Last Tuesday, when it was über sunny, my grandad called me and asked if I wanted to go out for the day. As I had nothing to do, I accepted and we went out. It was not until we were already on our way that I asked him where we were going, to which he replied with "Dudmaston Hall" and told me the story about when he last went and some history on the place. With this information in mind, I really started looking foward to our day out even more (and felt glad that I had packed my camera so that I could vlog it and take pictures).
When I got there (after a not too long car journey), I was taken aback by the property and grounds because it was just so beautiful. I don't think that my camera lens could quite capture it's beauty and I would highly recommend that you visit it if you live in the area, because it is just amazing to look at. The house itself was large and grand, giving it a really historic and posh aire (despite it being an inhabited house), and the grounds covered such a large expanse and were very well kept.
After first visiting the cafe for refreshments to keep hydrated (as the day was very hot and slightly uncomfortable if experienced for extended periods of time), we had an explore of the grounds where we had a large, long walk around the lake that the property has to offer. Walking through a mixture of tree-lined dirt tracks and wide open fields, the walk was an experience on its own. Along the trail, there was little posts to ensure that you were on the right path and that you weren't getting lost or deviating away from the set walk. Also, there was strategically placed benches for those who either wished to have a rest on their walk, or for people who wished to just sit down and just take in all the grounds around them. After our somewhat gentle stroll (I am a fast walker), we got back to the main building and had a sit down on a bench to catch our breath after the "little hill" we had walked up (in all fairness, it probably was small, I'm just very unfit).
Once we had caught our breath back, we made our way to the main entrance of the building and entered it. Unfortunately I couldn't take pictures or film for copyright reasons, but I will do my best to describe the inside of the house. Much like other historical properties owned by the National Trust, it still holds all its historic charm and characteristics, were you can clearly see how the house has been preserved in a way to still keep this feel about it. Despite being lived in currently by a family, it is nearly unrecognisable as a modern day family home due to it still having all the historic characteristics and not having a modern feature in sight. The leaflet we were given as we entered the house clearly told us what the purpose of each room was and if they were still used to this date, which was really interested to learn about, and discover how people used to, and still do, live in this property.
The first section of the house, the main living area, had many historic antiques and painted portraits of various people who used to live in the house and figures from history. Each room looked as though it had been lifted from when it was first decorated (with a little added time wear and tear) as everything seemed as though it hadn't been touched, and had been kept the same throughout history. It was just amazing to look at. I literally felt like I was from the past, and had been transported though time to when the rooms were decorated and used.
The second section of the house was set out as more of an art gallery and museum, where things were on display in glass cases and hung on walls with little plaques next to them describing what they are and who they are by. In one of the rooms, there were outfits and possessions which were once owned by the historic family of the house, with descriptions about who owned them and what they were used for (I think), and the adjoining room had a video playing. I did not stay to watch the video, but there seemed to be a lot of digging going on in it. In another room there was a number of different pieces of artwork and paintings that seemed quite light and airy. I'm not quite sure what most of them were about but they really were interesting to look at and try to interpret. The one room though had a number of progressional, Picasso-style, pieces of artwork and sculptures which were described nicely to me and my grandad by the National Trust employee that was in the room. These pieces of artwork were collected as a rebellion and to show a distaste to another individual who the collector could not publicly show aversion to due to political position. I thought these pieces of art were really cool and inspirational, and each of them had their own message behind their creation and I just loved finding out about them all. The final room had a number of drawings, sketches and paintings from the family that used to own the house, where they had captured the majesty of the flower, creatures and nature in general that surrounded the house.
Still within this second section of the house, we went downstairs to the bell room where bell sounds were played to simulate the sound that is associated with the room. This location was home to the bells that would ring up to each room to call them and get their attention. I was amazed to see how many bells there were in this room, as there was just so many of them. Also downstairs, the final room was filled with glass cabinets that showcased the possessions of the family that used to own the house, and some of the elements of the house that had been removed throughout the years. One of the things on show was an ornate wooden door which had been painted with flowers and trailing vines which I thought was lovely, and a really nice touch to an otherwise plain wooden door.
Overall, I really enjoyed my day and I would definitely go back there in the future. I probably wouldn't go there again too soon as it is all fresh in my mind. Although, I do wish to take more photos of the natural landscape and the outside of the building. Also, I really want to see the room with all of the progressive artwork and take it all in again because it just looked so cool and different to anything that I have seen before. Therefore it was a really good day and I'm very glad I went, and I would be more than happy to go back at some point in the future.
Megan x
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