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East Riddlesden Hall, Keighley

Molly Newport
Jul 25
2 min read

The first thing we saw as we drove into East Riddlesden Hall was the hanging festoon style fairy lights and a beautiful wedding brightening up the typical Yorkshire drizzle. We weren't visiting for the wedding, we wanted delicious National Trust cake and a nosey around the Hall and Gardens - a day out to bring old friends together.

Purple thistles in a garden with manicured hedges and an old stone building. Overcast sky, lush greenery, and serene atmosphere.

Ducks quacking away in the pond as we walked up the driveway, we were greeted by friendly National Trust volunteers. As we made our way into the 17th Century Manor House, it didn't disappoint. One thing I couldn't help but notice amongst the grandeur of the rooms was the fact that every single surface was highly decorated and well considered.

Elegant dining table with vintage dishware, assorted foods, and candles in dim light. Large window with curtains in the background.

Creaking around on the rustic floorboards, you instantly get a feel for what life could've been like for the families living there over the years. Without electricity, the light peeps in from the tiny panes of glass, I started to wonder what life without our modern distractions could've looked like. The time and space to concentrate your well trained attention span on just one project, whether that was carpentry, plasterwork, textiles or gardening.

Rustic stone room with a wooden cradle and bed covered in a cream blanket. Warm, cozy atmosphere with wooden floors and walls.

Even the not so decorated areas were filled with beautiful textures from the natural materials.

There was a bit of romance around the idea of being curled up in your four poster bed with the fire crackling away and working on a bit of needlework for your next bed spread. Although, that does make my eyes strain just thinking about that. No notifications to interrupt your thoughts - the ultimate digital detox - because it hadn't been invented yet. Maybe I'm just romanticising about hours of creativity with fewer interruptions...

The Hall had many different types of embroidery on display too, from finished pieces displayed on beds and walls to samplers that would normally be hidden away, framed with any information known about the artist written up.

Close-up of embroidered textiles with floral and leaf patterns. Central image shows a bedspread with a pillow; side images display detailed fabric. — Satin stitch shaded illustrations - Black work embroidery - Chain stitch embellishments

When you wander around the gardens to the rear of the property, it's not difficult to see where a lot of inspiration for the embroidery work will have come from. There are so many natural forms, shapes, colours and textures covering the area. There were far too many for me to choose from on the day, however I really enjoyed seeing the wildflower areas and the fruit trees.

Three images: unripe apples on a branch, a wet daisy with concentric colors, and a pear hanging from a leafy branch, all in a garden setting.

Now that I'm back from our day out, I want to run into the studio and start painting those delicious little white speckles on the apple (above) and start looking deeper at the organic and natural forms that are in my home garden. I've also revisited my illustration and embroidery mood board that's been a work in progress over the years.

East Riddlesden Hall was a perfect day out for us on a drizzly Saturday, there was plenty of children's activities and lots of great food options in the cafe. I had a raspberry and ginger scone incase you're still wondering.