Saltram Part 8

 The kitchens always fascinate me, perhaps because I know that's likely where I would have ended up. Either that or as the wench that lights the fire before anyone gets up. 

No beautiful carpets here, stone flagstones are the order of the day.  You will also notice that the corridor to the kitchens flanks a courtyard and is separated from the house.

The food had to travel across this open area to the dining room.  The idea of course is to prevent the main house from catching fire as well as keep cooking odours contained where the inhabitants couldn't smell them.

This configuration was put in place after a fire destroyed the original kitchens in 1778. Lord Boringdon saw it as an opportunity to rationalize the domestic arrangements. He had the brew house and the laundry, which had been destroyed in the fire built as a separate block away from the house.


I do wonder how warm the food was after it travelled outside in the winter, but I expect they had food warmers in the dining room.  You can also see part of the orignial house here in this courtyard, and area likely never seen by guests and so not rendered like the frontages we saw earlier.

More to come on the working part of the house next time. Until then Happy Rambles.

Saltram Part 7

 Hope I am not boring you to death with all of these visits of mine.  I could spend hours wandering the lovely houses and I am so grateful to those who maintain them in such beautiful style.

These are the North Stairs, a quick retreat to upstairs from the dining room. They are not the main staircase, but very grand with an overhead skylight and support columns.

This hall also lead off to the heart of any house.  The kitchen.  Which will will visit next time.



Until then Happy rambles.

Her Highland Protector

In stores now, and online everywhere.

Lady Jenna Aleyne must marry well if she is to claim her lands…Only, there is a complete lack of eligible suitors in the Highlands! But then Niall Gilvry is assigned to watch over Jenna, and there's no denying she finds this handsome Scot most distracting!
Niall knows Jenna is too fine a lady for the likes of him—after all, high society has little time for a lowly third son—but he takes his duty seriously. With danger lurking in the shadows, Niall stays close. It would be just oh, so easy to pull her into his arms.…

Book Two in the Gilvrys of Dunross is fast paced, suspenseful and wildly romantic ~  Romantic Times  Check it out on Amazon.com. 

Fashion for July

I have a couple of July Fashions to share, one this week one next.  I am not being stingy, but all this takes a bit of time to get in shape, and I am supposed to be writing the next Gilvry's of Dunross story.  You did realize that Book 2 is out now I hope. Ahem, just a little reminder.

Oldenburgh Dinner Dress.

            French white satin slip, decorated round the bottom with a rich blond lace, and headed with a superb pearl trimming: a wreath of laurel leaves formed of pearls, in an angle in the front of the slip. The trimming is perfectly novel, and the effect of it is more elegant than can be conceived from the engraving which we have given. Over the slip is a short Russian robe of white crape, open front, edged round with a rich pearl trimming to correspond with the slip; the wreaths which ornament the robe is formed of pearls also, to correspond. The front of the dress is formed in a most novel and tasteful style, peculiar to the inventress, Mrs. Bell.

The back continues full, and the waist very short. Crape long sleeve, trimmed with pearl bands at regular distances. Small lace cap, superbly decorated with pearls, and finished with tassels to correspond; a fancy flower is placed to the side. The form of this cap is extremely elegant, exquisitely tasteful, and becoming. A white satin Chapeau Bras, ornamented with a spread eagle on the crown, worked in chenille, is indispensable. The hair is worn up a-la-Grecque on the left side, where it is fastened in a full knot.

Gloves and slippers of white kid. Plain ivory fan.

 This really is a pretty gown. Hope you enjoy, until next time, Happy Rambles.

Saltram Part 6

 Our next room at Saltram is the piece de resistance for entertaining.  The Salon. I should mention that the ballroom did not have the chandeliers during the Regency era. Instead when they were having a ball they put up lamps over the windows and candles over the doors and concealed them with wreaths and festoons of leaves and flowers.  Health and Safety would definitely not approve it seems to me. Talk about a fire hazard.  I still wonder how they managed to light the middle of the room if they were only lighting the perimeter. But this is what happened in 1810, so a nice description of a real event.

Other neat bits of information, the band played in a tent outside of the great window and playeddances all right. The floor was "chalked" in a design by the hostess by a celebrated artist from Plymouth and they had two rows of seats around the edge of the room for about 200 people.  What an amazing image.

By the way that window in the middle there, with two columns and a bit of a portico, is known as a Venetian window.  The concave ceiling is beautiful. I can only capture a bit of it, but hopefully you can get the idea.

The carpet is Axminster. It cost  L126 and was desiged to mirror the ceiling. the reason for the furniture going around the edge of the room is to show it off. And here is the other wall with the fireplace. I just love the these giltwood Chippendale sofas.


Finally, while there are lots of pictures of a collector time, I picked this one, as he is such a regency looking gentleman, though it is dated around 1785, a Baron and neighbour and friend. A very personal touch.  The walls were originally blue damask which over time faded to dove grey according to account.

Clearly there is much more to see and know about in this room, but on we go.

Until next time, Happy Rambles.