The house and its contents are nowt special. There are many Tudor houses in England and many have a finer set of contents. The house is in private hands it was bought in the 1970's by the Phillips who have done much to restore it. Kentwell is not frozen and the Phillips have added a Breughel pastiche to the drawing room, your view of the Phillips additions is personal but it is different from the usual National Trust style and that's no bad thing.
So why having said that do I want to show you Kentwell? Well the Phillips have restored the estate (the walled garden is a working garden) and have introduced the recreations of Tudor life. These offer us a chance to see how the family in a Great Tudor House might have lived, and how the community in and about the manor supporting them, went about their daily lives in the House's heyday in the 16th Century.
The recreations don't concentrate on battles or the "great and the good" but on domestic life. The tudors are not professional actors people make there are costumes and authenticity is the key. Nor are they repetitive, it is a day in the life of the house. At 3 o'clock people will be doing different things to 12 o'clock.
They are also do WWII recreations and Ghose Evenings. You have to admire the Phillips energy and of the many minor houses in private hands Kentwell is one you think has a chance of a secure future.
Now if I wander around with one camera on I stick a travel lens on it. Today I was wandering around with a 10-20 ultra wide angle. Don't know why! I did have my little compact which was in B&W mode and was used for the fish picture as well.
Enough waffle!!
The duck was walking on the fish at one point!
Tomorrow will be wildlife promise!!
6 comments:
Lovely shots Pete, and very interesting. It must be like going back in time.
Kentwell looks beautiful; some lovely pictures especially the house and moat!
Love the carvings on the dead tree - what a wonderful idea :D And in all that splendour, a rather sad and neglected glass house :(
fantastic shots, love the donkey :o)
Love the fuzzy goats and donkey!
HM - its odd when people greet you with "good day sir" and "well met" and "prithee"
the goats are Bagots a rare breed I assume the dnkey must be a rare breed never seen ne that tall or fuzzy
Love the pictures. The costumes are wonderful. The carving of the Green Man is fabulous.
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