Brodsworth Hall

The Brodsworth exhibition runs until the end of October 2008

EXHIBITION AND FREE TRAIL
Work & Play at Brodsworth explores the estate from 1860s to present day, with a particular focus on the people who have worked on the estate.

In addition to an exhibition, the theme is also looked at through

• A Trail around the house and garden; which looks at views, objects and places relating to the estate and its workers, such as the Summer House with its ice-house below, and the octagonal game larder. While buildings on the wider estate are privately owned and not accessible to the public, many can be seen from Brodsworth Hall’s gardens.
• Window stands explaining views from house over the estate

The exhibition uses many fascinating historic photographs, and looks first at how the estate was remodelled by Charles Sabine Thellusson in the 1860s,when the present house, and many estate farms and cottages were built. The exhibition looks at the community who lived and worked on the estate, through themes such as shooting, (the major leisure pursuit of the family and a major source of employment), the ‘leisured landscape’ of the park and gardens and farming. The story continues with the impact on the estate community and landscape of the arrival of the Brodsworth colliery in 1905 and the mining village of Woodlands, and how the estate has continued to adapt to changing circumstances in the 20^th century.

Objects on display include – an enormous 1892 OS map of the 8,000 acre estate, measuring 3 by 4 metres, Victorian estate accounts and a game book, which all reflect the management and activities on the estate. There are also objects relating to ‘play’ - a teapot won at an Estate Sports Day in about 1900 (and the programme for the 1901 sports day with the washing competition featured in one of the publicity photographs), the Thellusson football shield won by Woodlands school in 1911. There is also a shaving kit presented to estate workers who returned from the First World War.

An interactive computer in the exhibition allows places and people of the estate to be looked at in greater detail. It has a database of past estate worksers which is searchable by name or occupation, so visitors can discover if their ancestors worked on teh estate.  Further information is given about occupations, such as that of gardener, estate joiner, woodman and a number of individuals, making great use of oral history recordings and photographs. The computer also looks at changes to the estate over time, by presenting maps from four periods, 1851, 1892, 1930 and the present day – and you are able to ‘fly’ through an aerial photograph of the entire estate landscape to reach any of the destinations (stables, farms, the colliery) that you wish to study.

A CD of the material on the computer, with additional educational worksheets and resources has been produced for local schools; a limited number are available from the Hall. ‘Discovery Day’ visits for schools have been developed hosted by the character of William Chuck, the Head Gardener in the 1870s. There is also a full events programme (see below) with talks, and a day for people to bring in their own photographs of the area.

EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES