For the first time in its 250 year history of one of Wales’s foremost great houses, Erddig, will open its doors to the public throughout February.

Erddig stays open the first time in its 250 year history. Pic NT

The decision to keep the National Trust’s property, near Wrexham, open all year round has been made in response to the surge in popularity of the property.

The house and gardens which were the focus of BBC National Treasures Live featuring Sian Lloyd, Dan Snow and Sheila Hancock and To the Manor Reborn featuring Penelope Keith and Paul Martin, have been open to the public since 1977, but only from March onwards

“So many people enjoy the property as a day out, venue for events and a local amenity that we took the decision to stay open all year, and offer them more to enjoy,” said Erddig’s Sue Jones.

“It was always such a shame that in the past the public couldn’t enjoy the gardens at this time of year when the light is fantastic, and its structural quality at its most dramatic.

“But if you’re coming to take on the many woodland walks, don’t forget to bring your camera – and a pair of waterproof boots!”

All of the beautifully designed formal gardens, where the first signs of spring are starting to emerge, are open, in addition to the restaurant, shop and Erddig’s below stairs experience.

Carlisle Cathedral boasts a peal of 12 bells, but it hasn’t always been this way.

When the diocese of Carlisle was founded in 1133, the Augustinian Priory Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity became a Cathedral.

The bell tower of Carlisle Cathedral

Mentions in the “Lanercost Chronicler” state that there were bells in the Cathedral in 1292 but in the late 1300′s it seems the central spire blew down following a storm, damaging the tower and north transept.  It is thought that the original bells would have been destroyed at this time.

A new tower was built when William de Strickland was Bishop, between 1400 – 1419 and in it, placed ‘four great bells’.  One of these was cast around 1401 to the tune of ‘g’ and still exists as the ‘Passing Bell’.  It bears the inscription;

+IHC+IN:VOCE:SUM:MUNDA:MARIA:SONANDO:SECUNDA which translates as;  ‘I, Maria, with pure accents ring, second in the chiming ring’.

These four bells are considered to have survived the English Reformation as they are mentioned in the 1552 inventory.

In 1608 a fifth ‘b’ was, cast by George Lees and Edmund Wright, with the inscription; ‘ Jesus be our speed George Lees Edmund Wright Bel Founders Will Orbel LM 1608′.

Improvements

During the Commonwealth period of 1649 – 1660, improvements were made to the belfry, bell wheels repaired and the ring augmented.  It is thought that the other three bells from the early 1400′s may have been used in the casting of four new bells and writings in Architectural Illustrations, History and Description of Carlisle Cathedral By Robert William Billings in 1830 describe the bells as follows;

Carlisle Cathedral's 1658 bell awaiting tower repairs in 1803

• The first bell note f shewn in the longitudinal section is inscribed in capitals as follows ‘I warne you how your time doth pass away serve God therefore whil life doth last and sayglorie inaxcelsis Deo anno Domini 1657 John and William Langshaw workmen’.   The hammer of the clock strikes on the rim of this bell
• The second ‘g’ Bishop Strickland’s bell has the following in richly ornamented Lombardic capitals In voce sum munda maria sonando secunda NPC and underneath the initials J B
• The third, a sharp, was cracked while ringing during the rejoicings for peace after the battle of Waterloo and was removed to the back of the altar when the belfry was re timbered.  It has the following passage on its rim ‘This ringe was made six tuneable bells at the charge of the Lord Howard and other gentree of the county and citie and officers of the garrisson by the advice of Majer Jeremiah Tolhurst governor of the garrisson 1658′.
• The fourth ‘b’ is inscribed as follows ‘Jesus be our speed George Lees Edmund Wright Bel Founders Will Orbel LM 1608′.
• The fifth ‘c’ has on it ‘Geor Fleming DD Decanus Gloria in Altissi mis Deo 1728′.
• The sixth bell ‘d’ has not any sentence on it but is simply inscribed with the initials WJL and the date 1659

Bonnie Prince Charlie

By the time of the Restoration, Carlisle Cathedral had ‘six tuneable bells’ and a system of chiming was also installed.

