Historical homes offer look at other lifestyles
Guests mingle with character actors in costume and staff in 1920s uniforms at one of Dickins & Hawkes historically accurate holiday events.
A bedroom in a privately owned stately home in England dazzles in Downton Abbey style.
As the immensely popular television series “Downton Abbey” airs its final season of intrigue, love and betrayal in the fictional Yorkshire country estate set in the early 1920s in England, we have watched in fascination as the dramas unfold. We live in a time where practical issues of economy and ecology have led to simple styles in much smaller homes. And yet, period films have never been so popular. We have dreamed of what it would be like to be a lord or lady in one of those stately homes or castles, to experience the aristocratic life in Georgian, Victorian or Edwardian England.
Just to visit one of these residences is exciting. Many have sections that are open for daily visits. Also, through charitable trusts such as The Landmark Trust (www.landmarktrust.org.uk), you can experience the atmosphere, the settings and the interior decor that make these buildings so special. The Landmark Trust has been set up to restore ancient properties that would otherwise fall into ruin.
Their goal is to restore ancient properties with care so that the sense of antiquity remains. These unique historical homes are then made available for holidays at a reasonable price so that they can be enjoyed by all now and for future generations. The selection of destinations is broad, showing medieval long-houses, artillery forts, clan chiefs’ castles, cotton-weavers’ cottages, homes of famous writers and architects, to name a few. As one visitor who stayed at the Gothic Temple at Stowe, Buckinghamshire, wrote, “I am glad the Gothic Temple exists so that ordinary people can stay in places as extraordinary as this.” On these self-catering holidays, the guests are responsible for their meals and entertainment.
If you have bigger dreams and would enjoy the opportunity to live a quintessentially British experience just like the lord and lady of Downton, Dickins & Hawkes (www.dickinsandhawkes.com) has created a company that organizes a bespoke holiday experience like none other. They can provide access to an extraordinary collection of privately owned stately homes that are not open to the public.
Guests are provided with period dress and can participate in patrician pursuits such as shooting, fishing or visiting a falconry center. You will be greeted by a host and staff in period dress, and at dinner, actors are interspersed with guests (a dowager duchess here, a marquis or Russian princess there). A brief mini-drama will break out immersing the guests in their own Downton moment.
An aristocratic bedchamber awaits you. “All furnishings and decor are authentic,” says Dickins. “The wallpaper and fabrics have been reproduced and refurbished to match the Georgian and Victorian designs that were there originally. The art on the walls is real; all the antiques in every room are genuine (some priceless), and the books in the library can date back 400 years.”
No one lives like this anymore. Your home may be simply decorated and practical for today’s needs, but there is nothing more romantic than jumping into the world of pure opulence from a bygone era.
We can pretend, and organize a tea party or dinner complete with all the pomp and finery. Costumes can be rented, appropriate menus can be created from this period in history. Like-minded friends might even volunteer to be the compulsory “staff.” What a fun and immensely memorable evening that would be.
Email your questions to house2home@debbietravis.com.