Autumn Cottage Diarist

I-Spy Amongst the Artefacts

Terracotta pottery fragments from the garden

Many of you will know that I live on the margin of Highclere Park, within which is situated Highclere Castle. The castle has appeared in many films & TV programmes in the past ('Eyes Wide Shut'...'Jeeves & Wooster') - but at the moment it will be known to anyone who has been/is watching 'Downton Abbey' - as it is the main filming location for this entertaining series.

Autumn Cottage was, up until the 1960's, one of the  cottages belonging to the Highclere Estate, with the inhabitants either working at, or being otherwise associated with 'The Castle' - and nowhere is this more visible than amongst the artefacts that I have dug up in, or found on the surface of the garden over the last 25 years. All the little bits of pottery and china, glass and metal give a far more evocative account of those who have lived here than mere words are able to do.

Sponge and transfer printed, handpainted, blown, moulded...pipes and pots, bottles, bowls and inkwells, buttons and teacups...the debris of life at Autumn Cottage

In picture 1 you will see pieces of humble pottery for day-to-day use, such as would be expected in cottages of this stature and age...but if you look in image 2, you will see also a fine array of china which is much more 'posh' - fragments of Chelsea tea-bowls, oriental decorated wares, much ornamented blue and white ware, mixed in with items of more lowly origin. This tells a story, to me, of people in service 'up at the Castle' who may have been given the odd chipped cup or plate, in preference to it being thrown on the rubbish dump when there was still 'a bit of use' left in it. (How I'd love to find that Castle rubbish dump and dig my way through it - I am sure there must be at least one there somewhere!). Can you imagine a maid or farm worker coming home with a pretty plate or cup, admiring it, getting pleasure from it, putting it on the dresser to enjoy it? I can imagine just such a thing - why, I continue a similar tradition every time I come back from the Antiques Arcade!

When doing some restoration work in my hall a few years ago, I found fragments of rather beautiful wallpaper, hand blocked with a fleur-de-lys pattern - yet another discard, I suspect, from the Big House. Recycling has been alive and well in Highclere for a couple of centuries at least...and I have boxes and boxes of artefacts to prove it!

Take a browse through these bits and pieces and see how many different items you can spot - imagine how they were used and by whom, 'Upstairs'? or 'Downstairs'? and if you are wondering about some of them, please leave a comment to ask...If I know more, I'll share it with you.

UK ALERT! The Victorian Farm - Thursday 8 January - BBC2 9pm

For those of you who loved BBC2's gem of a series "Tales from The Green Valley" in 2005, here is another six part series that promises to be unmissable. The Victorian Farm begins here tomorrow, again on BBC2, at 9pm.

One of the main participants, Alex Langlands - who is also studying (for a PhD) at the same University as me, has kindly given me permission to show you these images from what promises to be another engrossing and well researched series. I can't wait - don't miss it! - and I'll report back after the first programme.

'Tis Charming and Delightful...

Sense and Sensibility

 Very spoiled here in the UK on the TV at the moment – the BBC has this evening finished showing a new, three part adaption of Jane Austen’s “Sense and Sensibility”, while in the prior slot , a 10 part adaptation of Flora Thompson’s “Lark Rise to Candleford” has begun. Both have been beautifully produced, doing what the BBC does so well, sensitive attention to detail – lighting, costumes, casting – all are, and have been superb. 

I was lucky enough to see the wonderful National Theatre Production of Lark Rise to Candleford in 1978 with the glorious music of The Albion Band  (do, do, listen to some of these music clips and if you love folk music, buy the cd) – so I was a little apprehensive of seeing the current BBC production – but it is different enough not to be compared. The costumes are perfect, and the sets seem to be animated versions of the beautiful old Victorian sepia prints of the era of Francis Frith. 

I will certainly be taking my seat for the next nine weeks – if you get the opportunity, in the UK, try to catch at least one or two episodes - elsewhere, look out for the DVD's!

Lark Rise with Dawn French (the Vicar of Dibley) - images thanks to BBC drama