Berwick Heritage Open Days, Fascinating Open Houses Throughout Northumberland
Today I had a portrait photo shoot of a family staying at The Anchorage Guest House in Woolmarket, Berwick, where we took some shots on the lovely sweeping staircase and in the kitchen before heading out along the street to the Elizabethan Walls.
After that shoot, I took a little trot along to one of the Heritage Open Days held in Berwick. This one was the rather eerie but fine townhouse of 44 Ravensdowne. Up until recently, believe it or not, this was an occupied home! I don't think the homeowners enjoyed housekeeping too much. The back garden contains evidence of the west wall of the 1550's Edward VI citadel, which was built to replace the castle. However, the house didn't disappoint with magnificent original features and tons of interesting things to photograph, a bit different to my usual interior photographs! Good luck to the new owners, I'm sure it will be a beautiful re-development.
Here is the info and website link from Heritage Open Days Northumberland:
"A must-visit. This is probably the only time this property will be open to the public. This fine early Victorian townhouse has been largely untouched for the last 80 years. It boasts most of its original interior architectural details. Later alterations include Art Nouveau panelling in the stairwell and wallpaper, albeit very faded, dating to the 1930s. The back garden contains evidence of the west wall of the Edward VI citadel and a mysterious carved stone has been discovered, possibly from a former Jacobean palace that stood on the site, built into a doorway!"
http://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/directory/HOD012916E/
After I'd finished looking around the house I decided to visit The Penny Lodging House in Eastern Lane, also a really interesting place to be nosey.
Here is the info on that one too - worth a visit and fascinating!
"The Penny Lodging House is a semi-derelict Georgian building that has a rich and varied history. Built possibly as a fashionable home in the late 18th century, it was used as a penny lodging house in the early and mid 19th century, before becoming storage premises for shops on Marygate - a use that preserved the interiors from modernisation and formed the eerie, desolate space that you see today. The building is occasionally used for site-specific performances by The Maltings Theatre."