One of the features of ringing at this time was the Sermon Bell, rung to call Dissenters to listen to the sermon.

The second bell was found to be cracked in 1728 and this was recast by Edward Sellar of York.

This ring of six bells would have sounded to welcome Bonnie Prince Charlie when he entered Carlisle in 1745, following the capture of the city by the Jacobites.

The  Duke of Cumberland’s forces took the Castle and Carlisle city only three weeks later in December, demanding surrender of the Cathedral bells.  However, his demands were not met and as a result, it is said that he banned the ringing of the bells as a complete peal for 100 years.

In 1747 a new chiming apparatus was installed and played the tune ‘St. David’s’ each day at 8.00am, noon and 4pm.

Neglected

Some of the bells were ‘clocked’ for services, but the tower became unsafe and the bells and belfry were left neglected for almost 100 years, until the mid 19th century.  A note in Architectural Illustrations, History and Description of Carlisle Cathedral by Robert William Billings, states;

‘…from the supposition that the ringing of the bells shook the tower it was resolved not to ring them any more.  Small cords were then attached to the tongues over pulleys and conveyed through the groining to the floor of the tower and one person can now comfortably make the whole give a faint sound’.

In 1845, the 4th bell, which dated from 1659 was found to be cracked and was recast by C & G Mears. Several years later in the 1850′s, Dean Tait appealed for money to restore the bells, but nothing further was done.

It appears that the bells remained in this condition until the early 1900′s, as records indicate that Queen Victoria wrote to ask if the Duke of Cumberland’s ban has been the reason why the bells had not been rung for her Diamond Jubliee in 1897, and a later report in 1915 describes three of the bells with no wheels or ropes and the other three being ‘clocked’ only.

Restoration

Writings by The Rev. H Whitehead in the 1880′s relates the history of the bells and suggests that there should be a ring of eight in the tower, adding that ‘there is ample room for a dozen or more’.

The Very Rev. Hastings Rashdall, Dean of Carlisle from 1917 to 1924 showed a keen interest in restoring the bells and when he died his widow offered to have them rehung and two new trebles added in his memory.

In 1925, Whitechapel foundry refitted and tuned the existing bells and added two new bells to complete the octave.  New chiming apparatus was put in place, programmed to sound the opening changes of Grandsire Triples.

Since 1925, the bells have been rung regularly on the anniversary of Dean Rashdall’s birth, the 24th June.

Millennium

Eight bells being cast by five different founders and dating between the 15th and 20th century, resulted in poor tonal quality, so much so that they earned the doubtful reputation of being the ‘worst Cathedral bells in England’.

Plans to improve the situation came to fruition with a Millennium grant, which combined with a legacy and other funds, allowed the bells to be taken to Taylor’s Bell foundry in Loughborough in the spring of 1999.

The five oldest bells, now being ‘listed’, returned to the tower to be hung dead for use as chiming and clock bells;

• Clock bell (ex Tenor) 1657
• Passing bell (Maria) 1401
• Chiming bells (ex 3, 4 & 5) 1659, 1728 & 1608

Ten new bells were named after northern saints, baptised on the 1st August 1999 by the Very Reverend Graeme Knowles, Dean of Carlisle.

The following week, the bells were raised to the belfry and on the 3rd October 1999, the new ring was dedicated by the Right Reverend Ian Harland, Bishop of Carlisle.

Two treble bells were added in November 2000 and a sharp second bell joined this ring in July 2005.

Carlisle Cathedral now has a ring of twelve bells (thirteen including the sharp second), with a peal tuned to the key of E flat. The dedicated band of ringers now believe that Carlisle Cathedral has the best bells in the country!

Further information

Carlisle Cathedral – Official website
Ailred’s first song - BBC feature with pictures of Carlisle Cathedral’s latest bell installed in 2005
Carlisle Diocesan Guild of Church bell Ringers
CCCBR - Central Council for Church bell Ringers
John Taylor & Co – Bellfounders, bellhangers and carillion builders of Loughborough

The Lloyd’s building in central London has been given Grade I listed status for its architectural innovation, historic interest and celebrated design.

