The Ultimate Upstairs Tour Inside Our 500-Year-Old Manor

[00:00:00]You guys loved our last video, the ultimate downstairs tour. So, we thought we would do the ultimate upstairs tour, starting with the staircase hall, which is kind of two levels. Anyway, >> does that mean that because it's the ultimate tour, we can never do it again because No, no, no. Hear me out, everybody.

[00:00:21]There might be in the next couple of years some he probably doesn't know this some painting that I want to do in the staircase hall and rearranging of pictures.

[00:00:30]>> In that case this is the penultimate upstairs.

[00:00:34]>> That's exactly right.

[00:00:35]>> Let's go inside and take a look.

[00:00:48]>> Right. Well, when you come back in from what now looks like the Georgian front of the house, you come into the staircase hall. But of course, this really was the TUDA part of the house because we've got the TUDA drawing room on that side and the library on that side, which we've already been into. But this is the area of the house with the highest ceilings. It has got um a lovely racoo ceiling. So again, an 18th century ceiling, not TUDA. Um, and the same with all of the staircase which was built by the famous Bard brothers of Blandford whom you know something about cuz you've just been there.

[00:01:26]>> I Yes. So, I've just been giving a talk in Blandford all about Maverton and it's a lovely I have to say if you have any time to visit Blandford endorse it. It is an absolutely extraordinary Georgian town. I mean it is stunning. So yes, they were the architects and builders of the time. Like they were who, you know, if you were if you had sort of wealth and you had a house and you wanted to redecorate it, you would go to the Bastard Brothers.

[00:01:55]>> Yeah. Now, this ultimate tour is not just about obviously the architecture and the collection because one of the things that I think people are interested in is how we use this space.

[00:02:08]And can I just say we really used this space the other day because we had our son's 21st birthday party. We had over 70 of his friends all dressed up and they were all milling around >> all dressed up in 1970s because it was disco >> and um and actually we had a speaker on this wonderful commode here. It was sitting behind there and it was playing some fabulous Stevie Wonder. Yes, it was.

[00:02:37]>> Stevie Wonder was filling the hall.

[00:02:40]>> I know. It's just brilliant.

[00:02:41]>> So, I wonder what Louisa over there would be about that. So, Louisa the sixth contest, Louisa Larry Curry. We've we may have mentioned her before, but she is one of the most important women in the family in so far as she led an extraordinary life. And one of the important aspects of her life um were that she collected this fabulous collection of fine French furniture which we still have today. So that it's part of of of what we love about her is that she's left these things behind. So some of this furniture um is I mean the marketetry is is is so wonderful and the quality as well >> that um it's thought to have come from the palace of Versailles no less >> in France. Did you know that?

[00:03:29]>> I didn't know that. Have you seen the market tree on the inside here? It's just stunning.

[00:03:35]>> Yeah. No. All all of the really stunning these pieces are um but um but these these are the the the famous French pieces that we have. Um and this is a a corner commode here. And you we've got another there. Um and so there are there are four of them and they they go with the Regency furniture. Well, they're not the same style, but they're >> And of course, Louisa also grew up I mean she didn't live here. She lived at Hinchingburg, but she grew up in a grand house because her father was an earl.

[00:04:07]Um, she's Irish and their house, Castle Cool, is now part of the National Trust.

[00:04:12]>> That's right. You can you can go and visit it today.

[00:04:14]>> Yeah. They have a fantastic statement.

[00:04:16]>> Um, and we have lots of Louisa's archives as well. So, we are really interested in Louisa being one of the next big projects.

[00:04:21]>> Yes. After Alberta.

[00:04:23]>> Once you've got some time. Yeah. How else do we use this room? Well, well, and also my sort of story around here is this I probably started this about I don't know four or five years ago with your sister. We we were having a drinks party here and we tend to have a Christmas drinks party like every 2 to 3 years and we thought let's decorate the um staircase and the ballast and so we took some ivy from the estate and some foliage from the estate and created a wonderful garland going up and all the way across and that's we now I do it every year.

[00:04:59]>> You know that >> well it's one of the highlights. I mean, it takes you about 3 days and we don't see you for much of that. I mean, whilst we're down here, we can look at some of the lower portraits. Um, one of the things worth pointing out are all these wonderful pictures of exotic birds. And these were put together by a famous artist of the time called William Hayes.

