At Kiplin Hall you’ll encounter of stories about international adventure enjoyed by members of the four families who lived there – the Calverts, Crowes, Carpenters, and Talbots. During the current lockdown we’d like to share a glimpse through the keyhole, exploring a different room each week. This week we explore the Green Bedroom

From the drab servants' corridor we step into this beautiful bedroom containing fine furniture from around the world and treasured possessions created closer to home. It was called the Green Room in the 1887 inventory of the contents of Kiplin Hall and was restored accordingly with green replica Arts and Crafts wallpaper of the 1890s designed by Giles Holland Day.

The large, finely decorated folding screen was embroidered by Margaret Talbot, the wife of Admiral Carpenter’s brother, Major General the Hon Sir Reginald Talbot, who was governor of Victoria in Australia from 1904 to 1908. A selection of his beautiful presentation addresses from Australia is displayed at the end of the Servants’ Corridor.

The Northern Echo:

The Green Bedroom is on the front of the hall, overlooking the elegant white garden

The small portrait to the right of the screen is of Reginald Talbot by his aunt Louisa, Lady Waterford. Before taking up position in Australia Reginald saw service in the Zulu War (1879), Egypt (1882) and the Nile Expedition (1884-5). He was military attaché in Paris from 1889-95 and part of the army of occupation in Egypt 1899-1902.

To the left of the bed is a mahogany blanket chest of circa1750 and a late 17th Century north Italian cabinet with ivory panels engraved with scenes from the Old Testament.

Before country houses had bathrooms, a servant would fill a hip bath in front of the fire for the gentleman or lady using the bedroom. The bather crouched in the bath and applied soap; the valet or maid would then pour jugs of clean water over the bather to rinse off the soap. The eagle-eyed visitor will spot a chamber pot in the cupboard to the right of the French bed which dates from the late 18th or early 19th Century.

The Northern Echo:

To the left of the bed is a 17th Century, Northern Italian cabinet with ivory panels engraved with scenes from the Old Testament, with delicate drawers and doors in which to store ones keepsakes

There are two other watercolours by Louisa, Lady Waterford in this room, one of a boy wearing a cloak and large hat and another of a classical scene with a nymph and traveller.

The charming wardrobe inlaid with foliage and little birds is another example of Arts and Crafts furniture designed by Beatrice Carpenter who also painted the watercolour copies of Five Heads of Cherubs by Sir Joshua Reynolds and Le Chapeau de Paille (the Straw Hat) by Rubens, which hangs above the fireplace.

You might recall Beatrice’s wonderful Noah’s Ark table displayed in the library on the ground floor. From this private bedroom visitors pass into the upper drawing room.