 Erdigg
When Joshua Edisbury was appointed as High Sheriff of Denbighshire, he decided
to build a grand, new house more befitting of his status than the humble
family home in which he was raised. A mile outside of Wrexham, the building
of Erddig began in 1684 to the designs of Thomas Webb, and has survived
with remarkably little structural change to the main core of the house.
Edisbury's extravagant plans for the house, combined with his diminishing
resources, eventually bankrupted him, causing him to leave Erddig, and
Wales. Subsequently being purchased by John Meller, a wealthy barrister
and bachelor, Erdigg remained in the family for the next 250 years
or so. Extended by new wings at either end of the building to provide
a Chapel and additional dressing rooms, Meller then installed many pieces
of fine furniture to complete his now lavishly decorated new home.
Philip Yorke, the great nephew of Meller, and his wife Elizabeth, unarguably had the most impact on Erddig,
altering the front elevation of the house, remodelling and refurbishing
many of the rooms, and reorganising the estate. Among his many pursuits
and interests, Philip was a dedicated historian with a developing interest
in the lives of everyday people. The servants and estate workers at Erddig
were always highly thought of by the Yorke family, and this relationship
is amusingly demonstrated in some of Philip's artistic work. It was he
who started the unusual tradition of having the servants painted, and
these pictures would be accompanied by quirky little ditties composed
by Philip. Many of these delightful paintings can now be seen hanging
in the servants' hall and along the corridor.
During the early 19th century a large, Regency dining room was created by Philip's son and heir, Simon, and this was the last major work undertaken at Erddig,
although regular maintenance of the family treasures continued. Every
member of the family that lived in this vast country house had an undeniable
appreciation for its history and its treasures, each in turn preserving
and restoring whatever required attention. Despite this, Erdigg became
severely run down after the First World War and, without sufficient
money, and the onset of the Second World War, the situation deteriorated further.
The final straw came when the coal industry was nationalised in 1947, effectively taking away the estate's major source of income, and this was immediately followed by
the National Coal Board's decision to mine directly under the house, compounding
its declining structural state. It was only through grit
and determination, not to mention some small measure of eccentricity on
the part of the last two Yorke brothers, that Erddig has survived so remarkably intact.
Set in very picturesque grounds, this fascinating house of contrasts is an absolute delight to explore.
Unlike many great country homes and manor houses filled with priceless
art collections and exquisite furnishings, Erddig is just crammed full
of treasures that say more about the different personalities of the family
members. One thing they all certainly had in common was the fact that
none of them liked to throw anything away, however worthless or insignificant
the article might have seemed at the time, and this adds immensely to
the interest. The National Trust have recently made the attic rooms accessible
and these really are the place to indulge in a good rummage around the
assorted paraphernalia of a bygone era. |
