved Elizabethan architecture, but the costs of maintenance grew considerably and its condition deteriorated. The Welsh heritage agency Cadw took over the management of the property in 1993 and carried out an extensive, 42-month-long restoration project at a total cost of £3.3 million. With many of its rooms redecorated to resemble their condition in 1665, and replanted Renaissance gardens, it is now run as a tourist attraction.

Architecturally, Plas Mawr is almost unchanged from the 16th century, and the historian Rick Turner considers the house to be "the finest surviving town house of the Elizabethan era".[1] Plas Mawr shows a blend of continental Renaissance and local North Wales influences, with an innovative floor-plan and architectural detailing. The house still retains much of its original plasterwork, which incorporates symbols, badges and heraldry, which the historian Peter Smith has described as "the most perfect and the most complete memorial to Elizabethan Wales."[3] The architecture of the house influenced other contemporary projects in North Wales, and was later copied during the 19th and 20th centuries in buildings around the town of Conwy, including the local police station and nearby hotel.

On the busroute from Thessaloniki to Ouranoplis, I stopped halfway at the village of Arnaía (or Arnea)

It is a well preserved village with a wealth of traditional dwellings.

This kind of houses you find also in Bulgaria and Turkey.

I would define it as "Anatolian".

The first 2 floors are of hewn stone, reinforced by horizontal wooden beams at regular intervals.

The top floor is a wooden structure, with plasterwork infill.

The projecting top floor and balconies are supported by curved wooden corbels.

The plasterwork is painted in bright colours, made of natural dyes.

Pencil and watercolour, 23 x 30 cm

A Grade II listed building since 1985, this is a public house on the corner of Kentish Town Road NW and Leighton Street in Camden, with a rather stormy sky as a backdrop.

It was built in 1898 by Thorpe and Furniss, with wrought-iron work by Jones & Willis, glass by W James of Kentish Town, interior plasterwork by the Plastic Decoration Company and joinery by WA Antill & Co. Its French Chateau style exterior features red brick and stucco with slate roofs with dormers.

It has three storeys, with attics and cellars. The ground floor has pink and black polished granite pilasters supporting fascia and cornice with elaborate wrought-iron balustrade and segmental-arched stuccoed gables over the entrances, with that facing into Leighton Road with an aedicule (small shrine!) containing a figure. The entrances have half-glazed panelled doors and overlights, with the two to extreme left and right with featuring lobbies with French embossed and brilliant cut mirrors to walls and an elaborate wrought-iron screen incorporating the letters "AH" and mosaic floors. The main frontage windows have a top strip of small panes and all frontage windows are still fitted mostly with original French embossed and brilliant cut glass in lower panes.

The first floor has a 5-light bow window to Kentish Town Road, a canted 5-light bay, 2-light window, 4-light bay and single light, all with transoms and mullions and pilaster architraves supporting an entablature with enriched frieze.

The second floor is similar but with entablature having modillion cornice with enriched blocking course breaking forward over bays. The extreme right-hand bay has been replaced by an enriched console.

At the eaves level the bowed window culminates in a 5-light turret with enriched friezes and conical roof with finial. On the corner, four dormers with pilaster architraves supporting pediments terminate in shell finials. Facing into Leighton Road, above the 4-light canted bay is an attic storey with two 2-light windows and pilasters supporting similar entablature to that below. There is a high, steep hipped roof over this bay with cast-iron cresting, pedimented dormer and large slab chimney to side.

The interior is of a high standard, retaining retaining original mahogany fittings, French embossed and brilliant cut glass and mirrors, with an elaborately moulded plaster ceiling in Jacobean style. A lantern with raised clerestory is in the rear bar with stained glass detailing. The front bar has been modified.

Above details all from Historic England's listing for the building.

The beautiful glass dome, in our bank today.

