Country Houses are a huge inspiration for our host. After a childhood of being marched around the most incredible houses in the UK, he learnt to love them for their artistic and cultural importance in the landscape of Great Britain. Today, Harry is on a mission to highlight their cultural significance, dispelling their connotations of a grandma’s day-out and instead inspiring people to see the benefit of a storied artistic experience that truly connects people with the history and objects of our past. Harry is lucky enough to have worked at one of the UK’s finest stately homes and so had plenty of first-hand experience of the people who visit them and how to make them more accessible to all. This week, Harry is joined by two women championing the importance of stately homes. Firstly, we hear from historian and producer at History Hit TV Alice Loxton, who shares some of the stories behind some of her favourite homes, and talks about why more people should get involved with them. Also joining the episode is historian and author Charlotte Furness who discusses her thoughts on how to open up these buildings for all, as well as the reasons they still matter in our cultural landscape. She also shares with us the fascinating history of Anne Lister, a remarkable woman who features in Charlotte’s latest book and whose diaries are still studied today as a record of hidden LGBTQ+ voices in the early 19th century. Harry Stevens is the host of Young at Art and is a 21-year-old art and interiors obsessive passionate about opening up the art world to all. At Young at Art Harry speaks to the tastemakers who are defining a new image of art and design today, with new episodes out weekly. If you enjoyed this episode and want to find who we will be speaking to next, you can follow the podcast on instagram @youngatartpodcast. Today’s guests can be found on instagram at @charlottefurnesswriter and @history_alice, and Harry can be found at @planetstevens. For more information about the podcast, please visit the website, www.youngatartpodcast.comThe podcast’s cover art was drawn by Beatrice Ross, @beatricealiceross and the intro music was written and performed by Maggie Talibart, @maggie_talibart. Houses to Visit1. Althorp House, Northamptonshire. A hidden gem only an hour from London, Althorp House has one of the best private art collections in the UK with works by Joshua Reynolds, Thomas Gainsborough, Van Dyke and Stubs. Featuring a mix of both modern works and inherited family pieces, the collection at Althorp feels fresh and relevant today. Althorp is also the family home of Princess Diana, and has been lived in by the Spencer Family for over 500 years. https://althorpestate.com 2. Kenwood House, Hampstead, London.Set on London’s Hampstead Heath, Kenwood House is owned by English Heritage and was once home to a fascinating character from aristocratic history, Dido Elizabeth Belle, widely considered UK’s first black British aristocrat. Dido’s story is fascinating; her father Sir John Lindsay was a white Royal Naval Officer and her mother Maria Bell was a black slave living in the British West Indies. She was also a niece of William Murray, later the 1st Earl of Mansfield, who was influential in his views towards the abolition of slavery in the UK, some 60 years before the abolition act was passed in 1833. Her story is explored in the 2013 film Belle. https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/kenwood/ 3. Castle Howard, YorkshireBridgerton fans rejoice at the sight Castle Howard, which stands in as the fictional Clyvedon Castle, home to the Duke and Duchess of Hastings (played by Regé Jean-Page and Phoebe Dynevor). Castle Howard is a fabulous baroque palace: construction took over 100 years to complete and the result is a masterpiece of early 18th century design. The castle has a wonderful collection of antique sculpture, Canaletto paintings, and is set in acres of beautifully maintained parkland. https://www.castlehoward.co.uk 4. Mapperton House, DorsetHome to the Earl and Countess of Sandwich (Yes, where the name for the infamous lunchtime meal comes from) Mapperton is considered ’the finest manor house in England’ and is home to an eclectic mix of objects and intriguing family history. Home to the Montagu family, Mapperton is the home of Julie Montagu - Viscountess Hinchingbrooke - who documents her life living and restoring the home to her YouTube channel (which has nearly 100,000 subscribers, all eager to get a slice of Mapperton life for themselves). Recently seen in Netflix’s adaptation of Daphne Du Maruier’s novel Rebecca, Mapperton House is a gem set amongst acres of gardens, where the Viscountess can be seen taking her daily ice bath in the 17th century canal garden !https://mapperton.com
