Lotherton Hall - Another View

I've done lots of posts about Lotherton Hall in the past:- Lotherton Hall And Doggy Ghosts, Fabby Day, Back To Lotherton, A Date At Lotherton Hall, Lotherton Hall Bird Garden, A Muddy Walk At Lotherton. Until now, I haven't been able to show you inside the house but we visited again yesterday as there was a food fair being held there and I noticed a sign saying photography inside the house was allowed without a flash so I thought I'd pop in to take a few photos to show you.

Lotherton Hall has been home to a number of prominent families, the most recent being the Gascoignes. It was gifted to the City of Leeds in 1968 by Sir Alvary Gascoigne and his wife. As you enter the inner hall there's a portrait of Sir Thomas Gascoigne 1743-1810.

This is the Housekeepers Room. There's a beautiful piano here and a well used writing desk.

The tablecloth sports some pretty embroidery.

Just off from the Houskeepers Room is the Servants Hall. The rooms I most like to explore in houses such as this one is the kitchen and scullery but these rooms, along with others, aren't open to the public.

I always thought a boudoir was a woman's bedroom but it can also be a small, private room. This room may be private but I wouldn't class it as small.

The Medal Room. This is most certainly a gentleman's room with it's masculine decor.

These are just a few of the medals displayed on the walls.

There are two large book shelves in the Library, you can see just one in the photo.

The Dining Room. A lovely space to entertain.

I thought this highchair was so sweet. I made sure I got the fireplace in the photo for scale. I remember highchairs like this where it splits in to a low chair and table once the baby's a little older.

Time to visit some of the rooms upstairs now.

They do say that the secret to a happy marriage is having separate bathrooms, this one is the Colonel's.

Lady Gascoigne's Bedroom.

I wonder if Lady Gascoigne was actually a spinner, there's a spinning wheel by the side of her bed.

Adjoining Lady Gascoigne's room is Sir Alvary's Room.

I'm not sure about the fire screen in Sir Alvary's Room, it seems to be a display of stuffed birds, not my kind of thing at all.

Between 1914 and 1918, Lotherton Hall was used as a voluntary aid detachment hospital for wounded soldiers. A few photos are displayed showing some of the patients and the nurses who cared for them.

I haven't included all the rooms in this post, there's more to see, along with many interesting displays and a good variety of paintings. There's usually an exhibition being held in the hall, at the moment it's Fashionable Yorkshire, exploring the history of fashion through the clothes and personal stories of a selection of Yorkshire women.

A bird garden, which is home to an extensive collection of endangered bird species, has been in the grounds of Lotherton Hall since the 1970s. Many of them are part of endangered breeding programmes. At the moment, work is being undertaken to change the bird garden in to Lotherton Wildlife World which will see forest mammals being introduced as well as new bird species.

There's lots of work going on at the moment building new habitats ready for the animals to move in to.

I didn't take many photos in the bird garden this time but I just had to show you the following two. This rhea had obviously had a hard day.

One of the emus took a bit of a fancy to me and was happy to pose for photos.

I hope you enjoyed this little tour. If you're in the area I can thoroughly recommend a visit to Lotherton Hall, allow yourself plenty of time as there's lots to explore: the house and chapel, the gardens, the bird garden, the orchard, the deer park, walks, not forgetting the courtyard and cafe. If you have children you should allow a full day as you'll never tear them away from the fabulous playground and newly installed play equipment.

I think you can tell it's a place we enjoy visiting.