Jane Eyre costumes return to Haddon Hall

Through PeriodDramas.com, we learn that Haddon Hall (outside Bakewell in Derbyshire), the Thornfield of no less than three different Jane Eyre adaptations (Gainsbourg/Hurt 1996, Wilson/Stephens 2006, Wasikowska/Fassbender 2011), is to have an exhibition of the costumes of said productions. Last year, they displayed costumes from the 2011 production, but now they're getting ones from the previous two as well. Yay!!

If it was just the 2011 costumes, I wouldn't be that tempted to go - been there, seen those - but with the other two adaptations as well ... awwww, I'll totally have to. Just imagine, seeing Rochester's deep green coat ... wow. Also, the 2011 costumes are incredible:

Mrs. Fairfax's apron. I loved it in the film.
It's even more wonderful to behold in real life.

Xmas Giveaway, Day 2: Item 3

Item 3 in the Christmas Giveaway is a souvenir notepad from Haddon Hall, which I picked up when I was there for the Jane Eyre behind the scenes tour in October ... which I still need to write about. It has the same picture that I have on my keyring and shows Haddon Hall in all its Thornfieldy splendour.

The Duchess (2008)

Film review: The Duchess (2008), directed by Saul Dibb

Set in Georgian times, The Duchess is about a young woman, Georgiana (Keira Knightley), who at age 17, in 1774, is married off by her mum (Charlotte Rampling) to the older William Cavendish (Voldemo Ralph Fiennes), the 5th Duke of Devonshire. It's not a marriage of love, and it doesn't appear to be very convenient either. The Duke is very cold and disinterested in his new wife, who essentially is only there to provide him with an heir.

But nothing happens. Instead, the Duchess takes to engaging in politics, fashion and gambling and gets extremely popular in many circles. She picks up the Earl Charles Grey (Dominic Cooper), a friend from before the marriage that she fancies, who would later have a tea named after him - and become a prime minister, but that's by the by.

The Duchess befriends Lady Elizabeth "Bess" Foster (Hayley Atwell), become BFFs, Bess moves into the family home, more things happen. Other people starring: Simon McBurney as Charles Fox and Aidan McArdle as Richard Sheridan.

Shameless plug: Jane Eyre Behind the Scenes Tour at Haddon Hall

This is totally lifted off a flyer I picked up when I was on said tour this Saturday just gone. It's a fun event, and you get to learn a lot not just about Jane Eyre '11, but also bits about '96 and '06, as they were all using Haddon Hall for Thornfield Hall. Tickets are selling fast, and this is the last of these you can attend this year!

My recommendation would be to dress warm, but not too warm, as you do walk around quite a bit.

Costumes from Jane Eyre '11 on display at Haddon Hall

Sunday 23 October 2011

10:30 am

If you would like to know more about what happens when a film crew takes over Haddon Hall, why not join us for our special "Behind the Scenes" tour? Stroll through the house and find out which rooms were used in which scene. Haddon Staff, involved with the filming, will share anecdotes and trade secrets with you. There is also the opportunity to visit parts of the house not normally open to visitors.

Enjoy this unique experience for only £11.50 per person to include coffee and biscuits in the Banqueting Hall on arrival.

To book your place, call 01629 810912 or ask a member of staff.

Places limited so book early to avoid disappointment!

Footage from Jane Eyre event at Haddon Hall

If you would like to see some footage from See Film Differently's Jane Eyre premiere at Haddon Hall, there's a little film here:



Both the Squeeze and I completely managed to evade being captured on film, apparently, despite me wearing my "Team Edward Rochester" t-shirt. Nice to see the bit with Cary Fukanaga (doesn't he kinda remind you of Johnny Depp?), as that seemed to be cut off when we were actually there, due to some terrible lag in the system.

Also, there's an event on next Saturday, which I'm hoping to attend.

And yes, I know, I still need to type up about the screening. Things got in the way, I'm afraid. Considering making it a Sunday Matinée post, which means it's still a few weeks in the future, as it's currently occupied by the German travel diary. Or maybe I'll reschedule. We'll see.