Sutton Scarsdale Hall is a Grade I listed ruined stately home in Sutton Scarsdale, just outside Chesterfield, Derbyshire. The existing structure is believed to be the fourth or fifth built on the site. In 1724, Nicholas Leke, 4th Earl of Scarsdale commissioned the building of a design by architect Francis Smith, to develop a Georgian mansion with gardens, using parts of the existing structure.

On a scale and quality with Chatsworth House, internally it featured both oak ornamental panels and stucco plasterwork by Italian craftsmen Francesco Vassalli, Giovanni Bagutti and the brothers Giuseppe and Adalberto Artari; carved Adamesque fireplaces in both marble and Blue John, and a carved mahogany staircase.

Richard Arkwright Junior (1755–1843) bought Sutton Scarsdale Hall in 1824. He was the son of Sir Richard Arkwright who invented the water frame and had a major involvement in the cotton industry.

After many years of neglect, in November 1919 the estate was bought by a group of local businessmen who asset-stripped the house; this went as far as removing the roof in 1920. Some parts of the building were shipped to the United States, where one room's oak panelling was bought by newspaper baron William Randolph Hearst, who planned to use it at Hearst Castle. After many years in storage in New York City, the panelling was bought by Pall Mall films for use as a set in their various 1950s productions. Another set of panels are now resident in the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

In 1946, the estate was bought by Sir Osbert Sitwell of Renishaw Hall, with the intention of preserving the remaining shell as a ruin. The hall was designated as a Grade I listed building in 1951, and is now in the care of English Heritage.

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Please take your time... to View it large on black

Warmond is a village in the province of South Holland. The town is situated on a lake system called Kagerplassen and has several marinas which make it a popular recreational area for boating and other water sports. An 18th-century mansion called Huys te Warmont is located north of the village along the main road. Huys te Warmont is built on the site of a medieval castle dating from 1250, incorporating traces of medieval architecture.The original timber structures were replaced by buildings that were subsequently damaged by fire in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries and rebuilt each time on the old foundations.A 16th-century drawing makes it possible to reconstruct the medieval original, when the castle consisted of a square ground-plan of four wings and four corner towers set around an interior court, the whole surrounded by a moat. The living-quarters were in the north and east wings. The massive west tower was once assumed to have been the keep, but the thickness of its walls and its dimensions are too small for this purpose. In 1629 the castle was given a new entrance range by Salomon de Bray, featuring pilasters and a broad pediment. The south tower, originally octagonal, was replaced by a square one after 1650. Owing to the various rebuilding projects, Warmond acquired an irregular character in the course of the centuries. In 1780 the castle was extensively rebuilt. Floor levels and the proportions of the rooms were altered, and the walls were stuccoed. Medieval remains were hidden by new walls and plasterwork; de Bray’s additions disappeared.

In the Kingdom of the Netherlands you can visit the lovely Huis te Warmond. A house has existed on the site since 1250, although what we see today is mainly from the 18th Century. It is a beautiful building, surrounded by a moat and with elegant, smooth and unfussy lines so typical of Dutch Architecture. I think that the house's elegant proportions and unfussy architecture would make it appeal to a more modern palette as well. I hope you like it.

Aan de rand van Warmond ligt, verscholen in het groen, landgoed Huys te Warmont, Dit 18e eeuwse kasteel is particulier bewoond en niet te bezichtigen. Het kasteel stamt waarschijnlijk uit ca. 1300. Recent onderzoek heeft uitgewezen dat de linker toren waarschijnlijk een overblijfsel van een middeleeuwse verdedigbare woontoren is. In 1961 heeft het Zuid-Hollands Landschap dit landgoed aangekocht. Het huidige Huis te Warmond heeft het uiterlijk van een typisch laat-barokke buitenplaats met classicistische invloeden. In een van de torens hangt een klokje genaamd Barbara, dat nog uit het jaar 1392 stamt. Het huis heeft nog een oorspronkelijk Lodewijk XVI-interieur. Het huis wordt aan drie zijden door water omgeven en bevindt zich temidden van een park van 23 hectare. Op het landgoed ligt een parkbos met lange statige lanen en kronkelende paden. Hier zijn eeuwenoude taxusbomen en moerascipressen te vinden, en er zijn prachtige oude eikenlanen. Daarnaast zijn er graslandjes die luisteren naar prachtige namen als Droomweide. Ook is er een kasteelgracht die tussen de kastanjes door in het bos verdwijnt en weer als Droomvijver op duikt. Bij een wandeling over dit terrein ontvouwt zich een eeuwenlange geschiedenis van tuin- en landschapsarchitectuur. In de volksmond heet het park het bos van Krantz, naar de familie Krantz, die vanaf 1901 tot 1960 eigenaar was van het buiten.

