UNCOVERING THE PAST
A fascinating project that is set to reveal detailed information on everyday life in previous centuries is underway at Browsholme Hall
Set in the heart of the Ribble Valley, Browsholme Hall is a Grade I listed historic house that has been lived in by 14 generations of the Parker family since it was built in 1507.
Now, thanks to a grant from Historic England’s Culture Recovery Fund, previously unseen documents, including letters, diaries, drawings and maps that give a unique insight into the past, are to be catalogued for a new archive.
Robert Parker, whose family are the current owners and custodians of this historic estate, explains: “If these documents aren’t catalogued no-one knows they exist. For example we have discovered over 200 handwritten recipes from the 18th century and only the other day we came across a letter that describes life in the trenches during the first world war.
“We have diaries and pocket books that belonged to Elizabeth Parker dating from 1780 to 1796 – these and many other letters may not record dramatic events, but they do give a detailed insight into the daily lives of family, their friends and life on the estate for over four hundred years.
“We have a cartography book of hand drawn maps of the estate in 1765, which shows a lost ‘wilderness garden’ in the form of the Union Jack! As a result, we are currently reinstating this wilderness with each segment featuring unusual trees, shrubs and spring bulbs.”
Professional archivist Anna Watson, who has begun the task of cataloguing the documents, says: “The ripples from historic records are absolutely fabulous. You are finding out about people in the past and that’s my great love – people.”
Robert adds: “A professional archivist like Anna and the volunteers that she will train, are essential to putting down a good foundation for the archive to show how these documents may inform us of the past and how they may help us with conservation in the future.”
Volunteer archivist and tour guide at Browsholme, Linda Sawley added: “It’s amazing, you can’t believe what there is here! These documents will help inform to know more about the Hall, family and its contents, which we can then include in guided tours for visitors. It’s like a relay race, you hand the baton on to the next generation and that’s what Browsholme has done, by handing all its contents and knowledge of all its people onto the next generation.”
It seems that this archive will become a fabulous resource for Lancashire to give a glimpse into the past.
Browsholme Hall gardens and tearoom will be open Tuesdays and Wednesday from the end of April 2021 until the end of September, for more information visit the website
Browsholme Hall
Clitheroe Road
Clitheroe BB7 3DE
01254 827160
browsholme.com