[00:05:20]Um, and I think we talked about this before, didn't we? That actually we think that many of these may have been done at Hinching Brook where there was an Avery. Yes. belonging to Martha Ray who is up here and we've got Martha Ray and the fourth Olan which we talked about them before but most importantly to me anyway is their son Basil Montigue who is up here on the left hand side because people sometimes ask the question you know so you've got all these illustrious ancestors but there must have been one or two who weren't quite as illustrious but but did very well and and Basil of course was an illegitim at some because they were not married. Um but he went on to do very great things. He went um to Charter House for school. He was brought up by William and Dorothy Wersworth no less.

[00:06:10]>> That's extraordinary >> which is astonishing, isn't it? I I've never quite understood the nature of that relationship, but I think the the fourth couldn't really cope with him as a as a young boy. um and he became friends with lots of influential writers and and poets, but he was a lawyer. So he was um an important person when it came to a few things that really matter to us today. Um first of all, he was responsible for writing a lot of the bankruptcy uh legislation that is still in place today. So that was very important. He also co-founded the RFPCA. M um and he also helped with a lot of social reform and legal reform, capital punishment reform to stop people being hanged for stealing a loaf of bread. So in terms of a a sort of social justice pioneer, um I think Ba Basil gets the prize. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. So it's it's at the very beginning of its life. um he was involved in recognizing that animals may not have rights but as human beings we have a moral obligation to look after them as best we can and that was part of his thinking. So obvious obviously a lot of pictures here there's lots to talk about with each of them. Let's just pick out one or two. I'm going to pick out Captain Cook. It's not particularly good portrait here, but um Captain Cook of course you can see he's holding in his hand voyage or and it would have say something. It's like demanded his voyage around the world because of of course Captain Cook was commissioned by the fourth of Sandwich. That was his patron.

[00:07:52]He was the one who released the funds from the Admiral Ty to enable Captain Cook to go off on his voyages of exploration around the world. And Julie, I think you were going to pick a rather risque portrait over here.

[00:08:06]>> So this is um Horton Spencini and she was the mistress of Charles II.

[00:08:14]uh and but however she was married to a chap who lived at Balton House which is a Montigue relation that's kind of why we have the picture Charles II Edward Montgue also she was married to within another family house of ours but the chap she was married to was a bit mad and he had lost lots of mistresses and he would punch out their I don't know if he necessarily did but he would have their teeth punched out his mistresses so that nobody else would take them in as a mistress. Isn't that like the worst thing ever? Luckily, she escaped from that and then became the mistress of Charles II. But she ended up having quite a good life in the end. She sort of left them all and lived happily ever after. To be perfectly honest, >> there are lots of portraits here at Mappetton, most of whom are family portraits. If you're interested in learning more about them, we'd be interested in telling you more. So, let us know in the comments if you'd like more dedicated episodes on family portraits >> and family scandal.

[00:09:20]>> Right, coming up the stairs, it's hard to come up here without talking about a few of the pictures. is obviously we've got Oliver Cromwell up the top who um people will know was an important figure in English history and of course was in some respects the patron of the first st of sandwich and had had the had the um the pleasure of commanding Edward as a young man here he is not such a young man I think he's probably about my age in this portrait a little more portly I would say um >> he's got a lot of kit on.

[00:10:00]>> He's got a lot of kit on, isn't he? Um and um and this is a fulllength portrait again by Lely of the first Earl and in in all of his finery. Now, this is probably not long before he was involved in the battle of Soul Bay, >> which is illustrated in this picture over here by Monom. But sadly there was another portrait here, not portrait seascape by um Van Deerlda which was one of the greatest seascapes um and it was one of the finest pictures in the house of the same battle. It was incredibly vivid but alas we had a terrible fire about 30 years ago um in a warehouse where it was being stored and it was it was burnt to a crisp. Of course, the fourth, the first himself was almost burnt to a crisp because he was on that ship, the Royal James, when it was being attacked by the Dutch, and he was killed in the explosion once the ship caught fire. So, that was the end of him in 1672.

[00:11:07]Um, I've always found it interesting that that at the same time as that, there was another painting made celebrating his heroics. And this is just an engraving from the painting. We don't have the original. The original, I think, is in America.

[00:11:21]>> Um, and um, and it shows him as a very slim, spelt young man.

[00:11:26]>> It does compared to this, >> refusing to leave his ship. And the reality is probably that he couldn't possibly have left his ship given how difficult he would have found it to get over the side. But we will say no more about that.

[00:11:39]>> Earl of Sandwich refusing to leave his ship while on fire in the Battle of Soul Bay. And if you're wondering where a Soul Bay is, it's um off of the east coast of England, so up near SuffK.

