I visited Nostell on a dreary day at the end of August. Nostell is a stately home located near Wakefield in West Yorkshire, and it dates from the mid-1700s. The house was built on the site of a medieval priory, and it was given to the National Trust in the 1950s along with the furniture and furnishings. The property owners were merchants and made their wealth in textiles to the monarchy of the time, Elizabeth I. Unfortunately, due to coronavirus, only the ground floor and part of the grounds is open. The stables, gardens, lake walk behind the house, and the remainder of the house is currently closed. I do not feel that I got a good "feeling" for the house and property due to most of it being closed off.
Nostell is one of the first National Trust properties to open back up, although it's not fully open. To be honest, I am sure that these properties could be open by simply keeping numbers down and keeping people from lingering too long in each area with perhaps a queue one-in-one-out system. Quite a lot of other museums and indoor areas are open for other properties. I do hope that they are able to open up other properties fully because it is the houses I enjoy visiting.
In the house on the ground floor, visitors follow a one-way system around the rooms. There are quite a few pieces of mahongany furniture from the Chippendale company.
One of the rooms contains the famous doll's house, which was created in the 1730s. The furnishings and items in the dollhouse are designer and an example of items inspired by the times. It was maintained and grew upon over the years. It was a beloved hobby.
Also on the ground floor is a little room dedicated to John "Longitude" Harrison, creator of the most precise timepiece and longitude measurement. A set of silver is on display, and there is a butler's room with information on display, a room for storing files of the running of the house, and the hallway of the ground floor service bells.
Although some of the grounds are closed to walking, visitors can walk to the lakes further away. At the bottom of the hill is a boathouse and an expansive lake. There are also views expanding from the front of the house, which is now a pasture for cattle.
Although the stables are closed, the shop and cafe are open with reduced area.
I had a brief walk down the hill to the lakes. Pheasants and swans with young swans were hanging around in the area.
Once it is safe to do so and the house, gardens, and parkland is open, I will return again.
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