Wishing you all a very Happy Christmas. Nadolig Llawen!
A very enjoyable and educational visit to Chirk Castle at Christmas, 20th December 2019.
At the top of the staircase we enter the State Dining Room. This is a very elegant room with white panelling round the bottom of the walls and pale green paint above, with decorative plaster insets picked out on gold. The C18th fireplace was placed here by Howard de Walden in the C20th.
From the Dining Room we enter the Saloon, originally the Great Parlour. Collections of paintings, tapestries and furniture were on display and guests were often entertained here. The ceiling is the original neo-classical ceiling from the 1770s and features scenes from Greek mythology. On the walls are Mortlake tapestries telling the story of Cadmus, King of Thebes.
Next comes the Long Gallery, my favourite place in the Castle. It had various uses throughout the centuries. In 1910 the castle was leased to Thomas Evelyn Scott-Ellis, the 8th Lord Howard of Walden. He has been described as a shy man, a polymath (a man of many interests) and an eccentric millionaire. His wife, Marguerita, daughter of Charles van Raalte, was a fabulous party organiser, and soprano singer, and Chirk Castle became a regular haunt for royalty, statesmen and the glitterarti. Much of the entertainment took place in the Long Gallery.
Thomas wrote plays for his six children to perform every Christmas in the Long Gallery.
As we near the 2020’s, Chirk Castle is looking back to Christmas in the 1920’s, celebrating this unusual former tenant. The National Trust, who manage the castle, have used Thomas’s plays to inspire a Christmas makeover, with six Pantomime- themed trees decorating the grandest rooms. Dozens of staff and volunteers have spent weeks transforming the building into a festive fairytale castle.
Sitting by a window overlooking the courtyard and imagining how life could have been back then.
And a final visit to the Chapel.
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/chirk-castle
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/chirk-castle/features/lord-howard-de-walden-patron-of-wales
Welcome to My World 
Unbelievably beautiful!
Happy New Year! Enjoy the holidays!
Thank you, Inese. Happy New Year to you too.
I love Stately Homes dressed for Christmas, and this one looks beautiful. 🙂 🙂 Thanks for the lovely wishes and the visit. My life has been too full to return them until now, so I hope you had a wonderful time and I wish you much joy in the year to come.
Bless you, Jo. Thank you for your lovely message xx
Lovely photos. Hope you had a great Christmas! 🎄
Thank you, Jo Ann. Am enjoying a quiet Christmas this year. Hope yours is all you wished it to be.
Thank you for the grand tour. It is an educational and enjoyable place. Beautifully decorated for Christmas.
Thank you, Amy. Wishing you a very happy and peaceful Christmastime.
What a beautiful castle. Thanks for showing us around.
I’m very sorry to read from an earlier comment about the recent loss of your mother. My thoughts are with you and your family.
Thank you very much for your kindnss and support. Bless you.
Lovely… Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! ❤
Thank you, Bette 💜💙
I am so very sorry to hear of the loss of your mother! My thoughts and prayers will be with you during this difficult time and through the transition over the coming months. May your gentle and joyful memories of your mother sustain you as you continue on your journey. This is the thought that came to me when my father passed a few years ago: “Death is not extinguishing the light; it is only putting out the lamp because the dawn has come.” Rabindranath Tagore
This is one of my favourite quotes, Rebecca. Thank you so much for reminding me of its truth. And thank you also for the strength you impart to me through our enduring friendship. Bless you.
Beautiful photos. Chirk is a really fantastic castle.
Thank you, Timothy. This is my first visit at Christmas and I so enjoyed it.
Danke, gut erstellt. Wolfgang
Danke, Wolfgang, mein Freund. Weihnachtssegen für Sie gewünscht.
Thank you, Wolfgang, my friend. Christmas blessings wished for you.
Freut mich. Alles gute für Dich.
Dear Izzy, We are deeply sorry to read about the loss of your mother. We will be praying for her. A mother is the most precious jewel on earth and someone so special can never be forgotten. Please take comfort in knowing that she is now resting in the arms of our Lord and He can also comfort your heart. He knows what you need during this time much better. Carina and I pray that your heart and soul will find peace and comfort during this difficult time. Please write to us – we are here for you. Jo and Carina
Thank you, Jo, for your beautiful sentiments.. Yes, I truly do believe that she is now free from suffering and resting in the arms of the Almighty. I am sure that same One is upholding me too, and I find comfort and rest there. I so value your kind support. I will write soon. Thank you both so much.
Beautiful images and informative. Here’s wishing you a Merry Christmas, in advance. Jo 😊
Thank you, dear Jo. So lovely to hear from you. I was thinking of you both this morning. I have meant to email you and Carina, but have had a very sad time. My mother was taken ill suddenly and passed away 29th November. I have been in shock since then. It doesn’t seem real. She was my rock and since then I’ve felt like I am walking on shifting sands. I’m just starting to get myself together again and a friend took me to Chirk Castle on Friday. It was good to relax for a while. Sending blessings of peace for you both. Have a wonderful Christmas time, my dear friend.