The part nearer the moat is, however, a
little later than the gables further back. The dining-room is the
contracted remains of the great hall of Crowhurst Place, the upper
part of which was converted into a series of bedrooms in the
eighteenth century. We give an illustration of a very fine hinge to a
cupboard door in one of the bedrooms, a good example of the
blacksmith's skill. It is noticeable that the points of the linen-fold
in the panelling of the door are undercut and project sharply. We see
the open framed floor with moulded beams. Later on the fashion
changed, and the builders preferred to have square-shaped beams. We
notice the fine old panelling, the elaborate mouldings, and the fixed
bench running along one end of the chamber, of which we give an
illustration. The design and workmanship of this fixture show it to
belong to the period of Henry VIII. All the work is of stout timber,
save the fire-place. The smith's art is shown in the fine candelabrum
and in the knocker or ring-plate, perforated with Gothic design, still
backed with its original morocco leather. It is worthy of a sanctuary,
and doubtless many generations of Crowhurst squires have found a very
dear sanctuary in this grand old English home. This ring-plate is in
one of the original bedrooms.
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