Cliffe Castle

No Pilates again today, our teacher is on holiday, so a free day in prospect.  
Storm Jocelyn was forecast but our weather man said the morning would be OK. Don’t  know what he meant by that as it rained solidly all morning but I suppose it was a bit less windy.

We decided to go to Cliffe Castle in Keighley regardless.
This arch of stained glass ( I think)  is just in the  entrance and caught my eye immediately. You can see different aspects of the building and the letter B representing the Butterfield family.

Originally Cliffe Hall, the Butterfields purchased and developed the building in the mid 19th century to creating  Cliffe Castle.
It became Keighley’s museum in the 1950’s.
On the ground floor is the Victorian Great Drawing Room with furnishings and chandeliers illustrating the ‘overstuffed’ Victorian decorative style, I wonder if that will ever return. The rest of the ground floor is set out museum style with features on local landscape, geology and industry, a natural history room and a wonderful minerals display that I know my son used to love and I think Eda would too.

We decided to leave the upstairs with more local history until we’d had a coffee in the Pavillion. As we left a coach arrived, there were school groups in evidence too, it’s good to see the place well used but we decided not to return as it was not only busy but getting wilder outside. We’ll save upstairs for another visit when the park itself will be more inviting and hopefully with spring flowers too.

My daughter’s neighbour is from New Zealand but has family history in Keighley. Last summer he visited Hull with his brother for the same reason and we’ve invited him to come to us should he wish to visit this area. Cliffe Castle would be a good place to bring him. I particularly liked some flip over pictures showing places then and now. The post industrial housing and poverty looked dire in the 19th century, no wonder people chose to emigrate!

We left through the adjoining conservatory and there was a Tai Chi group taking place, maybe they do it out side in more clement weather!