St Mary's Church a Grade II* listed building standing on Bridge Gate overlooking St Alkmund's Way in Derby, Derbyshire.

The church was designed by Augustus Pugin in 1837 to replace a small Gothic building in nearby Chapel Street. It was Pugin's first expression of his Gothic Revival style. He originally planned for the tower to have a 100 feet (30 m) spire, but budget restrictions prevented this from being implemented.

Eight years later St Alkmund's Church was built on a site directly opposite St Mary's. The position of the larger St Alkmund's was such that the view of St Mary's from King Street was totally obscured.

In 1850, a chapel was added dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes. Some years later a floodlit statue of Mary was placed on the tower, forming a landmark, although it has subsequently been removed. The church was partially restored in 1927 when it was discovered that damp had taken hold on much of the plasterwork. St Mary's was enlarged slightly in 1932 with the building of the Lady Chapel and several pieces of stonework were added to both the interior and the exterior of the building.

The late 1960s brought sweeping changes to the Derby landscape. St Alkmund's Church and its churchyard were demolished in order to make way for the inner ring road, exposing St Mary's to full view for the first time in 120 years.

A second restoration was undertaken in the late 1990s. This included re-roofing of the Lady Chapel and extensive cleaning of the interior and exterior of the church.

In 2007 the bridge that allows pedestrians to cross the A52 (St Alkmund's Way) was replaced with a wider design at a cost of £1.3m.

Es el acceso principal al Patio de los Naranjos de la catedral de Sevilla, desde la calle Alemanes. Estuvo en su día en el eje central de la mezquita, alineado con acceso a la sala de oraciones y el mihrab.

Ocupa un tramo de la nave norte, con dos grandes arcos de herradura apuntada; llevan el trasdós rehundido y decorado con las yeserías originales, pero muy restauradas.

Al fondo se divisa la puerta de la Concepción de la catedral, la única que da al interior del patio y que quedo inconclusa en el proceso inicial del templo, perteneciendo así hasta 1887, año en que se completo con diseño del arquitecto Adolfo Fernández Casanova. En ella el arquitecto se ajusto al estilo gótico del resto del edificio, por lo que, a pesar de su tardía fecha, armoniza perfectamente con lo construido en siglos anteriores.

It is the main access to the Patio de los Naranjos in the Cathedral of Seville, from the streets of Germany. He was in his day on the central axis of the mosque, aligned with access to the prayer hall and mihrab.

It occupies a stretch of the north aisle, with two large pointed horseshoe arches, recessed and the backfill are decorated with original plasterwork, very restored.

In the background you can see the door of the Conception of the cathedral, the one that gives the interior of the courtyard and left unfinished in the initial process of the temple, thus belonging to 1887, when it was completed with a design by architect Adolfo Fernandez Casanova. In it, the architect was adjusted to the rest of the Gothic building, which, despite its late date, harmoniously with the built in previous centuries.

Esta foto tiene derechos de autor. Por favor, no la utilice sin mi conocimiento y autorización. Gracias.

Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit permission. © All rights reservats. Thanks.

Cavendish Mews is a smart set of flats in Mayfair where flapper and modern woman, the Honourable Lettice Chetwynd has set up home after coming of age and gaining her allowance. To supplement her already generous allowance, and to break away from dependence upon her family, Lettice has established herself as a society interior designer, so her flat is decorated with a mixture of elegant antique Georgian pieces and modern Art Deco furnishings, using it as a showroom for what she can offer to her well heeled clients.