[00:11:50]>> Um another portrait worth mentioning just because it's a funny family story is um is this portrait. And this portrait is is cataloged as the Bay of Tangers.

[00:12:07]And Tangier um was part of um the negotiated settlement for Britain led by the first cell of Sandwich and was a was essentially a British outpost in the 17th century and that was the Bay spelled B Y which of course means chief.

[00:12:28]Um but for a long time my mother couldn't work out where a wonderful portrait or a wonderful seascape of the b a y of tangers was. She was looking around to see if she could find it. And of course she couldn't right >> because it was talking about a fella not a lovely bay with >> water >> shimmering sea.

[00:12:57]So that's the staircase hall, which is again really kind of part of the upstairs. And now we're going to head into the great chamber. Every day we have four tours. They're always full, so they're between 16 to 20 people. So you're looking at sometimes a day where you've got 80 people coming through the house. And that's okay. You kind of have to just, you know, do just >> Well, this is the great chamber. Now, it's called the Great Chamber. I mean that was a a room that was obviously an important room in houses of that period because it was in fact a reception room.

[00:13:28]So this was not a bedroom originally.

[00:13:31]People who were meeting the important people in the house would come up here to um be presented and to have their discussions about whatever it was. I suspect around here there was a lot of discussion of farming and issues in the countryside and issues linked to the church. And you can imagine all sorts of people coming in here and talking about all sorts of things with the with the um the person living at Mapton at the time.

[00:13:57]Now, of course, when Mappet was built in the 1540s, it was built originally by the Morgans and that means that in this room there are certain things that are left behind.

[00:14:09]Let's quiz Julie and see if she can.

[00:14:11]>> I did write a book about it. Secrets of the Manor House. You know, I did write a book about it. Secrets of an English country house a year at Maverton. So I better know this. Oh dear, I'm a bit nervous.

[00:14:21]>> Well, no, the the and it's not >> I'm kidding. No, I know. So, >> but we've obviously got this really important, wonderful pendant ceiling, slightly later, we think, than the house itself. So maybe sort of 1560s. There's something similar um in Hampton Court.

[00:14:38]It's got this wonderful um plaster work.

[00:14:42]So the flur delely up there and then these pendants. We really need to get up there and clean this properly. Julie, do you know because she did such a good job at the Roco ceiling downstairs in the library that I can imagine you and me of course on a ladder with a little toothbrush. Do you see what it needs how it's all sort of dark on the top?

[00:15:03]>> Yeah, but that to be honest, Luke, I've looked at that beforehand and he's going to learn something quite new. So that looks like it's it looks like it's dirt, >> but it's cracked. It's cracked paint.

[00:15:13]It's cracked plaster work. So, it was actually >> Oh my goodness. There really is paint coming off quite seriously there. I hadn't seen that before.

[00:15:20]>> You can see there was a crunch.

[00:15:21]>> Usually that's an indicator. Anyway, we're not here to talk about repairs today, are we? This is all supported.

[00:15:27]There's a timber frame supporting this ceiling. And it would be rather wonderful to lift some floorboards above and look down.

[00:15:33]>> So, what I do want to talk about is the freeze. And this is something that I learned when I was researching my book.

[00:15:38]Um, and what's interesting is you can see these really what they're they're tutor heads. So, you can see the profile of a woman, you can see a profile of a man, and they're the same profile going all the way across. And they'll be the same profile in the other bedroom that we'll show you in a second. Um, which is the tutor overmantle. And what's interesting about that is when I was doing my research about why would you know let's say it was the Morgans who um created this ceiling why would you what's the relevance around that and what um the research that I've uncovered said it was probably just sort of the decoration of the time and that there would be in one sense sort of drawings and engravings that were passed from one great house to the next great house. So they were kind of copying what the other houses were doing. So that's the same thing for this pendant ceiling. It wasn't just Hampton Court Palace. There was another um castle that had something similar. And then same with the tutor heads, it would have been really the style of the time. So when we think of like Georgian paneling and Georgian sash windows that that was the style, it's the same with really these freeze of the profile of the tutor heads. And I find that really interesting that it was just probably really popular to have and also to show off like you lived in a grand house.

[00:16:54]>> Well, hopefully there wasn't too much sort of copying and pasting in those days, but in fact, I think that's exactly what was going on to a large degree. And what's interesting is also how sort of thematically it then does link with the overmantle, the same sort of floral um imagery that you've got there. It's not the same, but it it sort of reflects it, doesn't it? And this of course is the coat of arms of the Morgan family. And I think this is old French um loyalty sa which um which means that loyalty will prove itself. In other words, the importance of loyalty in all families, but obviously that mattered enormously to the the Morgans as well. And this is a lovely Judah fireplace. I mean, so >> um and and of course this this um engraving here in the side is also reflecting the over mantle, reflecting the ceiling. Um all done at around about the same time.

