Latest news with #historicHouses
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Homemade scones off the menu at some National Trust houses
They are the real reason many of us love visiting National Trust houses. Fresh scones topped with cream and jam are often the highlight of any visit to a historic house, once their fine architecture, old rooms and beautifully tended gardens have been taken in. But the traditional, homemade favourites are now set to be replaced with bought-in alternatives at some properties amid job cuts. The National Trust is cutting 550 jobs as a higher minimum wage and the impact of Rachel Reeves's national insurance raid on employers has caused costs to balloon. It said costs had grown more quickly than visitor numbers to its historic houses, castles, parks and gardens and that it had no choice but to cut back. Chefs and catering staff at the least profitable cafes are set to lose their jobs, and food will instead be bought in. The National Trust said less than 10 per cent of cafes will be affected, but that has not stopped some volunteers from reacting with horror. One volunteer, who alerted The Times to the plans, said they would cause 'severe disappointment' among visitors. Steve Thomas, of the Prospect union, which is representing those facing redundancy, told the newspaper: 'Whether they are chefs or curators, National Trust staff are as integral to the experience of visiting our iconic historic sites as the properties themselves. 'Losing vital skills and experience would be a disaster for the Trust. It will be noticed by the public and could even reduce visitor numbers, which would only worsen the financial position. 'This process needs to be approached with the utmost caution so costly mistakes are avoided, and Prospect is engaging with the Trust on behalf of our members.' It comes after the National Trust was criticised for making its scones vegan, with some complaining they tasted like 'dry biscuits'. Maude Newby, a 64-year-old long-time member of the National Trust, said at the time: 'I can't stand the taste of the new scones. They are not like traditional ones at all – they are flatter, drier and have an unappealing texture.' The National Trust told The Times: 'The proposed changes would affect less than 10 per cent of our cafés, all of which are smaller outlets where rising costs are making it increasingly difficult to be financially sustainable. 'We would still have food and drink available at these cafés, however, and in more than 90 per cent of our cafés there would be no change to what we offer.'
BBC News
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Alice in Wonderland author's Ripon home up for sale for £1.6m
A house in North Yorkshire which was once home to Alice in Wonderland author Lewis Carroll has gone up for sale for £ Old Hall, a Grade II listed Georgian town house on High St Agnesgate in the centre of Ripon, was built in the 18th Century and Carroll lived there as a young man in the 1850s when his father was a canon of the Winpenny, from Ripon Civic Society, said the house, with three reception rooms, six bedrooms, three bathrooms and private walled gardens, was "very important"."It's one of the most historic houses in Ripon. We know it was built in 1738 and it was altered in the mid-19th Century, but it's got some very fine interiors," he explained. "It has some very good plasterwork, including a big ceiling with the Judgment of Paris on it from ancient history." Mr Winpenny, co-chairman of Ripon Civic Society, said Lewis Carroll - the pen name of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson - was a regular resident at the house for several years."His father was Archdeacon of Richmond, which meant he was a canon in residence at the cathedral for three months each year, so he had to turn up and do the services," he said."His family lived at the Old Hall for three months of the year between 1852 and 1858, so young Charles came home to Ripon when he was at university, and then later on when he was actually working in Oxford."Mr Winpenny explained that while Carroll's Alice in Wonderland was published in 1865, some years after his time in Ripon, it was believed that some aspects of the much-loved book could have been inspired during that period spent in Yorkshire."We think he was inspired by some of the carvings of the cathedral, the Cheshire Cat and the rabbits going down rabbit holes in the cathedral," he said."He also wrote poems for the children of the Bishop of Ripon while he was there." Michael Godwin, 61, who currently owns Ripon Old Hall, has lived in the property for 15 years, but said he was selling the house to Godwin said that when he first visited the house, it was a case of love at first sight."I lived in a manor house in the countryside prior to this. I sold that and I was looking for somewhere to buy," he said."I saw this one online and it created a little bit of interest, but I hadn't been to see it. Then one day I just thought, 'oh I've got to see that house'."As soon as they opened the front door, within two seconds, I looked at the Georgian features and the staircase and the ceiling on the staircase and I thought, 'yes, I'll have this'."Mr Godwin, who runs an access platform company, said he had been aware of the home's historical connections when he bought it."There's a blue plaque on the outside. The agent who showed me around at the time said there was a white panel bedroom he believed was Lewis Carroll's," he said."It was obviously a choice location when it was built, being near the cathedral."It's just a stunning home, but I've enjoyed it for 15 years and it's time for somebody else to enjoy it now." Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