Tonight however we are at Glynes, the grand Georgian family seat of the Chetwynds in Wiltshire, and the home of Lettice’s parents, the presiding Viscount and Countess of Wrexham and the heir, their eldest son Leslie. Lettice is visiting her family home as her parents host their first Hunt Ball since 1914. Lady Sadie has been completely consumed over the last month by the planning and preparation of the occasion, determined that not only will it be the event of the 1922 county season, but also that it will be a successful entrée for her youngest daughter, still single at twenty-one years of age, to meet a number of eligible and marriageable men. Letters and invitations have flown from Lady Sadie’s bonheur de jour* to the families of eligible bachelors, some perhaps a little too old to be considered before the war, achieving more than modest success. Whilst Lettice enjoys dancing, parties and balls, she is less enthusiastic about the idea of the ball being used as a marriage market than her parents are.

We find ourselves in the lofty Adam design hall of Glynes with its parquetry floors and ornate plasterwork, outside the entrance to the ballroom antechamber, through which guests must pass to enter the grand ballroom where tonight’s Hunt Ball is being held. From the ballroom, the sound of the band hired for the evening to play can be heard above the hubbub of happy voices as like an exclusive club, aristocracy and local county guests intermingle. At the entrance to the ballroom antechamber stand the Viscount and Countess Wrexham, Leslie and Lettice, all forming a reception line where they have been standing for the last half hour, since the clocks around them struck eight and the first guests began to arrive. Now a steady stream of partygoers appear across the threshold of the house, through the door held open by Mardsen, the Chetwynd’s tall first footman. He acknowledges each person with a bow from the neck which is seldom acknowledged in return as ladies and gentlemen in thick fur coats and travel capes, fur tippets and top hats alight from the motorcars and in a few cases, horse drawn carriages that pull up to the front door. Bustling with idle chatter they each sweep through the door with a comfortable sense of privilege and self assurance, gasping with pleasure as they feel the heat of the blazing fire in the hearth of the foyer: a delightful change to the chill of the evening air their journeys were taken in. Bramley, the Chetwtynd’s butler takes the gentleman’s topcoats, capes, hats, gloves and canes, whilst Mrs. Renfrew, the Chetwynd’s housekeeper, helps the ladies divest themselves of their capes, furs and muffs, the pair revealing spectacular fancy dress costumes of oriental brocade, pale silks and satins, colourfully striped cottons and hand printed muslins.

Standing next to her mother who is dressed as Britannia, Lettice, costumed as Cinderella in an Eighteenth century style wig and gown, smiles politely, yet vacantly, as she greets guest after guest, watching the passing parade of Pierrots, and Columbines, Sinbads and faeries, princesses and Maharajas, pirates and mandarins.

“Oh good evening Miss Evans, and Miss Evans,” Lady Sadie exclaims, placing her glove clad fingers onto the forearms of the two spinster sisters who live in Holland House, a Seventeenth Century manor house in the village. “How delightful to see you both. Do come in out of the cold and make yourselves comfortable. It was good of you to come up from the village for tonight’s festivities when I know you were both poorly before Christmas.” She smiles benignly as they twitter answers back at her in crackling voices that sound like crisp autumn leaves underfoot. “You remember my youngest daughter, Lettice don’t you ladies?”

“How do you do, Miss Evans, Miss Evans,” Lettice replies with a nod, accepting the two ladies from her mother like a parcel on a conveyor belt, smiling the same polite painted smile she, her parents and brother have been wearing since the first guest arrived. She glances at the two old women, who must be in their seventies at least, one dressed as Little Bo-Peep complete with shepherdess’ crook and the other as Miss Muffet with a hand crocheted spider dangling from her wrist, both looking more like tragic pantomime dames than anything else. Both women have worn the same costumes to every Hunt Ball Lettice can remember, and she is surer now that they are at close quarters, that the costumes are made from genuine Eighteenth Century relics from their ancestors. “What delightful costumes. Miss Bo-Peep I believe?”

