Scotland 2019 3: Traquair Interiors

Traquair House is is a real gem, and unlike any other I have visited.  First, it's very much on a human scale: the rooms are small and cosy, without the lofty ceilings which might be expected from stately homes of a later date.  The walls are rough and the furniture homely - presumably owing to the relative poverty of the family over the centuries.  Second, although central heating and electric lights have been installed, there hasn't been much modernisation or renovation.  In particular, there's nothing obviously Victorian in the house, which makes it really unusual.

The Entrance Hall, with its copy of the death warrant for Mary Queen of Scots.

The Still Room is now used for storing china.

The main Drawing Room.  At the upper right it's possible to see one of the original beams, which have been exposed in a few places.  The old ceiling was richly decorated, including something I've never seen before: a Green Woman.

In other parts of the house, the paintings on the original plasterwork have also been uncovered.

The Master Bedroom, which is far from grand.

The Nursery, with associated collection of dolls.

The library, with its "Library Chair" on the left.  This is designed to be straddled like a horse, with the reader's legs either side of the central column.

Unsurprisingly, given the history of the house, there were secret locations where priests could be hidden.  The room which provided access to the Priest Hole had several of the original vestments on display.

At the rear of the house is a maze, and the shot below shows a person who was conveniently lost in the middle.

The view up the drive to the main Bear Gates, which have been locked since 1745 as a result of Bonnie Prince Charlie's hubris.

One of the wings is now used for wedding receptions.  What a wonderful place to get married.

The other wing houses the modern chapel and the brewery. 

Norwich Interiors

I don't know quite why it's taken me so long to visit Norwich Cathedral, but I've been missing a real treat.  Light and airy with perfect proportions, despite being supported by enormous Norman columns.  One of these days I'd like to go back with a tripod, but these images will have to do as a taster.

The Cathedral was lovely and warm, but one particular resident had clearly found the heating pipes.  It's a tough life being a cat...

Oxburgh Hall Interiors

Before heading to Kings Lynn for the Skipinnish Concert, back in July, Harriet and I revisited Oxburgh Hall - a beautiful National Trust property in Norfolk.  The weather was dull and grey with spots of rain, so we spent some time indoors looking at the hall interiors.  I am so glad that the National Trust now allow photography inside their buildings, and the Fuji 10-24 is an ideal lens for task owing to its wide angle of view and superb image stabilisation.  Some of the shots below were taken as low as 1/7s, hand held without any physical support, and they are pin sharp.  Most are at ISO 3200 too.

Anglesey Abbey Interiors

It's a very long time since I went inside the house at Anglesey Abbey, and certainly before the National Trust allowed photography in their properties.  Having played with the Infra Red camera outside, this seemed like a good time to shoot colour.  All pictures are taken with a Fuji X-T2 with 10-24/4 lens, hand held, with the ISO ranging from 1250 to 3200.  The image stabilisation on this particular lens is astonishing, and a couple of these images were shot as low as 1/7s.

The grand rooms are all very well, but I've always been more interested in life "below stairs".  Many of these rooms have been opened up since I visited before, and I had great fun exploring the wardrobe, bathroom, kitchen and butler's pantry.

Now, that's what I call a proper radio!

Good old "Vim" - and with 4d off too.  What a bargain.

The red tray, bottom right in the picture below, brought back waves of nostalgia, as we used to have exactly the same item in the house where I grew up.