LLoyds Building, London. Pic English Heritage

On the advice of English Heritage, Heritage Minister John Penrose made the announcement earlier to protect the building in the City of London.

Opened in 1986 it is a high tech office building and insurance market for the major insurance firm Lloyd’s.

Designed by the Richard Rogers Partnership (RRP) from 1978, work began in 1981.

The Queen Mother poured concrete for one of the main columns in a ceremony in November 1981, and returned in May 1984 for the topping-out.

Lloyd’s takes its name from Edward Lloyd, a Welshman who opened a coffee house in Tower Street in 1688 and became a meeting place for seafarers, ship-owners, and the first underwriters who insured the ships and their cargoes.

Escalators in atrium. Pic English Heritage

The main interior space of the building is organised around a central, soaring atrium with a columnar structure and expressed ductwork.

The building integrates the traditions and fabric of earlier Lloyd’s buildings, including the Adam Room moved originally from Bowood House, the 1925 Cooper façade and other fixtures such as the Lutine Bell.

From the outside the building is identified by the six different towers that engulf the core of the site.

It is one of the best known and admired modern commercial buildings in the country.

English Heritage’s designation director Roger Bowdler said: “We are delighted that the Minister has endorsed our advice to list the landmark Lloyds building at Grade l.

“Its listing at the highest grade is fitting recognition of the sheer splendour of Richard Rogers’s heroic design.

“Its dramatic scale and visual dazzle, housing a hyper-efficient commercial complex, is universally recognised as one of the key buildings of the modern epoch.’

One of our readers from Australia is looking for some assistance with information on thatched fruit houses.

He believes that West Dean has a thatched Fruit House and is a volunteer gardener at Camden Park, NSW, Australia, the gardens dating to 1820.

Camden Park Estate once had a thatched fruit house, demolished probably during or soon after WWII and he is trying to find information on the structure of such buildings, including photographs, plans, whatever is available.

Can anyone help him?

Wade’s Stone once again stands proud on the North York Moors thanks to help from Tees Archaeology.

The two metre high stone in the North York Moors National Park toppled over, it is thought, due to centuries of cultivation around the scheduled monument reducing the level of the surrounding ground

The standing stone is known as Wade’s Stone after the giant that, according to local legend, lived in the area. Pic NYMNP

The standing stone is known as Wade’s Stone after the giant that, according to local legend, lived in the area.

The proximity of another standing stone also known as Wade’s Stone has led many to believe that the two mark the grave of the giant who is behind many local stories.

Wade and his wife Bell were said to live in a castle in Lythe and kept cattle on the moors.

Wade’s Causeway, which crosses Wheeldale Moor in the National Park, was built by the giant so that Bell could milk her cows and the iconic Hole of Horcum was apparently formed during an argument between the two, when Wade scooped up a handful of earth to throw at Bell, creating Blakey Topping – a nearby hill – in the process.

Scheduled monument

Standing stones are prehistoric ritual or ceremonial monuments with dates ranging from the late Neolithic to the end of the Bronze Age (c.3000 to 800 BC).

They may have been markers relating to land ownership, for route-ways, graves or meeting points.

Wade’s Stone is in the parish of Barnby, an area which includes many prehistoric burial monuments as well as a number of other standing stones.

The stone was re-erected with funding from the North York Moors National Park Authority’s monument management scheme, a partnership between the Authority and English Heritage to reduce the ‘At Risk’ status of scheduled monuments and improve their management.

This partnership is particularly important since nearly a third of all the scheduled monuments for the entire Yorkshire & Humber region can be found in the North York Moors National Park. The existing Scheme began in 2009 and has just been extended until 2015.

With the approval of the landowner, the North York Moors National Park Authority commissioned Tees Archaeology to record and then reinstate the fallen stone.

Tees Archaeology carefully excavated what little was left of the original socket hole and then extended its depth to provide an adequate trench into which to set the re-erected stone.