[00:17:52]>> Yes. And you've got sort of um sheets of wheat it looks like up above. I'm not saying that every house had this, but if you were a grand house and you wanted to again create something really remarkable, you know, you would look at these different motifs and decide um where they would go and and what to use.

[00:18:12]And I think it's it's really splendid.

[00:18:14]But there are bits of paints paint coming off.

[00:18:16]>> There is there's some work to be done in here. Now, of course, this is a now used as a bedroom. It's got this Louis bureau pla over here. So this is some more example of of um fine French furniture at Mapperton. And of course this side table as well which um which is really quite astonishing. And and look how it's got the hoofed feet at the bottom and then the the scoloped the scolop motif above and you've actually got somebody's face coming out of the scolop. A really intricate and and wonderfully carved.

[00:18:52]Um, all of this is and again >> and this came from uh Louisa the sixth counter sandwich. Is that right? Do we think?

[00:18:59]>> Yes. I I think most of the French furniture was acquired by Louisa who spent the latter half of her life living in Paris and um hosting important literary suarees and hanging out with all sorts of interest.

[00:19:13]>> She did she was very social. There is of course a really interesting new piece in the room and that is this mirror.

[00:19:22]>> Julie, give us give us the story of the mirror. Let's get people's opinion.

[00:19:26]>> Okay. So, what happened was I found this at an auction. I loved it. It is a smart piece because I'll show you it but but it doesn't quite fit. I mean, it's George III, so it's earlier than um Whoops. than than the pieces that are obviously from Louisa. But isn't it rather smart?

[00:19:43]>> Look at all the things you can put in there. We were and I know this is supposed to be isn't isn't supposed to be an opening drawers thing but >> if we open that we can there is absolutely nothing but there's a hidden compartment in there. So you push >> Oh my gosh. I hope there is something in there.

[00:19:58]>> Nothing underneath again. But do you see how this has been carefully designed, cleverly designed? Look at this. It's rather clever.

[00:20:04]>> It is. I see. You're pleased with the piece, aren't you?

[00:20:07]>> Look, it's designed so you can push there and open it. But if you push at that end, it doesn't work.

[00:20:11]>> You can't. Yeah.

[00:20:12]>> Yeah. Look at that. I I do I just think it's a bit plain and um but I do like it. I think it just needs to go somewhere else.

[00:20:21]>> Well, it's been here for about four years now. The other thing I just want to >> There's a famous um French expression >> called which means nothing lasts as long as the provisional and that is partly the story of Matson. We put things in places thinking >> it'll only be there for a week or two 10 years later.

[00:20:40]>> So true. So, one thing I do want to ask you and maybe you guys as well, but as I was looking at the lovely pendant ceiling and it was carrying on through to the east side of the house, of course, you've got this Georgian paneling and the Georgian paneling would have come in during Richard Broadrip the fourth's time here. But do you see Luke that he's closed off um again any of the freeze and you can see where he's cut part of the ceiling. So, do I I'm just wondering if we were to ever we wouldn't do it, but if we're somebody were to ever take away this paneling here, whether whether that it would extend further.

[00:21:14]>> Um I have absolutely no idea. It all depends what's behind here and and that would be a really good exploration. I think we'd have to get permission >> from the powers that be of Historic England before we started tampering with anything like that. But we could probably put a little camera into a hole. But having said that, Luke, look at the very end of both of them. They sort of stop. Do you see that? Of the freeze.

[00:21:36]>> Yeah. So, >> well, things were things were were done very imperfectly in those days.

[00:21:40]>> Um, now I don't know anything about the china in this cupboard, but I do think, Julie, the next time >> we have a smart cup of tea, we couldn't do it in a more stylish way than looking at this Thomas. Good. Mhm.

[00:21:57]>> So English, lovely English porcelain.

[00:22:00]>> Mhm.

[00:22:01]>> But it's rather wonderful, isn't it? My grandfather collected this. He was he was interested >> in porcelain and so he's got a lot of M which we'll go see next door.

[00:22:11]>> This is English. So So when we have our next cup of tea, particularly one one that we do live, we've got the teacup, we've got the cups, we've got the milk jug, we've got everything.

[00:22:22]>> That will be another. By the way, I'm so glad so many of you loved our secret drawers. That's right. We haven't gone through all the drawers in the house, so that's another episode.