“Indeed, Miss Chetwynd!” Giggles the elder of the Miss Evanses. “My how you’ve grown into a smart young woman since the last Hunt Ball your parents threw before the war.”

“We read about you often in the London illustrated papers, don’t we Geraldine?” pipes up her sister.

“Oh quite! Quite Henrietta! What a marvellous time you must have up there in London. It’s good of you to come and join us for these little parochial occasions, which must be so dull after all the cosmopolitan pleasures you enjoy.”

“Not at all, Miss Evans. Now, please do go in. You must be freezing after your drive up from the village. There’s a good fire going in the antechamber. Please go and warm yourselves.”

“You are too kind, Miss Chetwynd! Too kind!” acknowledges Henrietta.

The two rather macabre nursery rhyme characters giggle and twitter and walk into the ballroom antechamber.

“Ahh, Lady Sadie,” a well intonated, yet oily voice annunciates, causing Lettice to shudder. “What a pleasure it is to be asked to the event of the country season.”

Lettice turns to see Sir John Nettleford-Hughes, tall and elegant, yet at the same time repugnant to her, dressed in full eveningwear, yet also wearing a very ornamental turban in deference to the Hunt ball’s fancy dress theme. Lettice shudders again as Sir John takes up her mother’s right hand in his and draws it to his lips and kisses it.

“Oh, Sir John!” Lady Sadie giggles in a girlish way Lettice seldom hears from her dour and matronly Edwardian mother.

“Well, I must kiss the hand of the brave and bold defender of the Empire.” He smiles up at her with wily eyes glittering with mischief. “You are Britannia, are you not?”

“Indeed I am, Sir John.” Lady Sadie chortles proudly. “Well done. Now, you remember my youngest daughter, Lettice, don’t you?” She turns Sir John’s and her own attention to her daughter beside her.

“Good heavens!” Sir John exclaims, his piercing blue eyes catching Lettice’s gaze and holding it tightly as he eyes her up and down. “Could this elegant Marie Antoinette be the lanky teenager I remember from 1914?”

Lettice feels very exposed by the intensity of his stare, and she feels as he looks her over, that in his mind he is removing her gown and wig to see what lies beneath them. She feels the flush of a blush work its way up her neck, the heat of it at odds with the coolness of the Glynes necklace of diamonds and rubies, lent to her for the evening by her mother, at her throat.

“I’m actually Cind…” Lettice begins, before stopping short and gasping as she feels the sharp toe of her mother’s dance pump kick firmly into her ankle beneath her skirts. “So pleased to see you again, Sir John.” she concludes rather awkwardly.

“Do you know, Sir John,” Lady Sadie gushes. “I do believe we have a painting of Marie Antoinette in our very own Glynes gallery.”

“Is that so, Lady Sadie?” he replies, without disengaging his eyes from Lettice.

“Yes, one of Cosmo’s ancestors brought it back from France after the Revolution, when all those lovely things from the French aristocracy were being sold for a song.”

“Then I should very much like to see it, Lady Sadie, and make my own comparison between the woman that was,” He takes up Lettice’s right hand and plants a kiss on it just as he had done to her mother. “And the lady who is.”

Lettice quickly withdraws her hand from Sir John’s touch, feeling more repugnance for him by the moment.

“I’m sure that could be arranged, Sir John,” Lady Sadie says with a beaming smile. “Lettice, perhaps you might show Sir John the painting of Marie Antoinette in the East Wing Long Gallery after the buffet supper tonight?”

“I shall look forward to that, my lady,” Sir John says without waiting for Lettice’s agreement, his gaze still piercing her, until suddenly he glances away and strides confidently in the wake of the two Miss Evanses.

