Around the Manor

So, some friends wanted more pictures of various architectural features of the house so here is a small sample. The first two are close ups of the ceilings in my room. Nothing too grand as the others on this floor have gilding, dark wood details, etc. but this is not too bad to wake up to every morning.

Below these are two pictures of the ceiling detail above the grand staircase. Again, just a tad over the top wouldn't you say? Those plaster tassels you see actually move (we touched them thinking they were fixed) and quickly decided not to touch them again. Once again, this is a foot, maybe two above your head when you are at the top of the staircase. Oy!

The fifth photo is the chandelier in the Great Hall of the Manor. I took this last night just to give you a sense of this but was too far away to get a really good shot.

The picture of what appears to be harps inlaid in the floor is exactly that. This is the original floor at the foot of the staircase. It came from a ancient Roman villa. (At least Gregory Gregory had some taste in choosing this feature for the house). The conservationists here are much dismayed however that this is still on the floor with all the foot traffic.

The gigantic fireplace you see is in the newly renovated Gatehouse of the manor that was opened this year for use by faculty on sabbatical for short term stays. The workman didn't know the whole thing was there as it had been walled up. It is probably close to 6' deep. In the cellars, the Gatehouse has its "copper" where water was heated in a large copper basin over a fire for the laundry.

The last picture is of the entrance to the carriage house for the Manor. This too has been renovated and turned into rooms for students and also for married faculty with kids as they are more like flats with kitchens. There are plenty more things to see but I'll save them for another time.