March 21, 2012
Visitors to Tatton’s mansion are being
encouraged to feel ‘at home’ in the library with a special
re-display of the stunning room.
A large area of the library has been made
accessible to the public, creating an inviting seating area for
visitors to read, relax and admire this lovely family reading
room.
A visitors’ library of specially purchased
books can be enjoyed from beautifully re-upholstered sofas from
Tatton’s collection. A number of fragile works have been
digitised and stored on iPads for visitors to admire in detail,
without putting the originals at risk. Replica copies of some
of our finest and rarest books are being produced and will shortly
be made available for visitors to read.
For the first time in decades, the library
is being used for its original purpose.
Mansion and collections manager Caroline
Schofield said: “The Egertons were avid collectors and readers of
books. This room in which they made time to educate and entertain
themselves was a little static and museum-like. The new library
space is dynamic and exciting and brings an element of energy to
the centre of the house where visitors can get some sense of what
it might have been like to have lived here and used the library
space.”
The library at Tatton is regarded as one of
the National Trust’s top library collections. Its important
and diverse collection reflects the eclectic tastes of seven
generations of the Egerton family. There are more than 12,000
books, varying from a treatise on architecture printed in 1513, to
first editions of novels by Jane Austen and Sir Walter Scott.
The library also retains its original
Gillows library furniture and has striking architectural
features. The Library was completed around 1818/20 to the
design of the architects Samuel and Lewis William Wyatt.
The re-display has been made possible
thanks to funding from The Tatton Park Charitable Trust and
Cheshire East Council. Tatton Park Charitable Trust is a registered
charity formed in 2006 and supports the conservation of Tatton Park
for current and future generations.
The mansion reopens to the public on Saturday,
March 24 2012.
Times and Prices: The mansion is open from
1pm-5pm (last entry 4pm). Adult £5.50, child £3.50 (four-15 years),
family £14.50 (two adults and up to three children). Totally Tatton
tickets (entry to mansion, gardens and farm): adult £10, child £5,
family £25. Group discounts for 12 or more people available
if booked in advance. Entrance to the mansion is free for National
Trust members. Park entry charge of £5 per car applies to all.
Please visit our Website or call 01625
374400 for more information.
Notes for Editors:
For further information about this
release contact:
Eleanor Gorsuch, Marketing
Department
Tel: 01625 374447 / Email:
eleanor.gorsuch@cheshireeast.gov.uk
http://www.tattonpark.org.uk/
Introduction to the Trust.
The Tatton Park Charitable Trust is a company
limited by guarantee that was incorporated on June 29, 2005.
It is a registered charity the objects of which are to support for
the benefit of the public:
a) the maintenance and
conservation of Tatton Park, Knutsford, Cheshire
including its land, buildings, artefacts,
collections, environment, natural features, wildlife and
traditional breeds of livestock;
b) the use of Tatton Park
for education and learning, including skills, processes and
knowledge relevant to the history, management and conservation of
Tatton Park;
c) any other charitable purpose
linked with the use of Tatton Park.
Contact:
Brendan Flanagan: brendan.flanagan@cheshireeast.gov.uk
/ 01625 374415
Tatton Park is managed and financed by
Cheshire East Council on behalf of the National Trust.
This impressive historic estate receives in
the region of 750,000 visitors every year all of whom come to enjoy
its Georgian mansion, Tudor Old Hall, award-winning gardens and
1930s rare breeds farm. The 1,000-acre deer park is home to
red and fallow deer and the estate also boasts speciality shops,
adventure playground, restaurant and year-round events
programme.
Tatton Park is one of Cheshire’s
leading Gardens of Distinction.
Cheshire’s Gardens of
Distinction programme celebrates the richness and
diversity of Cheshire’s horticultural heritage and green
spaces. Building on the success of Cheshire’s Year of Gardens
08 marketing programme, the project aims to continue to achieve
significant impact for the regional tourism industry from local,
national and international markets. For more
information take a look at the Visit Cheshire
website
Supported by the European Regional
Development Fund.
The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) is making a real
difference to people and businesses in the North West. With €755
million to invest between 2007 and 2013, ERDF is enhancing the
competitiveness of the region’s economy by supporting growth in
enterprise and employment.
ERDF in the North West is managed by the
Department for Communities and Local Government – for further
information visit the Communities
website.
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