Lettice greets the next few guests politely, yet vacantly constantly gazing at the top of her glove clad hand where she felt Sir John’s pressing lips. She is still distracted by it when a cheerful voice interrupts her uneasy thoughts.

“I say, Lettice my dear, are you quite well?”

Brought back from her unsettled imaginings, Lettice finds herself staring onto the most friendly looking pirate she has ever seen.

“Lord Thorley!” she says with a genuine smile forming across her lips. “How do you do.”

“You are looking a bit peaky, my dear.” he replies, lifting up his black felt eye patch so that he might see her with both eyes. Looking concerned, Lord Thorley Ayres continues, “Are you quite well?”

“Oh, quite, Lord Thorley. It’s just a little… a little warm in here, what with the fire and my costume.” She starts fanning herself with her hand.

“Oh, I thought you looked a bit pale, rather than flushed, my dear.”

“Don’t nanny poor Lettice so, Thorley,” mutters his wife, dressed as a Spanish Infanta of the Seventeenth Century in a magnificent panniered gown and fitted bodice that pushes her already evident breasts further into view. “The poor thing probably feels quite overwhelmed by the ball. It’s been a few years since there was a ball here last. Now move along and let me see the woman who was once the girl I knew.” She shoos her husband along with a wave of her hand.

“Lady Ayres,” Lettice says with a pleasurable smile. “How very good to see you. It’s been far too long since we had a ball here.”

“Quite right. But all that sadness and austerity of the war is behind us now, thank goodness!” She rolls her eyes implying the tediousness of the Great War just passed. “Now we can enjoy our fun and frivolities again, just as we used to. Now, of course you remember our son, Nicholas.” Lady Rosamund grasps the slender shoulders of a young man in a Pierrot costume and forcefully moves him forward to meet Lettice.

“Of course I do.” Lettice remarks kindly, smiling at the young man around her age, who is obviously reluctant to be there. She remembers the stories friends from the Embassy Club have told her about Nicholas Ayers, the reluctant heir to a vast estate, Crofton Court, in Cumbria. They giggled and blushed as they told Lettice in less than hushed whispers that his visits to a well known Molly-house** near Covent Garden and his debauched ‘at homes’ on Fridays were amongst the worst kept secrets in London. She gazes at his pale face, which was evidently white enough before being given a liberal dusting of white powder. How ironic, she thinks to herself, that his face is painted up so sadly with Pierrot’s iconic dark teardrop running from his left eye, when he is so evidently unhappy to be on parade as a reluctant suitor under the hawk eyes of both his parents. What sort of life will he live, she wonders, never mind the poor unfortunate society debutante who does eventually marry him, oblivious to his inclinations towards men rather than women? She knows her father knows about Nicholas’ inclinations, but is equally aware that her mother is innocent of such knowledge. She glances quickly at her mother and when she sees that she is talking animatedly to the next guest, she leans forward and whispers in Nicholas’ ear, “It’s alright, you only have to dance with me the once, and then you’ve done your duty.” Nicholas looks at her in genuine fear. “It’s alright. Your secrets are safe with me Nicholas. I won’t tell. I don’t want to be on parade any more than you do, so let’s just do our duty, and then you can go back to your life and I’ll go back to mine.”

“Can’t you two wait until you are on the dancefloor to whisper sweet nothings in one another’s ears?” chortles Thorley good naturedly, a cheeky smile painting his lips.

“Don’t embarrass them, Thorley!” Rosamund slaps her husband’s hand playfully with her ivory and lace fan, the pearl drop earrings at her lobes shaking about wildly. She reaches out to Nicholas and grabs him by the shoulders again, steering him away. “Come along Nicholas. You’ll have plenty of time to dance with Lettice later.”

Lettice glances at her mother, who has now turned all her attention to her daughter. She smiles proudly and nods her approval at a potential interest between Lettice and Nicholas Ayres and his tens of thousands of pounds a year. Lettice glances away quickly, allowing her eyes to follow the backs of Nicholas and Lord and Lady Ayres as they wend their way into the throng gathering in the antechamber adjoining the ballroom, and sighs quietly. A lecherous old man who would enjoy nothing more than a moment alone with her, and an invert*** who would probably rather face a pit of snakes than dance with her: how will she survive this ordeal of her mother’s making? Why can’t her mother just accept the fact that she is happier being unmarried and running a successful business.

