Aston Hall and the Tudors

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Aston Hall and the Tudors
Aston Hall was built just after Elizabeth I died.
But it is like a house for a rich Tudor nobleman.
Line drawings by Brian Byron
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Sir Thomas Holte was the rich man who had Aston
Hall built.
The Holte family were big landowners. Sir Thomas
grandfather added monastery land to his estate
after Henry VIII did away with them.
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The main door opened into a magnificent Entrance
Hall
Sir Thomas Holtes 40 servants ate in this room
at trestle tables and enjoyed celebrating
Christmas and other festivals here.
Grand visitors could admire the lovely plaster
mouldings on the ceiling and the carvings on the
oak panelling.
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Sir Thomas, his wife and his 16 children ate in
the Great Parlour when they did not have visitors.
The tables in the Great Parlour are placed in a T
shape (top table and lower table) as Sir Thomas
would have had them.
Rush matting covers the floor.
Rushes were picked from near three big pools not
far away. Aston Hall stood in countryside 400
years ago. The rushes were dried and plaited to
make matting.
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These two boys in the picture on the wallcould
be sons of Sir Thomas.
We know they are rich little boys because of the
lovely embroidered (patterns sewn on) collars on
their jackets. The embroidery on the collars is
called blackwork.
Rich ladies had to learn to sew beautifully from
when they were very young. The cushion is a copy
showing some of the patterns sewn. It is called
blackwork.
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The Great Stairs is wide and beautifully carved.
The Tudors were very interested in monsters.
Voyagers and adventurers
were travelling to far off lands and telling
stories of strange creatures they had seen.
People thought that perhaps the beasts from their
myths and legends could be found in far off
lands.
Grand visitors were swept up the stairs to the
first floor.
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The house was heated by log or coal fires.
There are some lovely carved stone fireplaces
from 400 years ago in the best rooms at Aston
Hall.
Fires were usually laid with straw then twigs and
finally logs(and later coal) on top.
A tinderbox was used to light the fire. The steel
struck against the flint to create sparks which
dropped on the straw tinder.
This was then scraped out into the straw at the
base of the fire. This straw caught alight and
the
Sandstone has been used and, in the best rooms,
some marble too.
fire would draw up through the fire lighting the
twigs and logs or coal.
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Tallow candles were burnt to give light on
ordinary days
The wick (string) was dipped in melted tallow
about 20 times(the tallow was allowed to dry
between each dip).
Tallow candles hissed and spat more than the best
beeswax candles. And they were very smelly!
Tallow is a mixture of mutton fat (from sheep)
and beef fat.
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The best candles were made from beeswax.
Bees make wax honeycombs to store their honey.
The honeycombs were flattened and wrapped around
wicks(strings) to make candles.
Candle sticks like this pricket one were placed
along tables to make it easier to see what was on
your plate.
Brass candle holders hang from the ceiling in the
best rooms at Aston Hall.
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Grand visitors were feasted in the Great Chamber
Plaster mouldings of the heads of ancient Roman
gods decorate the ceiling.
This special room was on the south side of the
house and the windows looked out on to lovely
gardens.
Statues of Nine Worthies (heroes like Julius
Caesar, King Arthur and Alexander the Great)
decorate the tops of the walls.
Large carved stone overmantels were fashionable
around fireplaces.
The feast included game meats like this haunch
of venison (deer meat).
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A withdrawing room or sitting room
Sir Thomas brought his guests to this room for
sweetmeats, or the banquet after the main part
of the meal.
There are some amazing patterns on this ceiling
including a sun.
The plaster mouldings on the ceiling are 400
years old.
The Tudors loved things meaning something
symbolism. The sun symbolises the life force
nothing will grow without the sun.
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The best lodging chamber(best bedroom) was next
to the Great Chamber. One room just led into the
other.
A rich Tudor visitor would have slept propped up
in a four-poster or tester bed(tester means the
roof part). Tudor men and women wore long white
nighties and a night cap. It was thought
unhealthy to go to bed with your head uncovered.
The wyvern symbolised war and pestilence!
The camel symbolised humbleness kneeling under
its burden.
A bowl was used for washing and a pot for a
toilet.
This bedroom has changed a great deal since the
house was first built. But the plaster mouldings
on the ceiling and on the frieze on the tops of
the walls are from 400 years ago. The animals all
had meaning or symbolism.
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It was very fashionable to have a Long Gallery to
exercise in when it was raining by walking up and
down (promenading).
The Long Gallery is one of the state rooms where
guests were taken. It is fine plaster mouldings
on the ceiling, beautiful, carved panelling,
tapestries and a magnificent stone and marble
fireplace. Guests may have been entertained in
the Great Chamber or in this Long Gallery.
Sir Thomas Holtes coat of arms is above the
fireplace with his symbol -the squirrel.
Travelling players were sometimes called in. They
may have performed perhaps some plays by
Shakespeare.
Musicians could have played and the guests may
have danced.
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Dicks Garret where the servants slept.
Sir Thomas Holte had 40 servants. The most
important was the steward and the lowliest was
the turn spit who turned the meat in front of the
roaring fire in the kitchen.
It is said that two ghosts from 400 years ago
appear sometimes. The ghost of Sir Thomas
daughter and the ghost of Dick the kitchen
scullion.
Ten to fifteen servants slept on straw mattresses
in this attic room. The more important servants
had smaller rooms and maybe truckle beds to put
their mattresses on.
Large Tudor houses would have a whipping post in
the back yard. If a servant misbehaved they were
tied to this post and beaten.
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The kitchen has changed since Sir Thomas Holtes
day but some things are the same as Tudor times.
The stone sink the water came from a well
Leather jugs black jacks
The meat safe
Herbs used for flavouring and medicine
Meat chopping block
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The cook, scullions and kitchen maids prepared
food at a round table