Friday, October 23, 2015

Five on Friday

It's Friday so I'm joining in with  Amy at Love Made my Home for this week's Five on Friday.  Click on the link at the bottom of this post to find others who are joining in too.


 We have done quite a bit a driving out and about into Derbyshire recently and I've enjoyed seeing all the autumnal colour along the way.  The early afternoons have been golden with bright sunshine enhancing the copper colour of the trees and the fallen leaves along the footpaths.  Sometimes we have driven along through leaves descending as thick as snowflakes.  Travelling home in the evenings we have watched the copper and gold fade from the trees and hedgerows to be taken up by the sky as the setting sun sends out streaks of golden yellow across its fading blue  which soon turns to grey with black clouds lining the horizon making them look like separate lands, small, inaccessible islands miles away.  As the sky turns grey so does the land, the green fields take on an ashen hue and the gold and copper trees turn black in the gathering gloom.  Of course driving along I haven't taken any photos but the images of sunsets and nightfall are clear in my mind.  


Yesterday on our way home from visiting my sister in hospital, rather then head through the town of Chesterfield, we cut across country and stopped for a while to look at the ruins of Sutton Scarsdale Hall and to take in the views across the M1 motorway and to the stately Bolsover Castle on its hill.

Below are five photos I took whilst we were there with five facts about the hall. 


The remains of the rather grandiose Baroque style Georgian Hall are Grade 1 listed. 

The Hall was built between 1724 and 1729 by the architect Francis Smith of Warwick who successfully incorporated the remains of the old hall which dated back to 1469 within the new structure.


It was built for the 4th Earl of Scarsdale and many notable craftsmen worked on the interior including wood carvings by Grinling Gibbons.  The cost of the all the work took its toll on the Scarsdale family and in the 19th century they sold it to  descendants of the industrialist and mill owner Richard Arkwright, whose factories we passed on our way home through Matlock Bath and Cromford.

In 1919 the Arkwright family sold it to a firm of asset strippers.  Three of the rooms still exist and are in the Museum of Art in Philadelphia.  Another wood panelled room is in the Huntington Library in California.


The ruins of the hall were saved from demolition by Sir Osbert Sitwell, of nearby Renishaw Hall, who bought it in 1946.  In the 1970s the Sitwell family persuaded the Department of the Environment to take it into their guardianship.  It is now looked after by English Heritage.  The medieval church next to the ruins is dedicated to St Mary.


Below are five more photos of some of the details around the ruins.

It's time for coffee then I have a doctor's appointment so I'll catch up with you all later today.

Have a lovely weekend.

40 comments:

  1. Five stunning photos, with an amazing history. You took us on a great tour. Have a wonderful weekend.

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  2. What a shame to have English heritage hauled off to the States.

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    1. It does seem so but then at least the rooms are preserved in once piece somewhere:)

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  3. What a shame that it's a ruin now after all those great craftsmen worked on it. The Scarsdales would be devastated to see it now. Great post Rosie. x

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    1. Thanks, so many of the great houses close by like Clumber were completely demolished, with only photos left to show what the interiors were like, I think rooms from there went to other places too:)

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  4. I hope that all will be well for your sister and that your own docs appt was alright too. I loved your description of driving and autumn at the start of the post, so evocative! The hall is very interesting isn't it, it must have been an incredible building in its heyday mustn't it. Sad to see it like this, but better than if it was all totally gone I guess! Thank you for joining Five On Friday. I hope that you have a great weekend! xx

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    1. Thanks, Amy all is well with us both. Glad you enjoyed the post it is sad to see the hall this way but I too am glad the ruin is still there:)

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  5. And now you've given me another place to put on my list of future outings! But actually Rosie, what I enjoyed most of all about this post was your second paragraph - beautiful Thank you and keep your chin up. x

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    1. Sutton Scarsdale is very close to Bolsover Castle and Hardwick Hall - all places I grew up knowing as we lived in a village not far away and all interesting to visit, chin is up - all is well with sister and I:)

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  6. Wonderful old building! I am so glad it has been saved for posterity!
    I have enjoyed reading through your blog and really enjoyed your photos!
    Your newest follower!
    Christine

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    1. Hello Christine thanks for your comment and the follow - glad you have enjoyed visiting:)

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  7. Very interesting to learn a bit more about this ruin - it's one I've not visited (yet!).