P.S. If you want to live in a place that inspired Charlotte Brontë, Thornton Hall in Thornton near Bradford is up for sale, for those who have £850,000+ to spare. Guide price is £849,000 and for that you get seven bedrooms, a pond and formal gardens. Even a library. Bargain! The Express have written a piece about it too.

Filming locations: North Lees Hall in Derbyshire

So, we finally made it to North Lees Hall outside Hathersage in north Derbyshire. (Previous post about this day is here, by the way.)

We drove up to the house, parked on the side of the field where other people were parked, tried to get an overturned sign to stay up in the wind (it wouldn't), and walked up to the old house.

First impressions, aside from fangirly glee of being somewhere where Charlotte Brontë had been and been so inspired by, was that the house itself is rather on the small side, but wow, the views of the Derbyshire hills from there are extraordinary!

How's this for a view?

The reason behind going to North Lees Hall in the first place is of course that it's one of the buildings that inspired Charlotte Brontë to write about Thornfield in Jane Eyre. In fact, the description of Thornfield Hall does ring true with North Lees (which also, as it happens, was the ancestral home of the Eyre family), with a tower and turrets and the surroundings, nestled among hills and so on. It's not exactly massive, though. You couldn't host a big house party, because it's nowhere big enough. A couple with a couple of kids or no kids at all could live here okay, but it's not much bigger than that. Anyway, I get ahead of myself.

Filming locations: Wingfield Manor in Derbyshire

Part 4: South Wingfield

The final stop on the journey before heading home was to be Wingfield Manor in South Wingfield. It's a bit further south than all the other places we'd been to during the day, so would make a good stop on the way back home to Nottingham.

Getting to South Wingfield wasn't a problem. There were roadsigns. We could even see the ruins from the road. How to get to Wingfield Manor, however, was another matter. There were no roadsigns at all. We couldn't find a place to stop to take pictures either, so had to go in a big circle back and see if we could find a place the second time around. The first time, when we had reached the post code for the hall according to the website, all we saw was a road saying that wasn't a public road to the manor so sod off. It was a lot clearer than the Hathersage "satnav users, this is a private road, y'all, just so you know" to say the least.

I looked with timorous joy towards a stately house: I saw a blackened ruin.

A Day Out in Derbyshire - part 3: Chatsworth, Darley Dale and Matlock Bath

Chatsworth

As we were leaving North Lees Hall, a man in the car next to us suggested popping to the church for another interesting historical building to view, and there's the grave of Robin Hood's buddy Little John to view as well. By the time we actually reached Hathersage, we couldn't be bothered trying to navigate those narrow streets in order to find the church, and as we both felt like a pit stop would be a good idea, we decided to skip it and press on.

The satnav got instructions to take us to South Wingfield via Matlock Bath, and on the way, we spotted a sign for the Chatsworth Farm Shop. As a sister-in-law had mentioned some kind of speciality tea she had only been able to find there, and we said we'd be going to Chatsworth for a visit at some point and would we mind awfully having a look for it and buy some for her. We didn't mind at all, and as we saw the sign, stopped by for said pit stop.

Hills as far as the eye can see.

A Day Out in Derbyshire - part 2: Hathersage

Hathersage

Driving through some narrow roads, made worse because of parked cars on the side of it, meaning that there really was only space for one car to pass at a time, we followed the satnav to the post code for North Lees Hall, i.e. S32 1BR. The Heritage site had said to "turn into Coggers Lane" in Hathersage, which was a road sign we never saw, so eventually, up on one of the hills, we came to a turn-off where the friendly female voice said we should "go left". It had a sign informing satnav users that it was a private road. Private and unpaved.

