Manchester Past and Present: March 2009

Tuesday 31 March 2009

Manchester Cathedral

There has been a Saxon Church here since before the Doomsday Book. The present church was started 1421 - to 1882.

Monday 30 March 2009

This photo is of the Choir Stalls and shows the Rood Screen across the Knave. Under each seat there are carvings called Misericords. Each carving depicts some part of life of Man. For instance Eagle and Child, Elephant and Castle, A man breaking his wife's cooking pot. There are 36 of them. Done about 1489-1494. All different scenes.

The Altar

This stunning altar is behind the Rood Screen and in front of the Choir Stalls.

North Entrance

This is the North Entrance to the Manchester Cathedral

The Main Church

Inside the main church people are listening to the Cathedral Choir Practicing Hymns with Descants. The sounds are wonderful in the huge body of the church.

Stained Glass Window

A Superb Stained Glass Window at the back of the one of the Altars

Tuesday 24 March 2009

Front of the House

This Dunham House 10 miles from Manchester. In 1066 Hamo de Massey was given lands at Dunham by William the Conqueror. So Dunham Massey is still here with us now.

More Stags

These Wild Fallow Deer have been at Dunham Massey for 800 yrs. So they are a part of the staple diet of the house. It is thought that they were imported from France by the Normans for sport and the table. Their Numbers are kept down to about 150.

A Stag

The Horns on this Stag shows that he is in his Prime. They get a new set of Antlers every year. So by counting the points on them gives you an Indication his of Age.

Back Scratch

This Stag has an itchy back so he tries to scratch it with his teeth.

Looking for Food

The Deer scrape the ground with their hooves to get the new growth of plants.

The Stag

The Rut Season is in October and November for Stags. So in February they concentrate on eating what they can.

In the Deer Park

The Fallow Deer Blend in with the Background so can be hard to see at a distance.

Another Scene

It's been a wet and cold winter so the Fallow Deer (about 150 of them) sometimes get fed on Hay which is bought in.

Winter Scene

A Scene in the Deer Park

The Water Mill

The Picturesque Water Wheel Mill still in use today.

Fountain

This Fountain is fed from the Pressure of the Ornamental Lake which is higher than the fountain.

The Byre

This is an 18 th century Byre or Stable built about 1750.

The Clock Tower

The Clock Tower is built on top of the Stables and Chimes the Hour and Half Hour. Part of the Moat can be seen which use to surround the original castle.

The Water Wheel

The Water Wheel still spins and drives all the machinery in the mill. It takes some of the hard work cutting wood for the fires in the hall.

The Saw Mill

This Mill is powered by a Water Wheel and it use to grind corn. Two hundred years ago it was turned in to Wood Sawing and Wood Turning Mill. A larger Corn Mill was built near by.

The Lake

The enclosed gardens and lake look good in the winter sunshine.

The Orangey

This building is the Orangey where the fruit is grown.

The Lake

The original Moat has been dug out to form an ornamental lake complete with swans,ducks,moorhens and coots. At the back of the house.

Garden View

Some of the trees in the garden are almost three hundred years old.

Daffodils

After a very cold winter Daffodils are a welcome sight that spring is just round the corner

Front of House

Another view of the Front of the House and Stable block from the enclosed garden. The deer can not get in to the garden as they will eat anything.

The Front of the House

This house was built in the Georgian Times before that there was a Castle with a moat round it built by Hamo De Massey and lived in by his Ancestors there records of the park in 1362. In 1748-52 the Deer Park was enclosed by 3 mile long brick wall.

Dolly Pegs

The Dolly Tub is upside down as you can see, the dolly pegs were used as agitators and twisted by hand. Soap or Lye was made out fat or beef dripping and caustic soda to make a form of soap.

The Mangle

The big wooden rollers of the Mangle squeezes out the water from the washing in to the bath on the floor. Notice the copper troughs where the washing has come from.

Flat Iron Stove

A cast iron stove made and designed just heat up Flat Irons as you can see. The stove was heated up to almost red hot so that Ironing could commence.

Laundry Wrack Winding Gear

This is the Clothes Wrack Winding Gear heavy duty wind up and wind down complete with brake all has been made by the local Blacksmith.

The Clothes Rack

No such thing as washing line in Stately Homes. The owners of the Big Houses did not want to spoil their views with washing lines. So indoor wash houses were built and used.

The Laundry

This is the Laundry Room where all the Clothes, Bedding, Curtains are washed dried and Ironed by the Laundry Girls.

Kitchen Range

This is the sharp end of the Kitchen the huge range which burnt wood and charcoal from off the estate. Between 1714 to 1763 more than 100,000 trees were planted in his Lordship's Park.

Copper Pans

Scullery Maids kept everything bright and shiny the small table was there so the Head Cook could plan out the day's menu.

The Kitchen

Big house big kitchen as you can see. The head cook ruled here with a rod of iron. The food cooked here was for the Masters and all the live in staff. Gone are the Medieval Days when the Masters ate with the staff at different tables.

The Dairy

Butter and Cheese were made in the Dairy you can see the Butter Churn. It was cool in the summer but absolutely freezing in the winter.

Four Poster Bed

This is a Four Poster Bed. The curtains round the bed were there not to look pretty but to cut out all the droughts and try to keep the bed warm in the big high ceiling house

The Silver

This is one of the Largest Collection of Huguenot Silver in Britain. The house has been converted from a Victorian style furniture to the more Edwardian elegant style of furnishing.