A quick look...

Sunday, 27 June 2010 12:38

...at a Wakefield National Trust property

Continuing my tradition of blogging about places we visit from the UK Waterways here is a look at a Wakefield wonder.

We caught a bus (Arriva 147) from Stanley Ferry on the Aire and Calder Navigation into Wakefield. Our destination was Nostell Priory, so we caught another bus (Blue Line 223) from the bus station!

Nostell Priory House was owned by the Winn family - a wealthy family who owned coal mines and mined iron ore in Lincolnshire. They took over the house in 1733 and as Baronets they entertained on a grand scale.

The area was once the site St Oswald's Priory, founded in 1000AD. All that remains of the Priory is the church of St Michael and Our Lady, built in 1533.

The church was built by the penultimate Prior who, anticipating Henry Vlll's Dissolution of the Monasteries, wisely had the church dedicated in the then new Church of England.

Inside there are some wonderful stained glass windows. They are mostly Swiss glass and very intricate. The church has the largest collection outside Zurich!

One in the south wall caught our interest as we thought it topical. It depicts St George and the dragon. Not quite England and the Three Lions, but in the same spirit we wave the St George Cross for the football match today!

St George and the dragon

The chancel has Winn Hatchments, Swiss windows, memorials and the family pew. The pulpit with a canopy is Turkish Boxwood, carved by Venetian craftsmen.

Chancel

So, back to Nostell Priory House, which is now owned by the National Trust.

Most of the contents are still owned by the Winn family who lived in the grace and favour apartments until 2005. Unlike most NT properties now, photography is not allowed in the house, although the NT has some pictures here.

Pan of house and grounds

It is full of beautiful Chippendale furniture and we lingered in most of the rooms admiring the craftsmanship and paintings. We wondered at such overt statements of wealth, particularly in comparison with the working conditions of the miners and the canal age that was developing around the same time!

The Stables and Riding School, designed by Robert Adam, is regarded as "second equal in importance to the Royal Mews", and is under restoration. The plan is to change it from this:

to this:

As we left a wedding party was arriving. It was a shame that this was not the bus we were to catch back to Wakefield!

Albion vintage bus