We thought that as the Hall is rented out as holiday accomodation, that might be it (not that any other signs said "North Lees Hall this way", but we hadn't seen any down in Hathersage either). They might just not want people using it as a through road or something. There have been stories in the news about very small towns that have had a lot of lorry traffic going through all of a sudden, because of satnavs saying that's the best route - which might be true for people in small cars, but big lorries ... not so much. Although in order to drive a lorry up those hills, you'd have to be either suicidal or mad.

Hills. Lots and lots of hills.

Speaking of which, we went down the unpaved road. As we went further along it, the condition it was in deteriorated, the road became a bit narrower, but surely that's where we were going? Then it started going downhill in a very steep decline and now we were really questioning ourselves. Surely the Hall could not be down this sort of hill, in this sort of road condition? It's crazy!

There were quite deep grooves in the road when we had gotten down it a bit and the Squeeze was concerned we'd hit the underside of the car (we have a small and economical car, the sort of thing Jeremy Clarkson would laugh at - or, actually, try to spend 24 hours in and pretend it's a living room). It wouldn't work to reverse all the way back up the hill, simply because the car's not powerful enough, so we'd have to go down the bottom and turn around. I suggested that I get out, as that would lighten the load and perhaps make it easier for avoiding the grooves. So he got out, I climbed over and out through the driver's side (couldn't open the door on the passenger side, as it was next to the grassy bank on the side of the road). He then got back in and carefully trying to make his way down while avoiding getting caught in the groove ... and ended up halfway up the bank, nearly flipping the car over! Fortunately, he didn't.

So there we were, car tilting dangerously on the side of a very narrow and very steep unpaved country lane in the middle of nowhere north Derbyshire. What the hell to do? Couldn't remain there, obviously, but how to get out? Reverse? Continue forward? Anxiously, I asked him to put on his seatbelt, but it wouldn't stretch out at all, probably some sort of safety feature (oh the irony), so he had to be without. On the verge of crying because I was so worried the car would flip over and him without a seatbelt, I climbed the bank to get out of the way so that he could reverse (had he not braked when he did, we would've had a stone through the bumper - which is why he couldn't go forward). He did and got safely back on the road.

And more hills. Derbyshire is a very hilly place.
They don't call it Derbyshire Dales and the Peak District for nowt!

Moments after this, a boy spotted us and went to get his dad, because at the end of that suicidal road was a little farm. The man asked if we were heading to North Lees Hall, which of course we were ... Obviously we weren't the first people to come down that road - although we were the first ones that weekend. They had been suggested to put a sign up by the people who own the Hall to make sure visitors to the Hall don't go down there, because apparently, the Hall owners can't be bothered to give PROPER BLOODY DIRECTIONS on the website. Personally, I think a sign saying "North Lees Hall is NOT down this road, continue the way you were heading, i.e. THERE ->" would've been a lot clearer, but there you go.

He was really very nice and helpful and showed us on the TomTom where we were supposed to be going, and we apologised a lot for coming down there in the first place. The weird thing is, he actually had a small car himself, and of course had absolutely no issues going up or down. He then offered to drive the car back up the hill for us, which we gratefully accepted.

Turning left at the end of the road, we continued and made it (on paved roads all the way) to North Lees Hall - the inspiration, or at least one of, for Thornfield in Jane Eyre.

Somehow, I thought it'd be bigger.
Not to mention bloody SIGNPOSTED!

To be continued ...

For the visit to North Lees Hall, there's a separate report (to come).
Or you can continue the Derbyshire tour in Part 3: Chatsworth, Darley Dale and Matlock Bath

A Day Out in Derbyshire - part 1: Bakewell and Rowland

Our little outing to go and see North Lees Hall turned into a big sightseeing tour of Derbyshire, from which we managed to return unscathed. Not that rural Derbyshire is full of crooks (like, for instance, the fictional county of Midsomer - where you're either a murder victim, witness, suspect or an actual murderer), but rather because it's full of very steep hills and very narrow roads. You might say north Derbyshire is breathtaking ... for all the wrong reasons!

