Connecting the "Brome" Room with the Gallery is a comparatively modern passage, which also leads to the back staircase; but, underneath this passage and behind the said staircase, there still exists the old original stairway of the house, all the stairs except those which are on the curve, consisting of solid oak blocks. It started from the same doorway as does the present flight, the lowest step of which is in situ, and then went up a few steps to the landing from which "winders" brought it round to a second straight flight, and so up to the end of the gallery, where the top step can still be seen forming part of the floor. There may have been a newel to support the "winders," otherwise it is entirely between walls. This old staircase, fortunately preserved, now forms a convenient housemaids' closet. As has been said, the upper part of this staircase is still in use and leads to the attics. The two attics to the right, at the top of the stairs, have been modernised, but that to the left is long and open, running the whole length of the house. It is in its pristine state, and therefore can never have been used as a room, for, even in those days, servants would hardly have slept beneath the bare tiles. At the end of this is another long attic running at right angles, the further half of which shows signs of having been ceiled and plastered; at the end of it is the chimney stack, to the left of which are the two top steps, already mentioned, of the ghost's staircase. This room is now the Oratory. From this description of the house as it now is, it is patent that, although nearly all is ancient, there remain very few "milestones" by which the various parts can be dated. It is interesting, therefore, to be able to turn to a document of 1600 and to see what rooms existed then. In her will, dated 1600 and proved 1603, Elizabeth Brampton, the then owner of the house, actually mentions the following rooms:- 1. "The Hall." 2. "The Chamber over the Hall." 3. The Parlour." 4. 5. "The Chamber over the little Parlour. [which gives us also] "The Little Parlour where we usually do still." 6. "The Great Chamber." 7. "The Chamber over the Larder." All these can be identified with existing rooms, and the kitchen called 8. "The Backhouse" (Bakehouse ?) or Kitchen is the same as now. Then come the doubtful rooms. 9. "My 10. 'My Chamber" (also "My Closet "). This could only be the room over the Kitchen, and the present Bath-room which once formed part of it. Possibly the Linen Closet adjoining was "My Closet." The Maids' Chamber." 11. "The Press Chamber." 12. "The Gallery." These are all open to discussion; but can be accounted for by the two small bedrooms mentioned before, as opening out of the long passage or gallery, and the attic which is now the Oratory. At the same time it should not be forgotten that, before the present staircase was made, there must have been another room, occupying the upper portion of it, which has to be taken into consideration. This comparison of the rooms. as they were and are, shows how few changes of importance have taken place since 1600. Subsequently the staircase and some wainscotting was introduced, and it is possible that the date 1613 on the elm post, already recorded, may refer to some structural alterations. Later in the century six windows were inserted, presumably replacing old mullioned ones, and it is perhaps worth mentioning, that one of the supports to a beam in the long attic is made from the old sill of a mullioned window. Then again, in Queen Anne or Early Georgian days various doors were altered; but nothing else was done until 1776, when the Great Parlour was modernised. Then, the oak panelling was torn down and used for a West Gallery in the Church, the plaster cornice and chair-rail, still in part existing, were put up and the walls were papered. This paper was of blue, rather nice if somewhat crude, and spotted with "S-foils" of white, with a twisted border. A small piece of it still exists in a cupboard which once formed part of the Great Parlour. At the same time the mullioned window was taken out and the large fireplace blocked up; only, a comparatively small aperture being left, round which an "Adam" mantelpiece was fixed. It has the usual design of ox skulls and festoons of husks, but I fancy that it is rather unusual in having this ornamentation made of lead, nailed to the wood, and not of carved wood or of composition. Some thirty years ago, the then tenant asked that this might be removed and it was taken to a house belonging to the owner of Blo' Norton Hall, where it is carefully preserved, whilst a truly awful monstrosity in cast-iron took its place. However, on the recent happy discovery that the original fireplace was practically intact, the old one has been opened out again and such of the panelling as had been rescued from the demolished West Gallery--when the Church |