[00:22:29]>> Now, when I was growing up here, this was my parents' room. And um what I do remember is somewhere behind this curtain is a little button, a bell, because there used to be a time when the housekeeper here would come and bring orange juice up to my parents in the morning. Where is that bell gone?

[00:22:54]Anyway, it's somewhere here. I remember their bed being here.

[00:22:56]>> No, there it is. It's over here.

[00:22:57]>> Wasn't there a bed here?

[00:22:58]>> So, you'd get up. No, no, it was over there.

[00:23:00]>> This This was your your bell. That may easily have worked.

[00:23:04]>> Downstairs we have in the back of the house the um bell display that shows us where the different bells have come from. But what I remember distinctly in this room was coming in, my parents being here. Housekeeper had delivered the most fantastic fresh orange juice.

[00:23:24]And I would run in here, grab the glass and and drink it back. And then the other thing, of course, I remember is is running in here as a child with my stocking, my Christmas stocking, throwing it on the bed and um >> piles of paper and presents >> going everywhere.

[00:23:41]>> Do you remember spending a lot of time in here?

[00:23:43]>> Of course, this is their room. This is where I come. The the favorite sort of thing that I would enjoy getting would be um toy slime. You know that really sticky, gooey stuff you use. Yes. Or silly putty. Silly putty.

[00:23:56]>> You could bounce. You could bounce it on the floor. That was quite fun. Yes.

[00:23:59]>> But you want to show something in here?

[00:24:01]>> I'm going to show something in here.

[00:24:02]There's two doors in here. And again, this was remodeled. You can tell during the Georgian period. So again, it would have been Richard Brup um IV during the mid 18th century. And we've recently, there's no light. I'm really sorry. Um we recently repainted this room.

[00:24:22]But this had always been taped on to this wall, but it had fallen down because it's old tape and it had been here well gosh, it will be here so almost um 70 years now. And what it says, it says there's a small window looking into the staircase hall near here. It has been blocked up by cement.

[00:24:41]This was done without Mrs. Labusher's knowledge and contrary to her wishes, she hopes it may be opened out again.

[00:24:50]and and we're, you know, we don't know.

[00:24:52]We're not going to drill a wall in here.

[00:24:54]This is a piece of social history, but how wonderful to think that this closet, which again was probably obviously created during the Georgian period, um had a window. And that would make sense because this the the staircase that you see that we just talked about uh the in the staircase hall which was again designed and built by the Bastard brothers, they would have possibly put a window here, right? So, because this was the great chamber or this was the smart room in the house and you wanted a window here or it might have been one of the original tutor windows that was still a part of the house as well. I mean, who knows? But I do believe there probably is a window behind here. But perhaps when Mrs. Labusher was putting in some I don't know some hangers here, some hooks here. Somebody blocked it up because this was her might have been her bedroom. Anyway, I love this. And so what I did was I had it mounted and framed just to make sure that it survives for the next well 100 years.

[00:26:10]Um, coming through here. Um, talking about family stuff, we've got a wonderful self-portrait of my grandmother, Rose Marie Pito, who was an artist. And as you can see in the self-portrait, she was also a smoker.

[00:26:24]Um, and I always think this is really quite an interesting portrait. She has a a slightly kind of offish look where she's sort of looking with slight disdain at herself. Maybe because she's smoking, I don't know. and painting at the same time.

[00:26:40]>> And painting at the same she's trying to catch something. I remember sitting for hours being painted by my grandmother and getting very bored as a child. But actually there was one round here that she did of me um when I wasn't that young. I think I was probably 18 or or 19. And um and actually that one that one turned out okay. So not 19 cuz it's 93. So I would have been 23.

[00:27:02]>> There you go.

[00:27:03]>> That's me 23. I hadn't noticed that the date was on there.

[00:27:06]>> Okay. Well, very good.

[00:27:07]>> Age 22. Every country house of course has to have a portrait of the Duke of Wellington and probably a sculpture. In fact, we didn't look in the staircase hall, but there is a >> sculpture sculpture of of Arthur, >> Duke of Wellington. And of course, um it's hard not to notice his nose. I always feel like giving it a stroke as I walk past downstairs. Well, the Wellingtons have a very fine >> right >> nose. Okay. Yeah.

[00:27:35]Um, and that of course is my other grandmother, my mother's mother, Sylvia Haymon, as a young girl. And then we also have um this rather wonderful ship model. This always terrifies me when the sun is shining.

[00:27:48]>> I know. I think you should close that actually.