Bakewell

We began the tour in Bakewell (passing Haddon Hall on the way). Bakewell is a town famous for their eponymous tarts and puddings, which are more or less full of almonds. I have made Bakewell tarts before and last week, I also tried making a Bakewell pudding, following the Hairy Bikers' recipe. Now we were back, to check out the original stuff. We did just that before we went to Haddon Hall last summer, and now we were trying to find the same place. Having just got ourselves a nice pasty each, the rain came out, so we ducked into the first pudding café we found. We thought it was different from last time, and "wasn't it on the high street?" but we thought no, it has to be the same place, surely. Surely not. The Bakewell pudding wasn't as nice as we remembered it, and while they made very nice (and expensive) mochas, it just wasn't what we expected. Turned out, of course, that we had gone in the wrong place (the wrong place not having a lock on the ladies' toilet - FAIL). There indeed was a café on the high street, just around the corner, where we bought a pudding to bring home with us, and one from another place as well. (We do love the flavour of almonds!)

Chatsworth House - close, but no cigar!

One of the country houses that litter the countryside on this little island that I'd love to visit is Chatsworth House in Derbyshire. And last Friday, had the day off and went to see it! Or, rather, we went to the Chatsworth Country Fair. It was a big show, located in the grounds of the house (the park?) but entry to the house and gardens wasn't included - and as the show was big, we were too busy walking around there to go to the house itself. The Squeeze has promised we'll go back and see the house properly at some point.

Chatsworth House - Pemberley '05

I got a proper belt so my trousers won't keep falling down and a proper whittling knife (by Mora of Sweden - oh the irony!) and had a look at plenty of dog things (not that we have a dog), lots of tweed and Australian leather hats. Another thing was the animals - ferret racing, for instance. Got to pet a very relaxed little ferret (they're super-cute). There was also a falconry display, but we didn't see that. Instead, we looked at some rescue owls. Owls! I love owls! They had some charity cards, so I got a bunch for Xmas.

"Lady, I haven't got any mail from Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade
or anywhere else for that matter. Do I LOOK like a mail man?!"

What was most interesting for us, however, was the fact that it's also a quite big food festival. Lots of things to try, lots of tasty things to buy. The chicken wraps ... should've shared one. I couldn't even manage half of it, it was just too much meat for my taste. Pretty tasty, though. Lots of nice chocolate. Some of the stalls we recognised from local farmers markets and the East Midlands Food Festival (coming up again in early October).

"Wendy, I can fly!"

Highlight of the day was the visit made by the Red Arrows - they're the Royal Air Force aerobatics display team. There was also another military team, the White Helmets, that did the same sort of thing ... on motorcycles. As they went after the Red Arrows, they seemed a little bit pants. I mean, formation motorcycling vs formation flying - flying wins hands down, it's way more impressive. The bikers put up a really good show, though. Very impressive, driving backwards and upside down and what have you! The funny thing was the names of the people on the team. There was a Potter, a Hale, a Steadman (thirtysomething, finally out on DVD!) ... and an Armitage! :)

"Hey, Armitage, isn't Spooks starting soon?"
"Yeah, September 18th, apparently."

The thing I found the very best was the breathtaking surroundings. Wow. The surrounding land featured beautiful rolling hills, and on the way back home, I took out the camera and opened the window to take a picture of the heather-filled moors, so the Squeeze stopped the car so I could take a proper photo. :)

Moors! Oh, my inner Brontë sister is purring.

You can really see why they've chosen Derbyshire as a filming location for a number of costume dramas. Because the scenery is such a wonderful character in itself. Looking forward to going back and see the house and gardens! :)

Dis what we call scenery pr0n, dawg.

Here's a video of bits of the Red Arrows display:



And a photo gallery of the day:

Reminder: English Heritage Open Days

For those who are inclined to look at old buildings, a bunch of them will be open next weekend. Amongst those, North Lees Hall in Hathersage (Derbyshire). Thursday and Friday by appointment, open 10-16 Saturday and Sunday.

