Erddig

Like Chirk Castle, Erddig is located near Wrexham in Wales, just forty-five minutes away. We think Erddig fascinating for two reasons: the number and range of buildings, including kitchen, laundry, bakehouse, stables, sawmill, smithy and joiner's shop; and the unusually close relationship that existed between the family of the house, the Yorkes, and their servants, well documented with portraits, verse, and various household accounts.

The house dates from the 1680s and contains original 18th- and 19th-century furniture and furnishings, including rare Chinese wallpaper, an indoor chapel where both family and servants met for morning and evening vespers, and well-preserved servants' quarters. Visitors enter Erddig not through the front door but through the estate, stable and laundry yards. The outbuildings, rooms below stairs, and the bedrooms at the top of the house, together with the elegant state rooms, give a unique glimpse into the daily running of a bustling household about one hundred years ago. Both life upstairs and life downstairs are well depicted.

The large walled garden has been restored to its 18th-century formal design and has a Victorian parterre and yew walk (see the picture above). It is most impressive.

Accompanied By: Bruce Campbell, Veronique Monet
Date of Our Last Visit: October 2003