CASTLES IN THE SOUTH EAST

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LovelyLadyLux
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Re: CASTLES IN THE SOUTH EAST

Post by LovelyLadyLux »

As far as horsehair + smell goes - I was just thinking that in days of old castles would have been dampish places to live and so furniture would have become damp which leads to rot which leads to smell......maybe they had a way of drying stuff and coping with all this.

On the other hand WHY my brain goes to wondering about old horse hair smell is another matter all together ;)

I can remember as a little girl having to wear on of my short dresses with crinolines and going to some old relatives house for tea and having to sit on horsehair furniture. I remember it well cause it scratched me bum and was prickly as all get out. I was forbidden to move by my parents who had a child should be seen (and sitting still in the old relatives houses) and Never heard. Darn chair WAS really prickly.


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Re: CASTLES IN THE SOUTH EAST

Post by Horus »

LLL, you have to remember that some of the 'castles' such as the one Grandad recently visited are not really castles in the true sense of the word, but rather built in the castle style. Most of these buildings were stone built to an exacting standard of workmanship and although they could be cold they were rarely damp, where damp did occur it was usually due to leaking roofs and decaying woodwork around the windows and broken glazing and this usually happened after the buildings fell into disrepair. Also as fuel was relatively cheap it was normal to see very large open fire places in every room, even the bedrooms and lots of wall hangings and tapestries or wooden panels to help conserve the heat, so far from being damp most of them would have been quite comfortable to live in. I have to agree with Grandad that although horse hair was a common material for stuffing furniture (at a later date) these chairs were either leather covered or had a heavy brocade sort of textile that was quite thick and durable and would have held in the stuffing in without scratching. It was only after very heavy wear or damage by sunlight that these materials became frayed, so I suspect that during the period they were in practical use they were quite comfy and probably didn’t smell very much. However I have experienced that horse hair aroma myself in old furniture that was past its best and also the coarsens of the horse hair as it pops out of a frayed part of the seat and scratches your bum or legs, it was also rock hard and very uncomfortable to sit on. :o
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Re: CASTLES IN THE SOUTH EAST

Post by Grandad »

LLL, on the subject of 'Traditional Upholstery' using horse hair, you may like to look at this link that shows the 15 (yes 15) stages of re-upholstering a Victorian chair in the traditional manner using horse hair (and other natural materials).
http://www.stuffingandsprings.co.uk/tra ... upholstery

Far more craft in doing that than cutting a piece of foam and just stretching and tacking the fabric over it. :(

This is some of the seating in the library that I am sure is Traditionally Upholstered and in this case deep buttoned. Rather nice I think :)
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Re: CASTLES IN THE SOUTH EAST

Post by Kiya »

I looked at your pictures a couple of days ago Grandad & was about to answer when my phone rang then I completely forgot and after my wee grandson gobbled the computer and.....................keeping to Master Horus' orders I got back to staining my woodwork outside while the weather was good.

Now ......your pictures are fantastic and castle or not it's still an impressive house to look at, I love the colour of the sandstone :) I wish I had a house big enough for all the fireplaces...especially the black & white in the library.
Even with the size of my rooms I'd love to own the Lacquered Bureau from the Sitting Room............I'm puzzled a little bit " why does the bureau have drawers/handles on the side :?: they cant be secret compartments with handles showing so I'm guessing it's for show :?:
Elizabeth Hussey looks beautitful in the painting....I'll guess again it's an oil painting.

I hope your going out & about soon again love seeing your castle/houses down your way :) :)
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Re: CASTLES IN THE SOUTH EAST

Post by Grandad »

Obviously life is very busy for you Kiya just now.....and it will be for the next two weeks ;) I hope everything goes well for the nuptials and that the sun shines for you. :)

I thought you would like Scotney and thanks for your nice comments. The bureau was probably my favourite piece of furniture in the house. I believe it is made in three sections, the top cupboards, the centre bureau section with the pull out supports and folded writing surface, then the bottom drawer section. The handles at the ends are just for lifting the middle and lower section. Could be argued that they spoil the lacquered end panels....

I just appreciate the craftsmanship of the cabinet maker nearly 250 years ago.

I was intrigued with the motto across the bottom of the hearth in that black and white fireplace Kiya. It reads 'TIME TRYETH TRUTH AS FIRE GOLD'. I looked it up but could only find the first three words as the motto of The Terwilliger Family whose family history goes back to at least the eleventh century. I could not see any connection with the two families that have occupied Scotney for around the last 600 years. Nice little research project for some budding historian :lol:

There is also the motto 'FEAR GOD HONOUR THE KING' carved into the wooden fire surround in my second picture. If that fireplace was contemporary with the New Castle, it may have referred to William IV, otherwise it may have come from another house of earlier date.
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Re: CASTLES IN THE SOUTH EAST

Post by Kiya »

Thanks Grandad that answers my question about the handles :) when I have the time Ill give it a search too to see if I can find anything about the motto on the hearth :)
Keep the photos coming. :)
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Re: CASTLES IN THE SOUTH EAST

Post by LovelyLadyLux »

@ Grandad - Thanks for the link re: re-upholstering. I had NO idea there were that many steps involved in re-upholstering a chair. That really IS lots of work. Quite interesting to see what all was/is involved.

@Horus - guess my imagination runs away sometimes as I was envisioning castles or big old houses as being dark, dank, damp and full of smells. My mind didn't take me to a comfortable warm place. AND my bum still remembers having to sit as a child on the old horsehairs. Scratchy as all heck.
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