Graham Lee, the National Park Authority’s Senior Archaeological Conservation Officer, said: “The standing stones and crosses dotted across the North York Moors are part of the area’s charm.

“They make our ancestors seem almost tangible and are probably some of the most photographed objects in the National Park.

“The sheer size of some of these stones adds to the mystery of how they got here and what they were for – it’s therefore not surprising that local legends have sprung up around many of them.”

There is no public access to Wade’s Stone but it can be easily viewed from the A174 near East Barnby Outdoor Education Centre.

Surrounded by roads and modern buildings, the Holy Jesus Hospital in Newcastle is an historical gem amongst modern concrete.

It is also one of only two intact 17th century brick buildings that survive in the city, the other being Alderman Fenwick’s House.

Holy Jesus Hospital - Newcastle

Owned by Newcastle City Council but managed by the National Trust the property is over 700 years old.

From the late 1200’s an Augustinian friary stood here. The monks lived and worked on this site for almost 250 years from 1291 until 1539.

Freemen of Newcastle

Remnants of the Augustinian friary can still be seen, including parts of the church and one of its ornate windows.

By 1648 the site belonged to a Newcastle corporation and in 1682 the Holy Jesus Hospital was opened for poor freemen and later their widows and unmarried sons or daughters.

Freemen were skilled workers or tradesmen, who had completed an apprenticeship, sometimes lasting up to ten years. They joined a guild specific to their work once the apprenticeship was finished successfully, for example the Silversmith’s Guild or the Cooper’s Guild. Once a guild member, the person became a freeman of the city. This was passed down the male line of the family once the son reached twenty years old.

The brick built building contain 42 rooms, each 13 feet by 12 feet.

Luxury accommodation

Each room was home to only one person, they had a fireplace and their own front door.

All of the cooking, eating and sleeping was done in this room. The rooms were considered very large for one person and records show that it was normal for up to eight people to live in a room the same size on the quayside.

In 1705 the inmates of the Newcastle House of Correction were commissioned to produce ‘purple and grey cloth’ for the uniforms of the widows of the Holy Jesus Hospital.

The Holy Jesus Hospital was lived in until 1937 when it was moved to Spital Tongues and joined with the Mary Magdalene charity.

At the rear of the main building is a Tudor tower thought at one stage to have been used as an amunitions store.

In the 19th Century the building was used as a soup kitchen. Soup was made in 100 gallon quantities and sold to the poor of the city.

Restoration begins

By the middle of the 1950’s the Holy Jesus Hospital was derelict and was almost demolished, but the people of the city fought to keep it and in 1968 the restoration began, costing £67,000. The John George Joicey Museum was opened in 1971.

The National Trust took over the lease from the Council in 2000, refurbishing the building as offices and meeting rooms which are available to hire by businesses.

The National Trust’s Inner City Project is now based from the site.

Further information

National Trust | Holy Jesus Hospital

Holy Jesus Hospital  - NewcastleGateshead

Visitors to Chirk Castle in Wales have the opportunity to see for themselves how specialist conservators and cleaners get to work on historical documents and priceless artefacts.

Using specialist tools and taking four highly trained people three months to complete the team at Chirk Castle are due to begin the delicate work of cleaning and preserving the castle and its belongings.

National Trust conservator Kate Berktenshaw cleaning chess pieces at Chirk Castle -Pic NT

Due to the age and importance of so many of the pieces on display it is not a matter of flicking round a duster and plugging in a vacuum cleaner.

Joanne Thompson from the National Trust said: “We have to use special conservation vacuum cleaners that have very gentle suction and look a bit like something out of Ghostbusters.

“They have very delicate nozzles and have a series of nets to catch any fibres that would need to be reattached.

“Even the brushes we use have to be made of pony hair to ensure they are as soft as possible and don’t damage the ceramics.”

Most galleries, museums and historic buildings would do this work behind closed doors, but Chirk Castle will give visitors the opportunity to see this conservation work in action, and discuss the delicate work with the experts.

