Bartimaeus

When we were at the rock houses a woman passing said she had been to Wightwick and it was well worth going. Here we were moored in Wightwick (pronounced Wittick, it seems) with time to spare and a wet day ahead so off we went. 

A small diversion to satisfy my obsession and purchase knitting patterns at the entrance and we headed up the hill, to the house itself. Even though it came recommended, I was still amazed when I rounded the corner at the top of the path and saw it.

What was even more amazing was that this Tudoresque entrance, was built in the late 1800s. The owners, the Manders, who made their money from varnish, just liked the style. Preservation, wood and putting a shine on things was certainly their forte. They also loved William Morris decor, wood panelling and Italian design.

It seemed debatable whether the small curtains over the  fireplace were for a practical purpose while it was in use (helping the draw of the fire?) or not in use (removing a draught?) or mere decoration, as they also had a central heating system. The fireplaces may have been more decorative than functional much of the time. 

In the first room the volunteer explained a handy code for separating function from show. The seats with a cat cushion could be used by visitors.

Elsewhere signs regularly advised not touching the walls or furniture, but there were several cat cushions about to rest on from time to time. We were also told we could dance by the pianist. She did play an upbeat waltz. It wasn't all dance music. The original residents might have enjoyed "Anything Goes", while they still lived there but not "Love me Tender", having already left it to The National Trust before Elvis was King. All the same they were very modern, despite the external appearance, the inside was up to date, as they had electric lighting when electricity was not yet publicly available. They had their own generator and employed an engineer to look after it and the central heating.

I don't know if the large room where the music was being played was used for balls, but it led on to a billiard room and dining room: a perfect setting for a murder mystery!  

I found the presence of a wombat in the dining room an odd addition but the volunteer explained that there had been quite an animal collection and the wombat was a favourite of Mr Mander. I still don't think it belonged in the dining room. 

There were many striking paintings. This one in the dining room even had a name. I thought she was Claire, but Shane wondered if it was Elaine. I am sticking with Claire. She looks like she's in a quandary herself.

Another mystery was what the large brass circular item was. Smoking was fashionable but surely it wasn't  an ashtray. The detailed inventory of pieces revealed it to be a foot warmer from Africa. Placed as it was before a huge fireplace, it is doubtful whether it was used as such, or if it was a talking point.

At the same time as viewing the home, there was a Rossetti exhibition, with  artwork and history of the Rossetti family displayed around. I had heard of Christina Rossetti having met some of her poetry. She wrote touching words of love and loss, that have brought pleasure and peace to many, she herself lived a life with much anguish, grief and caring for others through terminal illness. No wonder she wrote about bereavement so well. Some of the Rossetti story was put in the bedrooms, adding to the sombre mood. 

We certainly got more information on the Rossettis than the Manders. We had done much of the tour independently looking at rooms in different orders with different interests, finding each other before moving to another floor. It was quite a warren, with unexpected corners and corridors holding a huge embroidery, a gentlemen's washing area after outdoor sports and Turkish baths.

The nursery and servants rooms were much plainer and brighter, so we ended our tour on a more practical note, looking at kitchen tools, and food preparation. I didn't really fancy using this slicing tool.

We headed through the scullery, which I had known as place for washing dishes, but not realised it was also for food preparation that was dirty and would need good access to a sink. We left to enjoy the garden, now that the outside had brightened too. Watch out for the dead ducks! 

We had a good stroll around the grounds which included a tennis court, a bridge over the road outside and a pond, where a duckling came to meet us.

We had enjoyed the visit and we couldn't pretend we had taken in every detail so if we did return we would see lots we had missed first time round.  But that would have to wait, as we were leaving Wightwick the next day.