Talk:Rufford Old Hall

The "movable" screen in the Great Hall
A visit to the property, with careful attention to the spoken commentary of room guides, may lead one to the conclusion that the screen is made of bog oak and that it bears a carving of a six fingered hand that is meant to denote Anne Boleyn. Reference to the official guidebook (by Richard Dean, published 2007), however, tells us only that the screen is c. 1530-40 and that it bears carvings of two angels, together with the family arms of the Heskeths and the Banastres. Do any editors have any reliable sources for the claims for the material and the carved hand? It seems very unlikely that the NT guides would make such claims without some kind of documentary source. Thanks. Martinevans123 (talk) 22:13, 11 June 2012 (UTC)


 * A further visit to the hall has revealled that the printed material in the Great Hall says quite clearly that the screen is made of bog oak, although no actual primary source to support that claim is provided. The room guide pointed out the hand with six fingers, which in fact belongs a female heraldic angel holding a shield, together with two other deliberate mistakes. The mistakes are explained, in the printed materia,l with reference to the common belief during Medieval and Tudor times that God alone could make something perfect. For men to do the same was heresy, as this would indicate they were as good as God. To avoid committing this serious crime (punishable by burning at the stake), mistakes were included within the work, or added as it was finished. Thanks. Martinevans123 (talk) 22:55, 17 June 2012 (UTC)

National Trust pilot
Hello! During late June, July and some of August, I'm working on a paid project sponsored by the National Trust to review and enhance coverage of NT sites. You can find the pilot edits here, as well as a statement and contact details for the National Trust. I am leaving this message when I make a first edit to a page; please do get in touch if you have any concerns. Lajmmoore (talk) 13:14, 3 July 2022 (UTC)
 * Hello, Lajmmoore. What's the NT's policy on interior photographs? Thanks. Martinevans123 (talk) 13:26, 3 July 2022 (UTC)