Sighing, Lettice quickly reforms her painted smile and greets the next Hunt Ball guest.

*A bonheur de jour is a type of lady's writing desk. It was introduced in Paris by one of the interior decorators and purveyors of fashionable novelties called marchands-merciers around 1760, and speedily became intensely fashionable. Decorated on all sides, it was designed to sit in the middle of a room so that it could be admired from any angle.

**A Molly-house was a term used in 18th- and 19th-century Britain for a meeting place for homosexual men. The meeting places were generally taverns, public houses, coffeehouses or even private rooms where men could either socialise or meet possible sexual partners.

*** Sexual inversion is a theory of homosexuality popular primarily in the late 19th and early 20th century. Sexual inversion was believed to be an inborn reversal of gender traits: male inverts were, to a greater or lesser degree, inclined to traditionally female pursuits and dress and vice versa.

This grand Georgian interior may appear like something out of a historical stately country house, but it is in fact part of my 1:12 miniatures collection and includes items from my childhood, as well as those I have collected as an adult.

Fun things to look for in this tableau include:

The Georgian style fireplace I have had since I was a teenager and is made from moulded plaster. On its mantlepiece stand two gilt blue and white vases which are from Kathleen Knight’s Doll House in the United Kingdom. They are filled with a mixture of roses made by hand by Beautifully Handmade Miniatures in Kettering. The marble and ormolu clock on the mantle between them is of a classical French style of the Georgian or Regency periods and comes from Smallskale Miniatures in the United Kingdom. The fire dogs and guard are made of brass and also come from Kathleen Knight’s Doll House, as to the candelabra hanging on the wall either side of the central portrait.

The gilt Louis Quatorze chairs either side of the fireplace and the gilt swan pedestals are made by the high-end miniature furniture maker, Bespaq. The candelabras on the two pedestals I have had since I was a teenager.

The pair of Palladian console tables in the foreground, with their golden caryatids and marble were commissioned by me from American miniature artisan Peter Cluff. Peter specialises in making authentic and very realistic high quality 1:12 miniatures that reflect his interest in Georgian interior design. His work is highly sought after by miniature collectors worldwide. This pair of tables are one-of-a-kind and very special to me.

The floral arrangements in urns on top of the tables consist of pink roses, white asters and white Queen Anne’s Lace. Both are unmarked, but were made by an American miniature artisan and their pieces have incredible attention to detail. The Seventeenth Century musical statues to the side of the flower arrangements were made by Warwick Miniatures in Ireland, who are well known for the quality and detail applied to their pieces. They were hand painted by me.

All the paintings around the Glynes ballroom antechamber in their gilded frames are 1:12 artisan pieces made by Amber’s Miniatures in the United States and the wallpaper of the ballroom antechamber is an authentic copy of hand-painted Georgian wallpaper from the 1770s.

The marquetry floor of the room is in fact a wooden chessboard. The chessboard was made by my Grandfather, a skillful and creative man in 1952. Two chess sets, a draughts set and three chess boards made by my Grandfather were bequeathed to me as part of his estate when he died a few years ago.

www.johnshortlandwriter.com

Zinat al-Molk was the daughter of Ibrahim Ghavam Shirazi, a great and famous ruler of Shiraz. Her house was constructed right next to her father’s magnificent house, Naranjestan Ghavam. It always makes a stunning impression thanks to its incredible plasterwork and mirror work. Zinat al-Molk house is located in the middle of the Shiraz historical site.

