Cumbria
The Young Georgians
and The One Show

                     Dalemain

Last Saturday 29th March was the day of The Young Georgian's northern excursion to Dalemain and Mirehouse, two of Cumbria's best loved historic houses. Twenty eight people convened from all over the country, some having left London on a 6.05 train (such is the devotion of Georgian enthusiasts and aficionados), and the sun shone bright on the perfect Georgian facade of Dalemain. This house is now almost as famous for marmalade as anything else but we were here to explore the venerable old pile, but also ended up buying half the shop in conserves at the end of the visit!

Dalemain has been home to the Hasell family (now Hasell-McCosh) since 1679 when an Sir Edward Hasell bought the estate. Long before the present elegant Georgian facade of 1744 looked over the park this was an 'E' Shaped manor house with a pele tower in one corner and was a safe port for the formidable Lady Anne Clifford…she even had her own key to the house and could come and go as she pleased. Various remnants remain from the time of this mighty lady including a state bed, said key and an exquisite gold and pearl brooch. Sir Edward was her Steward and Lady Anne somehow seems to inhabit the atmosphere of the old house as much as the Hasells.

The tour started in the startlingly pink staircase hall. Its walls are quite shockingly modern on arrival and are painted in the original Georgian hues…this must have been a hell of a shock after arriving at Dalemain out of the grey, rainy and mist filled Cumbria of the Eighteenth century. The staircase visibly leans to one side and has a column underneath to strengthen it…this was apparently done to secure this marvellous Georgian set piece when the buxom Mrs Hasell of the late Nineteenth century came down the stairs in all her finery. Thank God they did strengthen it and ensure its survival for it is a wonderful design, with three balusters per tread and the balusters themselves being of a most original and attractive design looking a little like floppy palm trees.

Next door is an exquisite Chinoiserie room, replete with a Chinese Chippendale wooden chimney piece. The final room of the enfilade along the Georgian front is the dark and richly panelled Dining Room. George Hasell-McCosh's brilliant Cumbrian Yeomanry and Great War exhibition comes next and then we are in the Dalemain of ancient times. A tiny stone spiral stair leads to a panelled bedroom with numerous relics from the time of lady Anne Clifford, many of which belonged to her. The room next door is as cold as a bedroom could be and then comes a large haunted bedroom and finally the nursery, housekeeper's room and the Marmalade Museum. This is a house of many parts, not the least culinary excellence, for we had a super lunch with Shepherds pie and Dalemain apple and flapjack crumble…a masterpiece!

Young Georgian and soprano Meeta Raval with Georgian Mascot, She-ra

After lunch we got back in our cars and journeyed towards Keswick and to the literary stronghold of Mirehouse. We were greeted by John Fryer-Spedding, whose family have lived at Mirehouse since 1802 and have cherished this extraordinary place. The setting of Mirehouse is unrivaled…the great bulk of Skiddaw towers up behind it and Bassenthwaite forms an almost impossibly idyllic backdrop to the ancient church of St Bega

                       A view to St Bega's Church at Bassenthwaite

                   Mr John Fryer-Spedding welcoming the Group to Mirehouse

Oliver Gerrish and John Fryer-Spedding

The Library

She-ra meets Mr Fox

The interior of Mirehouse is richly colourful, both in its architecture and its close associations with many of our greatest literary men; Wordsworth, Southey, Tennyson…to name but a few. Marvellous books and relics are everywhere. The Dining Room is a serene Georgian apartment with Gothick detailing. The largest room is the Red Drawing Room, or Music Room, where the colours for the walls are taken from the portrait above the chimney piece. Everything in this house is beautifully planned and it would be hard to find such a perfect setting. 

Young Georgians in the saddle

Young Georgian up the chimney

Young Georgian sitting soft

We enjoyed a fine tea at the end of the day, after which we walked down to St Bega's and Bassenthwaite, said farewell to various people heading back to the Metropolis and our party went back to my Grandparent's house in Newlands Valley for dinner dressed as'Withnail and I'. Somehow I think my Grandmother, Cumbrian writer and Coleridge expert, Molly Lefebure would have approved of this day in the Lakes.

                   St Bega's Church

On return to London I was, yet again, thrown back into the Eighteenth Century as I arrived at Handel House to record Handel's 'Hallelujah' Chorus from 'Messiah'. This was for The One Show and Gyles Brandreth seemed to enjoy it!

                  Oliver Gerrish

                   The singers with Gyles Brandreth

I got changed into the funny old clothes at the top of the house and mused on the wonderful weekend just passed in Cumbria, five and a half hours up the motorway and a million miles away in the mountains.







For information on the houses in this blog please go to:-

Dalemain: http://www.dalemain.com/index.php
Mirehouse: http://mirehouse.com
Handel House: http://www.handelhouse.org


All images and material in this blog is copyright of Oliver Gerrish. Please ask permission before using