[00:27:50]>> So, we're going to just keep that closed, I think, for now. it. This does have UV film on the other side to protect it, but this is a rather fine ship model. And um it's from the early 18th century. It's it's it's not a big first rate, so it's not got three decks.

[00:28:09]I think it has about 60 guns. So, you can see um you can see the openings in the side, but it's beautifully made. A lot of these were were built by prisoners as I think I've said before, but you can see how intricate the rigging is here. And these were models often built before the ship was built.

[00:28:28]And that was one way. I don't know that you tested its seaorthiness because you can see the ribs of the ship under here.

[00:28:36]And I wonder whether those ribs actually reflect the construction of the ship. I need to do some more investigating. But um it's a rather beautiful thing and sits in pride of place up here.

[00:28:48]>> It certainly does.

[00:28:48]>> Next to my grandmother's >> So now we're going to head into the West Room, which many of you know I am fundraising for because we're going to make it amazing. So, do check out the link down below for these limited run incredible silk scarves that will be produced in Italy, but of course are designed by Rory Hutton, one of London's or really the UK's top textile designers. And right, so here's the restroom. Again, my big renovation project. If you didn't see the video before when I visited Rory and Malcolm, who's going to help to design the space, do check it out. But FYI, I have seen the final scarf. So, it's gone off to print in Italy so we can get a sample.

[00:29:42]That's coming soon. So, make sure you join the wait list because you will be the first to see what it actually looks like. Um, which is very exciting. And you need to join the wait list so you can see.

[00:29:51]>> Not top of the wait list. I think I should be automatically. No, >> I'll put you on it. I'll put you on it.

[00:29:56]So, this room, let's talk about the architecture in this room. First and foremost, it relates back to the uh great chamber. And you can see again the tutor overmantle and the t and the tutor heads. The same tutor heads that you see here are also in the freeze around the um in the great chamber. Now what's interesting is that clearly this ceiling has been lowered. You can see you know sort of the top of their heads have been have been cut off. I don't know how much has been lowered.

[00:30:31]>> Um, and then you've also got the the Morgan coat of arms again before. And these are Flemish designs, I think, um, in the overmantle.

[00:30:40]So, Flemish motifs. Um, and, um, and another wonderful TUDA fireplace. This one gets quite a lot of water down it, and you can see the kind of muck that's accumulated. But, um, yeah. So, when it comes to the redecoration of this room Oh my goodness. It's my laurel.

[00:30:58]>> What?

[00:30:59]>> It's my laurel.

[00:31:00]>> Yeah. I didn't know what to do with that.

[00:31:01]>> That is my laurel. I deserve a laurel >> from your big party.

[00:31:05]>> Don't you think? Yeah. This is an asterisk laurel. Well, it's it's it's what Caesar would have worn. This this laurel needs needs fixing, which I think is beyond me now. But it doesn't it should not be sitting in the fireplace.

[00:31:16]So, I'm going to put >> I'm going to put >> I would put it on the marble.

[00:31:20]>> That's fine. Can sit on the marble quite happily. Um, we've um we've obviously got other interesting features in this room. I've always thought it was a bit underdeeccorated, the ceiling. Um, but it does have >> these um this rather lovely sort of garland. And >> I wonder about that. Do you think do you think he ran out of money?

[00:31:39]>> Ran out of money. That's what I because if you look at the RCOO ceiling in the staircase hall and the one in the library, this is just very simple.

[00:31:48]>> Yeah. So I wonder, you know, you would have thought he would have put sort of more swirls and twirls around >> swirls and twirls.

[00:31:54]>> So what's again, we've talked about this on previous videos about what we're doing in this room, but we thought about the architecture. What I find really interesting is you've got the Georgian sash windows there, and then of course you've got the tutor mullion windows here. So and you've got tutor paneling here, you've got the tutor overmantle, the tutor fireplace. So, it's a real clash of, you know, two different sort of eras.

[00:32:18]>> But one of the one of the the clashes that I feel most deeply actually are these Victorian portraits, which I really don't like.

[00:32:26]>> Yeah, I agree.

[00:32:26]>> They're really grim. And it's interesting because certain portraits got left behind at Hinching Brook.

[00:32:33]>> Julie, of course, quite rightly has brought them back, but I'm beginning to understand why some of them got left behind. And and maybe you are a little bit as well.

[00:32:40]>> Well, no. I think they're a part of your family. It's the eighth Earl, which technically is not your great greatgrandfather. It is your great great uncle.

