Regency Christmas Festival at the Red House Museum

The Huddersfield Daily Examiner presents the Christmas activities at the Red House Museum in Gomersal: (Picture source, Andy Essex)

LOOKING to deck your halls with more traditional decorations this festive season? Why not visit the Red House Museum for some inspiration.
In the run up to Christmas, visitors to the Cleckheaton-based period home will be able to experience Christmas as it was 200 years ago.
The atmospheric period rooms of the 1660-built former cloth merchant’s home will be lavishly decked with traditional evergreen garlands of holly, ivy, laurel and rosemary, gathered fresh from the house’s gardens.
There will be an old-fashioned kissing bough hanging in the hall, complete with apples, candles and mistletoe, together with displays of unusual period festive food in the kitchen and dining room.
Costumed staff will be on hand to show visitors how to make some unusual Regency and Victorian Christmas decorations, including almond and raisin garlands and gilded walnuts.
There will also be some festive craft activities for families, such as Victorian-style Christmas cards and tree decorations.
The Regency Christmas Festival will also include cooking demonstrations of food from the past and a Christmas Past exhibition (from November 30 to January 11), with displays of nostalgic toys and decorations.
At weekends there will be festive entertainment, including carol singing, handbell ringers and a Victorian magician.
Visitors will also get the chance to shop for unusual Christmas gifts in the museum’s shop and refreshments will be available.
The festival runs from December 14 to 21, from 11am to 4pm Monday to Friday and noon to 4pm Saturday and Sunday. Admission is free.
The red-brick house was one home to the Taylor family, who were cloth merchants and manufacturers.
Mary Taylor, daughter of the house in the nineteenth century, was a close friend of Charlotte Bronte, who often visited the property.
The house still looks very much as it would have done in Charlotte’s day, with each room bringing visitors a step closer to the 1830s. (Emma Davison)

Categories: Art-Exhibitions