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The Eating Parlour (Ballroom)
This is the largest of the principal rooms, quite happily accommodating
about 200 people seated. As well as the ceiling, the walls of the
Eating Parlour also show Adam decorations. The room itself was formed
from four smaller rooms, two from the floor above, where there are
blocked windows visible on the S front of the house. The extra space
thus created was used to form a high coved ceiling with three square
centre panels. There are also paired chimney pieces sculpted in
white marble. As you will have gathered, quite a lot of Adam's intentions
for the house were frustrated but in the Ballroom there are some
wall decorations in the form of foliage, vases and
ornamental urns. The room is finely proportioned (a double
cube) and easy on the eye. It contains a littleof the original furniture
- tables and mirrors. The vast majority of the Headfort family portraits
are still in place and there are plans to restore the room to its
former glory, there being a little damage from damp on one exterior
wall. Given the construction techniques which the Georgians used,
this is a costly business. The plaster for example is not routinely
on sale at B & Q, nor are the paints and colours which the room
demands. Howeveer, this is what has now been achieved, thanks to
energetic work from Headfort Trust and their chairman, Dick Blakiston
Houston.
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