OLD ENGLISH HOUSE

Taranaki Daily News, 4 December 1935, Page 3

OLD ENGLISH HOUSE

WEEK IN THE FOREST OF DEAN HAWERA VISITOR’S EXPERIENCE. In a travel talk at the Hawera Women’s Club on Monday night Miss B. Young, who has returned from an extended holiday overseas, gave an interesting discourse on Speech House, near, the Forest of Dean, in Gloucestershire, where she spent several interesting days on her tour. To lovers of history and antiques her talk was particularly interesting. With Miss Young were two other Hawera people, Miss Robertson and Miss Rhoda Syme, who were particularly interested when they found Lord Bledisloe was associated with the house as a “verderer,” or representative of the district. Speech House is one of the very old houses in England, rich in historical memories and relics, repaired and to a certain extent modernised to suit the requirements of the times by a syndicate which has bought many historical places that would otherwise deteriorate with disuse. Speech House was once a hunting lodge, built by Charles 11. and used for many years as a Parliament house' for the people of the Forest of Dean, who were given by Queen Elizabeth freedom to make their own laws—a charter which remains to this day, if they choose to use it. Lord Bledisloe’s estate at Lidney is only a few miles from Speech House, and his name is included in the list of “verderers” who make up the parliament committee of this small community, which it is still customary to elect, though it is merely a formal bod y- ... . In Charles ll.’s original room is the canopied bed inade of baywood, the posts of which are marvellous pieces of work, made of young bay-tree trunks twisted like a rope, this artistic effect being brought about by the use of sand and friction. In other rooms is a bed at one time used by Queen Anne, a lovely example of Spanish mahogany, and another used by Nell Gwynne, which is made, of walnut. The bedspreads are Chinese masterpieces, coming originally from the Imperial Palace at Peking. Qther pieces of furniture, of particular interest as antiques, are two very fine pieces of tapestry reputed to be the handwork of Queen Elizabeth. Valuable Louis XIV. chairs are in the sitting room, with a large trunk beautifully inlaid with mother of pearl, at one time the property of Nell Gwynne, round which is entwined a pretty story of a beggar, a hunchback, whose life Nell saved by hiding him in the box. Last, but not least, are two pieces of original Chippendale. From Speech House long walks in the forest were planned by the New Zealand visitors, and from tree-top look-outs five or six counties could be seen. The city of Bristol made a pretty sight in the distance. The Abbey and churches, in the district they found magnificent in architecture and delightfully situated, most of them having been, built beside a stream or river with wooded slopes for a background. Tintern Abbey, she found, was as beautiful as it was reputed to be.