Preston Hall, Preston-on-Tees facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Preston Hall |
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The Hall backed onto a large field
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| General information | |
| Location | County Durham, England, UK |
| Coordinates | 54°32′10″N 1°20′13″W / 54.536°N 1.337°W |
| OS grid | NZ430158 |
Preston Hall is an old mansion house built in the early 1800s. It is located near Stockton-on-Tees, England. Since 1953, it has been a museum. The building is owned by Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council. It is also a special historic building, known as a Grade II listed building. The house sits in a large park of about 100 acres. This park is called Preston Park.
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History of Preston Hall
The land where Preston Hall stands was once owned by the Sayer family in 1515. Later, during the English Civil War, Lawrence Sayer supported the King. Because of this, his property was taken away and sold by the government at the time.
In 1673, George Witham bought the land. The family's home was then called Witham Hall. In 1722, the Witham family sold the estate to Sir John Eden. Then, in 1820, David Burton Fowler bought it.
In 1825, David Burton Fowler built the Preston Hall we see today. It was a simple two-story house at first. The older manor house was used as a farmhouse until it was taken down in 1974.
In 1882, Marshall Fowler sold the estate to Robert Ropner. He was a successful shipping merchant and shipbuilder. Robert Ropner added large new parts to the house. Around 1900, he also added a big glass room called a winter garden or conservatory. This room has been fixed up recently. The Ropner family lived in the house until 1937. The Stockton on Tees District Council bought the hall in 1947.
On June 3, 1953, Preston Hall opened as a museum for the first time. This was part of the celebrations for Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation. In the 1970s, more things were added to the museum. This included the popular replica Victorian Street.
What Can You See at Preston Park Museum?
After a big update, the museum reopened in 2012. It is now called Preston Park Museum & Grounds. It is known as one of the best cultural places to visit in the area. In 2013, it was even nominated for a special award called the Art Fund Museum of the Year.
The park around the Hall is a popular place for local people. You can walk through woodlands and along the river. There is also an adventure play area and a skate park. Other fun things in the park include Butterfly World. This is a warm greenhouse full of different kinds of butterflies and other animals. You can also rent rowing boats from RiverShack. Plus, there's a small railway run by volunteers called the Teesside Small Gauge Railway.
Inside the Museum
The idea to turn Preston Hall into a museum came after plans to build houses there didn't work out. So, the decision was made to make the Hall a museum and use the grounds as a park. The museum opened in 1953. In 2008, the Heritage Lottery Fund gave £3.7 million. This money helped to make big improvements to the building and its collections.
Today, Preston Park Museum & Grounds has four main galleries. These galleries tell the stories of the Hall itself. They also share tales about the local area and the people who lived there. The museum shows off many valuable items from its collection. This includes a famous painting by Georges de La Tour called The Dice Players. This painting is part of the Clephan Bequest. The Clephan Bequest and the Spence Collection (of weapons and decorative items) are very important to the museum. There is also the Ions Collection of pottery and glass.
The replica Victorian Street is a favorite part of the museum for many visitors. It was built using the Hall's old service wing and other buildings. It shows what life was like in 1895. You can step back in time and explore recreated shops. There's even a working tearoom. People dressed in old costumes help bring the street to life. The Victorian Street is often used as a film set for TV shows and movies.
A key part of the museum's update was fixing up the Victorian Walled Kitchen Garden and Orchard. This garden is a great example of what grand homes used to have. It now has bright flowers and old types of fruits and vegetables. You can visit it during the spring and summer.
The museum also has special areas for temporary exhibitions. These shows change throughout the year. They display items from the museum's own collection. They also feature local community interests and traveling exhibitions.
The Dice Players Painting
The museum has a very important oil painting called The Dice Players. It was painted by Georges de La Tour. Experts think it is a wonderful example of his work. Besides being on display at the museum, it has been shown in major art exhibitions around the world.
The painting was given to the area in 1934 by Annie Clephan. It was a gift in memory of her father, Edwin Clephan, who was born in Stockton. For a long time, people didn't know how important this painting was. In 1972, an expert from Christie's was valuing the collection. He thought the painting was very special. He asked Benedict Nicholson, a famous expert on de La Tour, for his opinion. Nicholson confirmed that the painting was indeed by the French artist, Georges de La Tour.