“In years gone by most of the grand houses and castles were closed up for the winter and the valuables cleaned and packed up. But many of the chemicals and methods used to clean were harsh, abrasive and damaged the items, so we have to be so careful about how we look after each piece,” said Joanne.

“We use swabs and cotton buds for the most fragile pieces and amazingly the best and kindest substance to use is not some new and expensive chemical, but spit. “

One of the most delicate jobs at the castle is to look after the almost 2,000 rare and ancient books including the original 1630 copy of Y Beibl Bach (the small bible) that Thomas Myddleton of Chirk financed.

Joanne added: “Each book has to be very carefully cleaned and checked for damage, mould and pests like bookworms and paper mites.”

Conservation in action at Chirk Castle, Wrexham, 31 October to 6 November 11am – 4pm

Presented at a gala ceremony in London the winners of the first English Heritage Angel Awards have been announced.

Arnos Vale Cemetery, Bristol - Pic English Heritage/ Jonathan Moore

Founded earlier this year by Andrew Lloyd Webber to celebrate the efforts of local people in rescuing their heritage, the award scheme is run by English Heritage and based on its Heritage at Risk Register.

The ceremony, held at The Palace Theatre, was hosted by TV presenter Clare Balding, with Graham Norton, Michael Winner and Danielle Hope helping to present the awards.

The six winners chosen from a shortlist of 16 were:

• Westenhanger Castle and Mediaeval Barns for the repair of The Smythe Barn at Westenhanger, Hythe, Kent – winner of the English Heritage Angel Award for the best craftsmanship employed on a heritage rescue
• Arnos Vale Cemetery Trust and Bristol City Council for its efforts with Arnos Vale Cemetery, Bristol
• The St Stephen’s Restoration and Preservation Trust for the repair of St Stephen’s Rosslyn Hill, Hampstead, London – joint winners of the English Heritage Angel Award for the best rescue of any other entry from the Heritage at Risk register.
• The Friends of Pleasley Pit for their restoration of Pleasley Colliery, Mansfield, Derbyshire – winner of the English Heritage Angel Award for the best rescue of an industrial building or site
• Left Bank Leeds for rescuing The Former Church of St Margaret of Antioch, Leeds, West Yorkshire – winner of the English Heritage Angel Award for the best rescue of a historic place of worship
• The National Trust in partnership with the City of Bath College and Nimbus Conservation for their collective rescue of Tyntesfield Orangery in Somerset – winner of an English Heritage Angel Award as the Telegraph Subscribers’ and English Heritage Members’ Favourite.

The judges

Andrew Lloyd Webber chaired the judging panel which comprised Simon Thurley, Chief Executive of English Heritage, author and broadcaster Melvyn Bragg, Charles Moore of the Telegraph, historian Bettany Hughes and the Bishop of London, the Right Revd Richard Chartres.

Andrew Lloyd Webber said: “All 16 shortlisted groups were exceptional and the judges had a hard time deciding between them. But in the end the winners stood out for their passion, perseverance and imagination, for the scale of the challenges they had taken on and for the legacy they leave behind – a secure future for beautiful historic buildings which without them could so easily have simply disappeared.

“I am delighted that this first year of the award scheme has brought so many heritage Angels into the spotlight and look forward to many others joining their ranks in the years to come.”

Simon Thurley said: “More than 200 local groups applied to win an Angel. Each group was fighting to save an important slice of our nation’s heritage. The 16 shortlisted groups were all outstanding and if we could have made them all prize winners we would have. Yet it was a competition and the six winning groups brilliantly showed how local people with a passion can rescue some of the most important parts of England’s history.”

Bettany Hughes said: “The real joy of these awards is that we are recognising the value of the human spirit; our Angels are all men and women who have battled against the odds and who with flair, tenacity, sympathy, and sometimes wild inspiration have never taken ‘no’ for an answer and have instead laboured to make the world around them richer and better. If I wore hats, I would be in a perpetual state of taking my hat off to them all. We owe them much.”