One thing I didn't realise until ... yesterday is that North Lees Hall is actually not just some country house you can go visit whenever you like. It's a holiday cottage. Rent-a-castle or perhaps rather rent-a-manor. Which means, the only time you can see the place on the inside is on one of these open days - unless you want to cough up £455 for a three-night stay in the winter (low season), or a whole lot more during the summer months. The place does sleep six, though, so if you're a few people, you can always stay together for a few nights and share the cost. Wouldn't it be fun to get six Jane Eyre-ites together for a weekend at the place that inspired Thornfield? :)

Anyway. This realisation, i.e. it's open day or I won't get to see it on the inside at all (or at least not any time soon), means the Squeeze and I are going sightseeing this weekend! Wooh! North Lees Hall! Thornfield! Morton! Eyre family! Charlotte Brontë's inspiration! :D

Linkage:

• Heritage Open Days: North Lees Hall (visiting this weekend)
• Vivat Trust: North Lees Hall (renting the place)

In Charlotte Brontë's footsteps

While trying to find a photo to go with part two of Country Roads, I came across this:

It was three stories high . . . a gentleman’s manor-house . . . battlements around the top gave it a picturesque look’

In 1845 Charlotte Brontë stayed at Hathersage vicarage with her friend Ellen Nussey and regularly visited the locally important Eyre family at North Lees Hall.  Charlotte’s letters reveal Hathersage as the village Morton in Jane Eyre (published 1847). The landlord of the George Inn was a Mr Morton at the time Brontë stayed here and she borrowed the Eyre family name for her heroine.  There’s a reference in the novel to ‘Mr Oliver’s needle factory’ in Morton, and there were several needle mills in Hathersage then.

The novel’s crenellated Thornfield is clearly based on North Lees Hall. Robert Eyre is said to have built seven houses for seven sons and you can still see North Lees, an impressive Tudor manor just a short pleasant walk from the village.  It is rumoured there was indeed a ‘mad woman in the attic’ in its early history, just like Bertha Mason in Brontë’s novel. Agnes Ashurst was ‘reputed to have become demented and was confined to a room on the second floor where the walls were padded for her safety’. She later died in a fire.

‘Ladies, keep off, or I shall wax dangerous.’
And dangerous he looked:  his black eyes darted sparks.

Filming locations: Haddon Hall in Derbyshire

It's always fun to go places where they've filmed things, especially if it's something you're really into. For instance, I think I'd die and go to fangirl heaven if I were to go to Minyip in Australia (the town of Coopers Crossing in The Flying Doctors). Australia is a bit far to travel, but Derbyshire isn't, it's just next door. :)

"the most complete and most interesting house of [its] period"

Growing up, every summer, we used to go on family holidays in the caravan and travel around Sweden and go to museums, old houses, glass-blowing places and a number of other things. It wasn't just swimming and eating ice cream, no, we got to do Boring Cultural Things. At the time, I wasn't perhaps not very appreciative of it, as I never had any stories in class that quite measured up with my classmates who went to Crete or the Canary Islands for their holidays. What had I done? Gone gallavanting up a boring mountain up north somewhere and seen some old geezer make a basket. Big whoop-dee-doo. However, bits of it I did actually rather enjoy, and today, I'm glad of it. So what, we couldn't afford going to Tenerife, but unlike most of my classmates, I've actually seen most of Sweden. Today, I'd totally turn into my mother if I had kids, because I'd insist on travelling around the UK and see all the different parts of this enchanted island!

When my parents came over from Sweden last summer, my dad wanted to go to an airplane museum outside Newark (which we did on day one, when the sun happened to be out, and then had a walk around beautiful Newark, where King John (the prince in Robin Hood) died), mum wanted to go to a geranium society (but decided against it when she realised it was a bit further than she thought), and I wanted to, for once, be the one dragging my folks around a listed building instead of the other way around. Had my sights set on an 11th centrury country house in the next county... which is interesting to see for itself, but my motivation was only Jane Eyre, and perhaps a tiny little bit Princess Bride.