[00:32:48]>> Uh because his younger brother um produced George because he didn't have any children who's then your great-grandfather. But so that's that's him. That is the year that he actually becomes the Earl of Sandwich. He succeeds to the title. And this is his stepmother. So his father, the seventh Earl of Sandwich, um lost his mother uh when they were at quite a young age and then remarried Bloun here. Now the reason that they're up is because I took down the tapestries that were here >> and you needed something to go >> and I needed something to go and they worked for now. I I think once we look at rehanging pictures, these won't stay.

[00:33:27]And definitely, I'm afraid, well, not I'm not afraid. Actually, you'll be pleased to know once we redecorate the West Room. Hopefully, we can get all that um um funding in and scarves sold.

[00:33:38]These will not be in the room.

[00:33:40]>> Well, what's interesting, which I hadn't really noticed before, is a little bit like the portrait, the self-portrait of my grandmother with a cigarette. He's also got a cigarette >> and it looks like a rolled up cigarette, doesn't it? Cuz you can kind of see the sort of frilliness at the end.

[00:33:54]>> Yes. And what is this here?

[00:33:55]>> And it's got tobacco coming out. That's a glove.

[00:33:57]>> Oh, that's a glove, I think.

[00:33:58]>> Or a pair of gloves.

[00:34:00]>> Yes.

[00:34:00]>> And what's really interesting would be to try and identify this piece of furniture because actually >> looks like the Renaissance table.

[00:34:07]>> Well, look at the head.

[00:34:08]>> Yeah. I don't think it is the Renaissance table, but it could be.

[00:34:11]>> Oh, I think it is.

[00:34:12]>> Could it be?

[00:34:13]>> Oh my gosh.

[00:34:14]>> That would be a a mystery resolved, wouldn't it, if that was the case?

[00:34:18]>> That is the Renaissance table.

[00:34:20]>> And and there he is also with his gold pocket watch.

[00:34:23]>> Um, which I'm sure we don't have anymore. and a rather fine suit with a red packaging or pocket square as as you call it. So, one of the things to notice about this this room is it does not have the bed that used to be here when I was growing up because this was my grandfather's room and it had a much wider and lower and later bed. This is a tudor or even Elizabethan bed and it's still got the kind of horsehair mattress right here. Very uncomfortable.

[00:34:55]Um, but when the other bed was here, I remember coming into this room with my grandfather. And again, in the same way that I used to get orange juice with my mother, my grandfather would always have lemon tea.

[00:35:09]>> Served to him in the morning, and he'd have these enormous sugar lumps, which he would dip in the in the lemon tea and give to us as a treat in the morning.

[00:35:20]And they were called cana, so duck in French. and he'd he'd say, "Boys, would any of you like a can?" And we'd come in and we'd grab a lump of sugar, we'd dip it in the lemon tea. In fact, it would be rather delicious to to do that. I >> Interesting. I didn't know this.

[00:35:36]>> So, that was a kind of early morning treat. Um, >> and then he would have all those years ago, >> he would have rung.

[00:35:41]>> He he well he had a bell to press as well.

[00:35:55]Well, you've really um piqued my interest with the corner of that picture. Let's have a quick check downstairs and see whether that possibly is the corner of the Renaissance table.

[00:36:04]>> That I mean, I hope it is. That's a mystery solved.

[00:36:07]>> So, we've come back down into the hall in order to check whether Julie is right. And you know what? I think you're right.

[00:36:16]>> I think you're right. I think this is exactly the same because you've got the head here >> and and then you've got this carving above >> and you've got the table there.

[00:36:25]>> Look at that.

[00:36:26]>> And um >> look at that everybody. Oh my gosh. I'm so right. Can everybody see that? You can see Luke. Do you see that? This this >> mystery solved. So >> And there he Oh my gosh. He had his hand there on this.

[00:36:39]>> So there we go. I'll I'll I'll recreate it with as if I've got >> Yes. Can you recreate the figures the other way? But yes, >> it's the cigarette in hand. So, so that's the thing. And um and what's what's so wonderful about that is that there I was looking at that piece of furniture thinking, "Oh gosh, that's yet another lovely piece of furniture that has gone been sold." But of course, it hasn't. It's still here. And we hope all of these pieces will continue to be here for hundreds and hundreds of years for people to come and enjoy.

[00:37:08]>> And in large part, thanks to all of our viewers for your ongoing support. And we'll be doing another ultimate tour of kind of the back side of the house where we live and kind of the private part where the tour was don't go.

[00:37:24]>> Special delivery.

[00:37:26]>> It's here.