There are over twenty gorgeous rooms in the Zinat al-Molk house, all with exemplary plastering, mirrors, and paintings. Ceilings are usually wooden and they are decorated with floral, plants, animals, and bird designs, among other things. A series of interconnected rooms surround the courtyard. In Zinat al-Molk house, the unique sash windows with colored glass provide a perfect window through which sunlight casts a pleasant reflection onto the doors and walls and creates a delightful atmosphere.

The main and most eye-catching part of this building is its main hall, which name is the royal hall. Iranian art and European architecture are perfectly blended in the main hall, which represents a masterpiece of the combination of these two art forms. However, Iranian architecture stays the main focus.

The Grand Opera House is a theatre in Belfast, Northern Ireland, designed by the most prolific theatre architect of the period, Frank Matcham. It opened on 23 December 1895.

According to the Theatres Trust, the "magnificent auditorium is probably the best surviving example in the United Kingdom of the oriental style applied to theatre architecture".

The auditorium was restored to its former glory, and the foyer spaces and bars were reimagined and developed as part of a £12.2 million project in 2020/2021, generously supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The venue hosts musicals, drama, ballet, opera and comedy performances as well as educational events and tours. The Theatre’s annual pantomime, which has been performed since its opening in 1895, remains the most popular show each year. The Theatre’s capacity is 1,058.

History

Originally called the New Grand Opera House and Cirque, it was renamed the Palace of Varieties in 1904, changing its name to the Grand Opera House in 1909. Charlie Chaplin performed there in 1908, and although Variety programmes dominated the pre-war years, entertainers as diverse as Nellie Melba, Sarah Bernhardt, Ralph Richardson and Gracie Fields performed there regularly. It became a repertory theatre during World War II and at the celebrations to mark the end of the war, Eisenhower, Montgomery and Alanbrooke attended gala performances at the Theatre.

After the war, stars of stage and screen returned to the Theatre, with notably highlights including performances by Laurel and Hardy, Vera Lynn, Orson Welles, and Luciano Pavarotti in his UK debut. In 1965 the National Theatre brought its production of Love for Love to the Grand Opera House with a cast boasting Laurence Olivier, Lyn Redgrave, Albert Finney, Geraldine McEwan and a young Anthony Hopkins.

The Grand Opera House was acquired by the Rank Organisation, which led to its use as a cinema between 1961 and 1972.

As business slowed in the early 1970s with the onset of the Troubles, Rank initiated plans to sell the theatre to a property developer, who proposed that the building be pulled down and replaced with an office block. However, following the action of Kenneth Jamison (director of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland) and Charles Brett (founder member of the Ulster Architectural Heritage Society and ACNI board member), the building was bought by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and listed in 1974. The Permanent Secretary of the Department of Education, Arthur Brooke, lent his support to the project and his department provided the funding for extensive renovatation of the theatre. The Grand Opera House reopened in 1980, and in the years that followed many leading performers appeared on its stage, including Liam Neeson, Rowan Atkinson, Kenneth Branagh, Emma Thompson, Ian McKellen, Darcey Bussell and Lesley Garrett. The building has been damaged by bombs on several occasions, usually when the nearby Europa Hotel had been targeted. It was badly damaged by bomb blasts in 1991 and 1993. The theatre continued, however, to host musicals, plays, pantomimes and live music.

2006 renovation and reopening

In 1995 the running of the theatre was taken over by the Grand Opera House Trust. In 2006 an extension was added which included a studio theatre space , extended foyers, dressings rooms and access for customers with disabilities. The Theatre reopened with a Gala event on 21 October 2006.

Restoration 2020

In 2020 the Grand Opera House closed for restoration and development. The project saw the auditorium’s paintings and decorative and ornate plasterwork painstakingly restored and conserved, as well as new seating, carpets, curtains and drapes installed. The design of the foyer and public spaces was reimagined, with a new bar installed in the restored 1980 glass extension overhanging Great Victoria Street, and the stalls and circle bars refurbished. As part of the project, the Theatre’s technical infrastructure was also upgraded and a permanent heritage exhibition installed telling the Theatre’s 125-year history installed.

[Wikipedia]