Christmas at Waddesdon Manor

Waddesdon Manor

Let’s call this the Christmas edition shall we as it is going to be Christmas themed!

A few weeks ago I paid a trip to Waddesdon Manor, together with the WI (I’m not a member, but it’s a rather long story!) in part because of its Christmas attractions but also because I hoped to learn a little about the wider Rothschild family and their home at Waddesdon Manor. However, there was a slight flaw in this plan, as Christmas was very much at the centre of everything and history seems to have been somewhat side lined.

It would appear that the draw for Waddesdon Manor at this time of year is Christmas and it becomes more of a place of entertainment than a typical National Trust property. It has a Christmas market, Christmas themed rooms with large decorated Christmas trees and a wonderful Christmas light show. But it completely takes over. It doesn’t sit alongside everything else and in some ways that was a bit of a shame. For example the Billiard room was turned into the three wise men’s camp with boxes of frankincense, myrrh and gold placed on the chaise-longue. It was cool, but at the same time gimmicky – I’d sort of expected the rooms of the Manor to be done as they would have been by the family at Christmas, rather than with this thematic spin.

Northern Lights inspired tree

Don’t get me wrong, it was great and it definitely put me in the mood for Christmas but the thing I struggled with was the lack of history on offer to read and learn from. Unless you knew that Waddesdon Manor was the home of Baron Ferdinand Rothschild you’d have been unlikely to pick that up anywhere and given that I’d hoped to find out more about them and their history this was slightly disappointing. I think I’ll have to revisit the house re-opens in the spring for a more typical visit.

However, in addition to the Christmassy bits, the Aviary was probably my favourite part. The Rothschild’s are known for being collectors and Ferdinand was fond of birds. There’s an information panel that informs visitors about the history of the Aviary - its establishment by Baron Ferdinand and the contributions of his sister, Alice, its decline during WW2 and finally it’s rejuvenation in the 1970s. It now houses several stud book managed species with a focus on preservation against extinction.

The Aviary

This includes the Rothschild’s Mynah and again an information panel explains how the bird was named after Walter Rothschild shortly after its discovery in 1910. Walter of course, having his own natural history collection not too far away at Tring. The same panel also describes how the Aviary team have been working with the Begawan Foundation and European zoos in an effort to save this critically endangered bird from extinction and I thought this was quite interesting as a reflection of how our attitudes and the priorities in managing the aviary have changed.

The Rothschild Mynah

The Rothschild’s Mynah is endemic to Bali – but because of its beauty it was illegally poached from the wild for the globe pet trade, prices peaking in 1990s at £1000 per bird!!! By 2001 the wild population was believed to be as low as 6 individuals and efforts since to reintroduce captive bred birds have had limited success. A more recent survey in 2012 counted 40 individuals and in order to promote genetic diversity Waddesdon’s Aviary have been involved in a cooperative breeding programme, with some of their birds being reintroduced to the wild and becoming parents themselves.

I have to admit I geeked out at this – the day offered history, Christmas and natural history. What more could this girl ask for? It wasn’t what I’d expected, but I think it’s definitely worth another visit when it reopens in the spring, with the hope that it will be more ‘typically’ National Trust and have some of the information I’m looking for!

Kinver Rock Houses: The Inspiration for Tolkien's Shire - Fact or Fiction?

A few weeks ago I went to stay with a friend up in the lovely village of Kinver and on the Sunday the four of us set off on an afternoon walk. I thought it would be a nice stroll up Kinver Edge – all very scenic and lovely, outdoors and close to nature, you know the sort of thing. So the last thing I expected was to come across a National Trust Property, yet here was Kinver Edge and the Rock Houses at the foot of the hill we were about to climb. It just goes to show, history really is everywhere and that you’ll find it when you least expect it!

I had no idea what rock houses were to that point, I hadn’t even considered they existed and then here I was confronted with them and all I could think was “what a great blog topic”. I feared it would almost be like a repeat of the Ostrich vs. Flamingo wars as it was the same group of friends, but thankfully there was no conflict to be had – just curiosity.

Unfortunately the houses were closed for the winter meaning we were unable to go in and the only information we had to go on was that which was provided by a small plaque. It didn’t say a lot however, so I came away and did a little more research, but I am also heading back up in a few weeks and am wondering if there might be time to pop in, so watch this space. That said, the research I’ve done so far has only intrigued me more.

The Holy Austin Rock houses are as they sound, cave dwellings, which were hand carved in the sandstone and inhabited until the 1950s. They appear to have a long history but a somewhat mysterious one. No one is entirely sure of the date of their original construction but it precedes the 16^th century, for until the Reformation, Holy Austin was a hermitage, a space dedicated to religious devotion. The site was then added too considerably, particularly during the eighteenth and nineteenth century and at its height, the houses were home to 11 families, inhabiting rooms across three levels. None had electricity, running water or toilets and as such had to share an outside privy.

Most houses consisted of only a single room, each having been carved into the rock using hand picks. The decision to refrain from burrowing too deep was practical one as well as structural, for deep rooms would have been poorly lit and ill-ventilated. That said, if the house was constructed further up the cliff, it could be cut deeper than one room and some have interconnected rooms on each face. Almost all the caves occupied in the nineteenth century also had their interiors plastered or whitewashed, as well as having tiled floors and chimney flues.

Census records from the nineteenth century show that many inhabitants were labourers working for local farms or within the local area. Others however, made their living off the woods and heaths that surrounded the Rock houses; for example the last occupant of the Edge, made a living as a maker of brooms crafted from local birch twigs (1).

During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries the wider area was popular with tourists – a particular draw being the “troglodyte” dwellers of Holy Austin Rock. As evidence of this, there exist a lot postcards that illustrate the fascination people had with the rock dwellings and their inhabitants and many of these can be seen in areas around the village of Kinver; as well as a painting of two occupants. There are also much earlier accounts and records of inhabitants dating back to the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, showing the long history this site has.

The National Trust restored Holy Austin Rock and rebuilt one of the dwellings from old photographs allowing for a permanent custodian to live on the site and prevent further deterioration and it being damaged by vandals. This restoration also initiated the only detailed archaeological assessment of any of the rocks houses. In further efforts, the National Trust have restored two more of the homes, one to show the Victorian experience and the other, life in the 1930s. Both are now open to the public during certain times of the year. The allotments have also been restored by volunteers to show what would have been grown by residents on the Rock Houses and so it looks and feels as if someone continues to live there.

The Holy Austin Rock Houses are just one example of rock houses that can be found across the local area –however while some continue to be used as wood stores, sheds and garages many more have become derelict. The Rock Houses at Holy Austin are therefore the only ones classified as a scheduled Ancient Monument and sit in a landscape full of archaeological landmarks, including an Iron Age Hill Fort some 150 meters away.

Granted it's not round - but remind you of anything?

Leaving the history behind, there is also an interesting cultural tie here for there are claims that the Rock houses were the original inspiration for J.R.R. Tolkien’s Hobbit holes. Having grown up in nearby Birmingham, Tolkien often craved the countryside and as previously explained, The Rock Houses were a popular tourist destination and as such it is perfectly feasible that Holy Austin could have inspired his creation of Hobbits and the Shire.

This has been a somewhat descriptive blog but I just wanted to share with you this unique site that I didn’t expected to encounter, but one that provoked my curiosity. It was a really interesting place and I hope I get chance to find out a little more about them sometime soon!

(1)    http://www.arct.cam.ac.uk/Downloads/ichs/vol-3-2927-2944-simons.pdf