- Feb 5, 2002
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One of the things that makes English houses so appealing is the history and folklore behind them: each one tells a story and the older the house, the more chapters that story has. As the primary purpose of any house is a practical one, the bones of any centuries-old dwelling indicate how each space, nook and cranny would have been used in days gone by. And the residents, architects and designers of the houses of yesteryear were undeniably ingenious, conceiving of practical and aesthetic solutions to many of the problems that they faced.
Take the ‘wig warmer’, for instance. Supposedly, these little hatches found either side of a fireplace in pre-19th-century houses were strategically positioned to keep wigs (very much in vogue during the 17th century and into the 18th) warm but not too hot. Fireplaces elsewhere in the house often came with their own nooks that served a room-specific purpose. In kitchens little wooden ones were used to keep salt dry and prevent it from sticking together. The designer Anna Haines has also found a rather charming nook next to a fireplace in a dining room. ‘I was working on a magical listed house and came across a small cupboard built into the wall next to the fireplace. The heritage officer told us this one had originally been used to warm plates. We decided to leave it intact, and the clients now use it as a sweet little bookshelf! It became a great talking point whenever they entertained,’ she explains.
On the subject of wigs, interior designer and historic house specialist Patrick Williams, of Berdoulat, in Bath, has encountered an even grander space dedicated to them: ‘there is a house on the famous King's Circus in Bath with a protruding cylindrical room at the back. Rumour has it that this was a “wig room”, lined with shelves carrying wigs, and purposefully set outside the main building so as to keep the wigs cool,’ he says. ‘Presumably this was to discourage various vile moths or fleas that might seek to make their homes between the folds of the hair!’. However, the most brilliant wig-related interiors feature we have come across is the ‘wig hole’ – a cubby hole built into a wall, against which party goers could recline while servants on the other side of the wall could inconspicuously service the wig via the hole.
Continued below.
www.houseandgarden.co.uk
Take the ‘wig warmer’, for instance. Supposedly, these little hatches found either side of a fireplace in pre-19th-century houses were strategically positioned to keep wigs (very much in vogue during the 17th century and into the 18th) warm but not too hot. Fireplaces elsewhere in the house often came with their own nooks that served a room-specific purpose. In kitchens little wooden ones were used to keep salt dry and prevent it from sticking together. The designer Anna Haines has also found a rather charming nook next to a fireplace in a dining room. ‘I was working on a magical listed house and came across a small cupboard built into the wall next to the fireplace. The heritage officer told us this one had originally been used to warm plates. We decided to leave it intact, and the clients now use it as a sweet little bookshelf! It became a great talking point whenever they entertained,’ she explains.
On the subject of wigs, interior designer and historic house specialist Patrick Williams, of Berdoulat, in Bath, has encountered an even grander space dedicated to them: ‘there is a house on the famous King's Circus in Bath with a protruding cylindrical room at the back. Rumour has it that this was a “wig room”, lined with shelves carrying wigs, and purposefully set outside the main building so as to keep the wigs cool,’ he says. ‘Presumably this was to discourage various vile moths or fleas that might seek to make their homes between the folds of the hair!’. However, the most brilliant wig-related interiors feature we have come across is the ‘wig hole’ – a cubby hole built into a wall, against which party goers could recline while servants on the other side of the wall could inconspicuously service the wig via the hole.
Continued below.
What is a priest hole? The secret features of historic houses uncovered by interior designers
Historic houses come with a bounty of interesting features. Here are some of our favourites