The Bishop of London, the Right Revd Richard Chartres, said: “Like the other judges, I was impressed by all the contenders for the places of worship Angel, particularly by the efforts of the congregation of the Church of the Good Shepherd in Nottingham who have restored a crumbling concrete 1960s Catholic church which many would have just let go, and by the winners, Left Bank Leeds, who have brought enormous energy, creativity and life back to their vast red brick hulk of an inner city church.”

The Telegraph is the media partner for the English Heritage Angel Awards and BBC 2’s Culture Show has been showing a series of films about the shortlisted candidates. Highlights from the awards ceremony will feature on the Culture Show on Friday 4 November.”

The English Heritage Angel Awards are co-funded by the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation. www.andrewlloydwebberfoundation.com 

Owners and occupiers of historic buildings in the Yorkshire Dales National Park will have a chance later this month to get expert advice on how to look after them.

A special, one-day event has been organised by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA) at Gayle Mill on October 22 – and places are being snapped up fast.

Gaby Rose, the YNDPA’s Building Conservation Officer, said: “The event always proves to be very popular, and once again we have a very full programme of speakers who will cover a wide range of topics.

“The day is split into three sections – the architecture of historic buildings, historic buildings in modern life and the maintenance and construction of historic buildings – and we hope people will go away with a huge amount of useful information.”

Speakers at the event are Gayle Mill’s Heritage Education and Training Co-ordinator Samantha Belcher, historic buildings consultant Jonathan Ratter, conservation architect James Innerdale, and historic buildings contractor Kevin Woods.

There will be an entrance fee of £15 per person that will include a buffet lunch and tea and coffee.

Gayle Mill is an 18th century listed building which still contains much of its original machinery. It has been carefully restored and is run by the Gayle Mill Trust as a visitor attraction and skills centre.

Places are limited so booking is essential. Cheques should be made payable to the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority and sent to the YDNPA’s Yoredale offices in Bainbridge, Leyburn, North Yorkshire, DL8 3EL.

Further information can be obtained by phoning 01969 652 354 or emailing herinfo@yorkshiredales.org.uk.

A number of London Underground stations have been listed at Grade ll by Tourism and Heritage Minister John Penrose.

Russell Square underground station - Pic English Heritage

This status indicates that the stations have historic and architectural significance, illustrating the development of the capital’s Underground system  according to English Heritage who advised the minister.

Of the 16 new entries on the register are a number designed by Leslie Green. His use of ‘ox-blood’ red tile facades pioneered the use of a strong and consistent corporate image which is now recognised around the world.

Simon Thurley, Chief Executive of English Heritage said: “The London Underground not only set the standard for progressive transport systems, but has displayed a remarkable commitment to quality and consistency of design.

The stations given Grade II status are:

• Aldwych
• Belsize Park
• Brent Cross
• Caledonian Road
• Chalk Farm
• Chesham
• Covent Garden
• Hendon Central
• Oxford Circus – originally two separate stations (on  the north-west corner of Argyll St and Oxford Street, and the north-east corner of Argyll St and Oxford Street including the office above),
• Perivale
• Redbridge
• Russell Square
• St John’s Wood
• West Acton
• Wood Green

Three other stations – Arnos Grove, Oakwood, and Sudbury Town – have been upgraded from Grade II to Grade II*.

These stations were designed by the distinguished modernist architect Charles Holden, for the Piccadilly Line extension in the 1930s.

“From the distinctive and instantly recognisable glazed red façades of the early 20th century stations such as Belsize Park and Russell Square, to the Modernist designs embodied in Arnos Grove and Sudbury Town, we have been left an amazing architectural inheritance. It is absolutely right that these stations be afforded the recognition and protection provided by listing.”

Tourism and Heritage Minister John Penrose said:  ”Millions of people pass through London’s Underground system every day, with little thought for the historic design and architectural features that are right under their nose as they hurry underground to catch their trains. Tube stations are great examples of the capital’s hidden heritage. It’s testament to the forward thinking and creativity of the design of Leslie Green and Charles Tyson Yerkes who created the original Underground Electric Railways that the brand and image of the red facades remain iconic. “