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Stanyon Hall (or the Castle) is a bewildering conglomeration of architectural styles, each successive Earl having added to or modified the existing structure according the prevalent tastes of his time. The result is a rabbit-warren of passages, galleries, salons and courts. Heyer minutely describes the various features of each era, and those of us unused to medieval manors may need some help deciphering: v v v v v v v Carved screens - Wooden panels elaborately carved in a lattice work pattern to allow light and sound to pass through. Often seen in churches as scrims around the altar, separating the congregation from the altar and celebrant. Dower House (or Dowager House) - A smaller house, often situated on the grounds of a larger residence, intended for the Dowager or widow of the nobleman to live in after the death of her husband. The dower was that portion of a man's estate left to his wife after his death. Gryphon - A mythological beast, having the body of a lion and the head of an eagle, frequently used in a coat of arms. Hammer beams - A short beam projecting from the wall at the foot of a principal rafter in a roof, in place of a tie beam. (A tie beam is a piece of timber connecting the feet of the principal rafters in order to prevent them from spreading. - an 1823 quote from the OED) Minstrel's galleries - Corridors or balcony-like structures situated to overlook the Great Hall, or other rooms where large gatherings would be held. The musicians hired for an event would play in the galleries, the music filtering down to the company through apertures or elaborately carved wooden screens. Muniment room - A muniment is a document, particularly a deed or bill pertaining to a certain family. The muniment room, therefore, would be equivalent to an archive, a room containing all the important paperwork and document belonging to a family, and very appropriate for Theo Frant's office. Oubliette - A secret dungeon where prisoners might be precipitated through a trapdoor. From the French verb, oublier, to forget. Powder-closet - A room off a bedchamber, where the messy process of powdering hair would have been done during the 16th and 17th centuries. Not a dressing room, but specifically for powdering hair (you can sense the later evolution of the phrase to "powder room" for a small bathroom). Succession houses - A series of greenhouses of varying temperatures heated by coal or wood burning stoves, for forcing potted trees to bloom and bear fruit. Grapes, oranges, nectarines, pears and pineapples were popular succession house fruits. Tudor manor - "Tudor" referring to the royal house of Tudor, it refers to a house built between 1485 and 1603. The original castle at Stanyon is evidently predates the early Tudor period, during the reign of Henry VII (1485-1509), judging from the reference to a moat and tower that survive as a "fine example of fourteenth century architecture." Wainscotting - Wood panelling, originally of oak imported from Holland or Russia. Woburn - Woburn Abbey. An imposing, very famous structure. Click Here for a photograph.
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