Barrington Court has had a chequered history – from the lows of being a cider store to the highs of being an intimate and loved family home. The evolution of the Court can be seen in many of the structural and interior features of the buildings.
Whet your appetite with these five highlights from the Court:
The Floating Closet
© NTPL / Andreas von Einsiedel
Floating, attached to nowhere and useful to no one, the garde-robe in the entrance hall offers you a glimpse of the original layout of the east wing. When the house was built in the 1560s, the first floor extended across the length of the wing, and the guard-robe was effectively an upstairs toilet. Unlike modern toilets, there was no running water, so a person was employed to empty the waste.
A Forest of Wood
© NTPL / Andreas von Einsiedel
The panelling which fills almost every room came from Arthur Lyle’s large collection and features many carved figures. These take the form of mythical creatures and people from far-away lands. The panelling had transformed the empty shell of the Court House back into a home by the 1930s.
Curious Carvings
© NTPL / Andreas von Einsiedel
Barrington Court’s Long Gallery is an early example of the trend in Elizabethan houses for an indoor exercise space. Many of the corner posts bear strange inlaid carvings. These are simple in design and their age and origin are a mystery. At least one of the carvings is believed to be about the execution of King Charles I. However most of the designs have long baffled experts.
Solomon’s Judgement
© NTPL / Andreas von Einsiedel
The story of the Judgement of Solomon is depicted in an overmantel, on the first floor. The clothes on the figures suggest it probably dates from the Tudor period, and indeed decorative plasterwork depicting biblical scenes were common in this period. The crudeness of this design may indicate a humorous undercurrent.
A Place for Parties
© NTPL / Andreas von Einsiedel
A sprung floor was fitted into the Great Hall in the Court House during the 1920s, making it an ideal venue for parties. This serves as a reminder that this house is not a relic from a long forgotten age - glamorous and bustling parties were held as recently as the early 20th century.
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