Harlaxton and Grantham: Initial Reactions (#2)

After pulling off the traditional highway, take a series of quick turns through a small neighborhood of quaint houses--attention immediately falls upon small but bright garden spaces and immaculately kept lawns in tidy little spaces. All of a sudden, turn on twisting and slightly bumpy road flanked with fields of endless green and poppies; upon lifting your head, there in the short distance sits the impressive and immense Harlaxton Manor. Dramatic gates guard the entrance to the caste-like exterior. Huge, wrought-iron gates assure you that you have entered a place of history and grandeur. Carved stone lions and cherubs, impressive steps leading to a side garden, multiple exterior side "outer" buildings (for lack of a better term) make you wonder where all the 19th century dresses and horses are hiding. Upon standing on the front steps or, better yet, peering outward from the raised view of the garden, your eyes can scan the distances of farm and fields---open, green and seemingly endless. It truly feels as if an entire kingdom lies before you and you can only feel privileged to have such a vantage point for viewing.

My expectations came from seeing one impressive picture of the exterior prior to arrival; I expected to feel small and in awe of the place I would be staying. Other than that, I came expecting something impressive on the outside, but completely modernized inside. It only became truly sublime upon actually standing in the space and imagining the history that has taken place here. The interior of the building has been most surprising, however, because much of the history remains inside the house. Clouds and sky with cherubs interspersed adorn ceilings, carved doors of at least 12 ft or greater open secretly from corners or walls to reveal former "service" stairwells, and intricately carved plaster ceilings sit high above the wooden staircases.

Any expectation I may have had, this place surpasses above and beyond. Buildings and groceries in town offer smaller spaces, and cute portion sizes of everything--but everything moves fast: especially cabs and cars (seatbelts are a MUST). The cozy spaces make everything seem more comfortable and down-to-earth, providing a sharp contrast with the over-sized dimensions of Harlaxton's building, rooms and artwork. This truly made it obvious how important the builders and dwellers of Harlaxton's history wanted to appear. Nothing nearby can compare to the space and ornamentation of the building, its contents, and the surrounding area. It's easy to see how previous owners of Harlaxton such as Gregory Gregory tried to "keep up with the Jones" by adding more and more to the building and grounds. It makes me think that town really was for the "people" to easily socialize and move about from building to building, while Harlaxton was for the elite to promenade in glorious dresses and dine under huge chandeliers. Even in the "biscuit" aisle at the grocery, cookies are arranged and labelled in sections from "premium" to "everyday"-- even snacks show a bit of lasting class division. The cultural shift from the Manor to town can be felt, even if only in imagination and history.