2007/8
Work & Play: Life on The Yorkshire Country
House Estate,
Following the huge popular success and critical acclaim of ‘Maids & Mistresses' in 2004, the Yorkshire Country House Partnership is again preparing a fascinating series of coordinated exhibitions and activities at 4 of the major historic houses across the county, launching in 2007 – this time the spotlight will be on ‘Work and Play'.
‘Work & Play – Life on the Yorkshire Country House Estate' turns its attention to the great outdoors. Work and play were indivisible in many respects on the Country Estates – although whether the activity was ‘work' or ‘play' depended very much on your social position. The ‘play' activities of the families of the great houses often depended on the work of the tenants and servants – nowhere more obviously than in pastimes such as hunting, shooting, and riding.
The Constable family have held lands in Yorkshire since the early twelfth century and have been Lords of the east riding coastal plain of Holderness since 1560. Their history is interwoven with the history of the region, touching the lives of local people through tenancy, employment, patronage and charitable works. The story of the Burton Constable estate is a fascinating one encompassing tales of Gardeners and Groomsmen, Huntsmen and Hermits, ‘Whippers-in' and Whales!
It was the Burton Constable sperm whale that provided inspiration for Herman Melville's Moby Dick . The skeleton of this 58ft ‘monster' will form a dramatic display in the Great Hall at Burton Constable (during 2007 only)
The skeleton will form part of a permanent exhibition in 2009 in the Stable Block
Furthermore, a trail guide to the estates of Burton Constable, Burton Agnes and Sledmere will be available FREE OF CHARGE at each house.
Contact Information
The Burton Constable Foundation
Burton Constable, Skirlaugh,
East Yorkshire HU11 4LN
Telephone 01964-562400 Fax 01964-563229
email: Enquiries
Registered Charity No.1010121 Registered Museum No. 604
