Visitors to Belsay Hall this Bank Holiday weekend will find themselves stepping back in time to the stately home's grand opening.
The English Heritage attraction, near Morpeth, Northumberland , will be awash with colour for a celebration of a bygone world as Regency Revels is set to revive the atmosphere of 1818.
That was the opening date of the hall - owned and designed by Sir Charles Monck MP - and the big day proved a grand affair.
With the hall revealing a Grecian-style interior, inspired by Sir Charles' honeymoon in Athens, the now grade one-listed gardens - particularly The Quarry Garden - reflected his travels in the Mediterranean, boasting a micro-climate which allows exotic plants to flourish.
With the addition of the estate's 14th Century medieval castle, there was much to admire and now, over 100 years on, guests will be guided through the kind of day that those first ever visitors enjoyed.
Throughout the Bank Holiday weekend, May 25-27, families will be able to meet Sir Charles Monck at 11am when he will describe how he found inspiration in the classical architecture of ancient Greece and how he laid on 'revels' during that first Open House event.
The guests will then move on to the castle for A Schooling in Fooling at 11.30am where Mister Peter Cooper will discuss traditional entertainment and how so-called ‘Jack Puddings’ and ‘Merry Andrews’ created comedy from chaos for the gentry.
At noon it will be time to meet Sir Charles' wife Louisa, Lady Monck, as she presents her prodigy in music, melody and harmony, accompanied by tutor Mr Green, before a 12.20pm tour of the gardens.
Afterwards, Mister Cooper will be back with an invitation to afternoon tea at 1.15pm - and another performance.
Another tour of the gardens will be on offer at 1.45pm with more music in the company of Lady Monck presented at 2.30pm.
And, in an attraction billed as not-to-be-missed, Mister Cooper will be igniting more interest at 3pm when he will turn himself into a human torch while balanced on a pair of stilts.
Then a musical finale to the event will play out before the outing wraps up at 5pm.
For tickets - priced £11.50 for adults; £6.90 for those aged five to 17 (or £1.50 and 90p respectively for members) book here . Concessions and family tickets are available too and there also will be options to buy tickets at Belsay on the day.
