If walls could talk: Jane Austen & Chawton House | Ep. 96
Many country houses claim to be the inspiration for Pemberley, Northanger Abbey and Mansfield Park, but few houses have such tangible links to Jane Austen as Chawton House in Hampshire.On this week's podcast - the penultimate episode in our series on the HHA Collections Awards shortlisted candidates - Jane Austen’s world comes to life at Chawton House, the historic Hampshire estate once owned by her brother and now home to a unique library celebrating early women’s writing. In this episode, Chawton House Chief Executive Katie Childs shares the fascinating history of the house, its deep connections to Austen’s life and work, and the remarkable collection of rare books by women authors from the 1600s to the early 1800s. Together, we explore how Chawton House continues to champion women’s voices and inspire new generations of readers and researchers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Fairfax House: The finest Georgian townhouse in England? | Ep. 95
What happens when the last in a line of viscounts has only one child - a daughter - but the family's ancestral seat is entailed to the male line (meaning it'll go to a distant cousin)? This was the dilemma facing Charles, 9th Viscount Fairfax, in the mid-18th century...The answer (for Lord Fairfax, at least) was to purchase a prime site in the centre of the ancient cathedral city of York, and to commission the best architect in Yorkshire - the famous John Carr of York - to design an exquisite Georgian townhouse for Lord Fairfax's daughter, Ann.On this week's podcast episode - the third instalment in our series looking at the houses shortlisted for this year's Historic Houses Association Collections Award (sponsored by Dreweatts) - Geoff meets with Sarah Burnage, Curator of Fairfax House, which is now open to the public and houses and exceptional collection of Georgian furniture, clocks, glass and porcelain.Please join us for a fascinating glimpse of what high-life city living in the 18th century was like! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Burton Constable Hall & its 'Cabinet of Curiosities' | Ep. 94
A Cabinet of curiosity (also known as a wonder-room) is an encyclopaedic collection of objects assembled in post-Enlightenment Europe by noblemen, landowners and merchants who were fascinated by science and natural history.In the second of our 5-part series looking at the houses shortlisted for this year's Historic Houses Association Collections Award (sponsored by Dreweatts) we discuss the finest intact Cabinet of curiosities in any country house in England - housed at Burton Constable Hall in the East Riding of Yorkshire. The ancestral home of the Constable family, Burton Constable is an impressive Elizabethan house set in Capability Brown parkland, with later work by John Carr of York. Housed within its 'Georgianised' rooms, this remarkable collection was assembled by polymath William Constable and includes an equatorial telescope, a concave burning mirror and antiquities including Roman coins and wax seals.Geoff speaks with Alistair Hutson and Sarah Burton (both of the Burton Constable Foundation, which now owns the house) about the history of this exceptional home, and why they think it should be considered for the HHA Collections Award this year.What do you think? Give this episode a listen, and please send us your thoughts or drop us a comment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Scone Palace with Viscount Stormont: The crowning place of Scottish kings | Ep. 93
Over the next five weeks, we will be exploring the history and collections of the five shortlisted candidates for this year's Historic Houses Association Collections Award (sponsored by Dreweatts). Geoff is a judge in this year's awards, along with Francis Terry (architect), Rita Konig (interior designer), Tessa Murdoch (art historian) and Will Richards (Chairman of Dreweatts).First up is one of the great country houses of Scotland - Scone Palace in Perthshire. This gothic revival pile is particularly significant owing to its location adjacent to the 'Moot Hill;' for centuries the location of the Stone of Scone (upon which the early Kings of Scotland were crowned). The seat of the Murray family, Earls of Mansfield, for over 400 years, the collection housed at Scone is exceptional and of national importance.Joining Geoff and Rory on this week's episode is the current custodian of Scone, and heir apparent to the Earldom of Mansfield, William Murray (Viscount Stormont).Please join us for this fascinating discussion, and send us your thoughts or drop us a comment - we'd love to hear from you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The challenge for all portraitists is in painting not only what they see but in trying to distil and capture the essence or spirit of their subject in oil, ink or watercolour. This challenge applies as much to those who paint portraits of buildings as it does to those who paint people. On The Country House Podcast we often talk about how houses are far more than mere bricks and mortar - they are living, breathing family homes that imbibe and embody the spirits of those who live and work in them.In this week's podcast episode, Geoff interviews co-host Rory Fraser about one of his main vocations - painting buildings (from ancestral homes and castles to cottages, colleges, churches and holiday villas). They discuss what inspired Rory to begin doing this, why and how he goes about the process, and the unique joys and challenges of using watercolours rather than other mediums.Rory is currently taking Christmas commissions - the perfect gift for friends and family members, whether it's a portrait of a cherished family home or another significant building such as a church (great wedding or anniversary gifts), university or school, or something else entirely! Rory can work from photographs, so please don't hold back even if you live abroad!For more information, please get in touch via Rory's website (www.rory-fraser.com) or send a direct-message on Instagram to Rory (@roryfraserr) or through our podcast page (@thecountryhousepodcast).Pricing as follows (based on him painting from photographs):A4 - £400A3 - £600A selection of prints from Rory's series on follies are also available (ranging from £65 to £95)https://www.rory-fraser.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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