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    1. It is in a lovely village with quite a few old buildings, close to Bolsover Castle and Hardwick Hall all interesting places to visit:)

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  8. Interesting choice for Five On Friday. If love made Amy's home then neglect seems to have made this ruin.

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    1. Indeed, it seems like the Arkwrights were the main culprits in its downfall:)

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  9. I hope that things work out for your sister Rosie and that your Doctor's appointment wasn't anything too traumatic. I love your descriptive writing about driving home through the autumn colour. I can picture the scene perfectly. As with regards to the hall, I bet it looked splendid when it was first built. It would be great to go back in time and see it then. Have a lovely weekend. x

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    1. Thanks Simone, sister home now and I'm ok, thank you - glad you enjoyed my bit of prose:)

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  10. Your description of the changing colours of autumn are very poetic. I love that old building - what tales it could tell.

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    1. Thanks, Elaine glad you enjoyed the description - I bet those walls could tell loads of stories of days gone by:)

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  11. The ruins of Scarsdale Hall are magnificent! I would love to see it some time. Great photos!

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    1. Thjey are rather fine aren't they? Across on the next hill top stands Bolsover Castle which I'll write a post about soon:)

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  12. Your photos are beautiful! I love old architecture. It's such a shame that these buildings are just a shell of their former selves. As much as I would enjoy seeing it now, I would love to have seen it when it was in its heyday. Thank you for sharing! Have a wonderful weekend :)

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    1. Glad you enjoyed visiting the Hall with me - I can see all the lights blazing in those windows when the families lived there can't you?:)

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  13. I do like these grand halls.
    Enjoy the weekend.
    Amalia
    xo

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  14. Wow! Loved looking at these photos. It's important to keep some historical ruins too I think

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    1. Glad you enjoyed the photos - yes, I'd rather have the ruins than nothing or a new building in its place:)

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  15. fascinating post, lovely to visit you again after a while away from the blogging world (me, that is).
    Love Helen, Darcy, Bingley & Fred xxxx

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    1. Lovely to see you here again after such a long time:)

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  16. I didn't realise the Sitwells owned Renishaw Hall. They had a house in Scarborough that was a museum when I was a kid. It's closed now, but I have wonderful memories of it.

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    1. I think the house is an arts venue now across the little green area from the art gallery? Perhaps I'm wrong - was it called Woodend? Renishaw Hall is well worth a visit lots of interesting things there:)

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  17. Oh my, this is such an interesting post to read about this historical site that is right in your area. How lucky are you to live in such a place with so many historic places! I am going to do a little research since you mentioned Huntington Library. I visited that library a couple of years ago. It was an amazing place. Thank you for sharing such a wonderful piece of history. Hugs, Pat xx

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    1. Glad you enjoyed it Pat, I must look up the Library too and see if there is anything about the rooms:)

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  18. I love the little mosaic you've made. The second large photo reminded me for a moment of the Coliseum in Rome. Well done Sir Osbert for saving the building from total destruction.

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    1. Yes, Sir Osbert did the right thing at least we still have the ruin which is interesting in itself isn't it?:)

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  19. It is a fascinating place. I didn't know the contents of the room had been saved. How did they end up in America? xx

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    1. I did read somewhere, must look it up again, that at least one of the rooms was removed by newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst - I must check that:)

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  20. Gosh they are fabulous pictures Rosie, it looks like an amazing place. It's a bit sad though that it's in such a condition nowadays, I bet it was stunning back in the day. I hope you and your sister are ok xxx

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    1. It is sad that it is so neglected but good to have so much of it left. We are both ok now thank you:)

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