Brownlow | Author, Jane Lark's stories

We visited Belton House in Lincolnshire in September 2011, and the folly there was the height of Romance. Although I discovered no grand stories about it I just loved its charm.

Set at the end of a long avenue – a room with a view – not a very tall tower but placed on a hill that proclaims to give sight of seven counties.

It is set in a beautiful aspect, at the end of an avenue, both to look at from the windows of the house, and from the folly back towards the house. There were deer grazing in the park.

Belmount Tower was built between 1749 – 1751, and originally had two further arches either side of the central arch, these were removed in the later 18^th century on the advice of Lord Brownlow’s brother-in-law, Philip Yorke.

The building is surprisingly narrow, but internally contains a spiral staircase leading to a room above, from which the views can be enjoyed.

We know that Lord Brownlow used the room for entertaining, he even dined there, having a meal transported from the house to the tower. The servants must have transported the dinner in carts. It’s quite far from the house.

It looks like a fabulous entertaining space, people must have felt very decadent sitting in a room with views from every angle as though you were up on top of the world.

I recently went to another folly used for dining, on the Rievaulx Terrace, in Yorkshire. This Palladian style folly was established as a permanent entertaining space, and better equipt, with a cellar beneath for storing wine and cooking. Its over a mile from the house so there was no chance of transporting a hot dinner.

The whole platform it’s built on could almost be called a folly.

The bank of earth was built up on a natural hill above the ruins of Rievaulx Abbey, so guests may stroll from one end to another and enjoy the view of the Abbey ruins framed by carefully planted trees.

Imagine this on a Christmas day, dusted with snow, and then taking your Christmas dinner in the folly, which was as fabulously decorated as any house.

Views from the terrace;

Jane Lark is a writer of authentic, passionate and emotional love stories.

See the side bar for details of Jane’s books, and Jane’s website www.janelark.co.uk to learn more about Jane. Or click ‘like’ on Jane’s Facebook page to see photo’s and learn historical facts from the Georgian, Regency and Victorian eras, which Jane publishes there. You can also follow Jane on twitter at @janelark

We went to Belton House in Lincolnshire yesterday. It is a 17^th Century House with the usual tweaks made over later centuries. We did a below stairs tour while we were there.

The corridor, which I have taken a picture of, by the 19^th Century was used by both male and female servants. However women were to walk on one side and men on the other, a tradition which had passed down from earlier years when the men had a separate corridor on the right.

The rooms used by the male servants, overseen by the butler, were on the right. The rooms used by the women were on the left, overseen by the housekeeper.

In the butler’s areas were the wine cellar, the beer cellar, the silver store, the lamp and candle making spaces. While the housekeepers areas included the scullery, the kitchen, the linen cupboards, and the distillery where fruit cordials and preserves were made.

The servants did not dine together, the senior female servants – and visiting female servants – dined in the housekeeper’s room. The senior male servants – and visiting male servants – dined with the steward, who was responsible for overseeing the house and estate when the family were not in residence, and for managing it when they were.

There was a hierarchy among the servants as there was within the house. They sat at table in order of their status and the minor servants – grooms, scullery maids, etc – dined in a separate area completely.

The senior servants were even waited on, and had staff who cared for their clothes and rooms and served them. In Belton the steward had his own bell to call for service.

In the butler’s room there was also a cupboard containing a bed, where an under-butler would sleep at night in case one of the family woke and rang for service.

There is an entrance to the family chapel from below stairs. The Chapel was integrated into the house and used for morning service. The servants entrance to it opens into an area facing the altar, beneath the balcony where the family would have sat. The family would not have even seen the servants beneath them.

Below I have included some pictures of below stairs and in my next blog I will share some details and pictures of the house and a surprising fact about the chapel.

Jane Lark is a writer of authentic, passionate and emotional love stories.

See the side bar for details of Jane’s books and Jane’s website www.janelark.co.uk to learn more about Jane. Or click ‘like’ on Jane’s Facebook page to see photo’s and learn historical facts from the Georgian, Regency and Victorian eras, which Jane publishes there. You can also follow Jane on twitter at @janelark

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