[00:37:27]>> That is a heavy tone.

[00:37:29]>> Look at that. Is it for me? Is it?

[00:37:31]>> No, it's for me.

[00:37:31]>> Early present. Well, I thought we could open it together.

[00:37:34]>> There's There is a bit of a clue on here. CTO. That's your publisher, isn't it? It is. And this feels very bookish.

[00:37:39]>> It could be my book.

[00:37:40]>> Could be your book. Is this the first copy?

[00:37:42]>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, you guys, this is all happening right now.

[00:37:45]>> So, I I've never seen this. You've never seen this.

[00:37:48]>> Mm- It's terrible. Okay. Okay. This is it.

[00:37:53]This is better than Christmas.

[00:37:54]>> Don't open it like that. You got to reuse the envelopes. No.

[00:37:57]>> Honestly, make do and mend. You can't ruin a perfectly good envelope like this.

[00:38:02]>> Yeah. It's like ripping Christmas paper open. No, no, no, no. Envelopes.

[00:38:06]>> Do you do that on your Christmas paper?

[00:38:08]Just like open it up tape by t piece of tape. Oh my god. Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh.

[00:38:15]Oh my gosh. No. I just have to I'm not going to. I just have to let >> She does often cry.

[00:38:20]>> Oh my gosh.

[00:38:21]>> Which is fine, by the way.

[00:38:23]>> Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. It's better than I thought.

[00:38:26]>> Can I feel it?

[00:38:27]>> Yeah. Look at it.

[00:38:28]>> Cuz the feel of a book before you even open it is so important, isn't it?

[00:38:31]>> Okay. I'm going to cry.

[00:38:33]>> Oh my gosh.

[00:38:35]>> Can I Can I pull the ribbon or do you want to pull the ribbon?

[00:38:37]>> I'll pull the We'll pull it together.

[00:38:38]>> Okay. You do that bit.

[00:38:39]>> This might feel a bit strange. There we go.

[00:38:43]>> And that comes the house.

[00:38:44]>> Look at this.

[00:38:45]>> It's a lovely color. Oh my god, it's so beautiful. Oh my god. Look at the gold embossing.

[00:38:50]>> Country house. Let me just go to a random page.

[00:38:55]>> Mapton's got two peas, sweetie.

[00:38:58]>> Yeah, that's what's printed there. He's just terrible. Can I just take my book now? That's a lovely photo.

[00:39:03]>> Luscious color, isn't it?

[00:39:05]>> Look at all the leaves in the autumn.

[00:39:07]>> Isn't that lovely?

[00:39:08]>> That really is lovely. So, this book has been a labor of love, as many of you know. I've been talking about it for gosh, I don't even know, almost three years, I think, when I first signed my deal, or maybe it was two two and a half years ago. And to have this in my hands is more than I can say. Oh gosh, look at the back. Look at the back. It's so lovely, too. I would I just want to say thank you to all of you because, you know, you are very much a part of this book. Those of you watching on YouTube, those of you who have been uh who have stayed in the house here, those of you who have donated to our, you know, restoration projects, you're all mentioned in this book because this is a year at Mattton and you have all been a part of that year through our filming, >> through our fundraising, >> whole chapter on on YouTube, isn't there?

[00:39:59]>> Well, it's not necessarily a whole chapter, but it's it's weaved in and out. is weaved in in throughout.

[00:40:06]>> It is absolutely gorgeous. So, I would love you all to pre-order and it would just make my day. So, pre-order details down below. And if you pre-order before this comes out on September 24th, you get three month subscription of Matt Brton Live where you get all the behind the scenes, you get voicemails from me, uh you get the episodes early on YouTube, and there's a wonderful community. Plus, you'll get a Christmas card from both Luke and I, like a proper Christmas card. And you'll also get a book plate as well. A digital book plate that you can put inside. Are you going to order it?

[00:40:39]>> I'm ordering 10 already. Where can I order?

[00:40:43]>> It's on >> The link is in the bio.

[00:40:45]>> It's on the usual places. I'll have to go to the bio to get the link, but no, this is absolutely fabulous. And um lovely.

[00:40:52]>> But we should have weeded that bit of the garden over there. Don't you think?

[00:40:55]Take a bit of the weed out.

[00:40:56]>> Oh my gosh. cut again. Thank you guys.

[00:40:58]And we'll be back again for another tour. This time the part of the house where we live in. So stay tuned.

[00:41:04]>> Um and of course remember to like and subscribe to the channel. Turn your notifications on. And many thanks of course to our many wonderful patrons who you can see right over here.