Stansted House: Celebrating the 1920's

In 1924, Vere Ponsonby, 9th Earl of Bessborough, purchased Stansted Park as his family home after Bessborough House in County Kilkenny was destroyed in a fire. The family regularly entertained guests at Stansted Park in the 1920s and during this decade, the 9th Earl established the Stansted Theatre, where family and friends performed three times a year to raise money for local charities. 

During your visit to Stansted House, you will be welcomed in as if you were a guest of the Bessborough's in the late 1920s. As the sound of the Music Room piano fills the State Rooms with the popular jazz pieces of the period, you will see what life was like at Stansted House. Discover more about the famous guests of the Bessborough's as well as the wider Ponsonby family, including Loelia Ponsonby, one of the Bright Young Things of the 1920s and later the Duchess of Westminster, following her marriage in February 1930. 

Once you have finished exploring the magnificent State Rooms, you will move downstairs to the Servants Quarters. As you walk around the extensive Servants Quarters, you will discover what it was like to be a servant at Stansted Park, and the incredible amount of work that went into hosting guests for the weekend. 

You will also experience the fun side of servant life, with drop-in Charleston workshops in the Servants Hall; bringing to life the space where staff met, gossiped, and partied.

Included in the ticket:

• Free-flow visit to Stansted House, with our knowledgeable Stewards available to provide more information and to answer any questions
• Archival and collection items to see, which are not usually on public display
• Children's trail around Stansted House and activities
• Piano performances in the Music Room
• Drop-in Charleston workshops in the Servants Hall
• Exhibition on the Stansted Theatre
• Talks programme throughout the day- subjects tbc

Please note: Stansted House will be open between 11am-3pm, with last admission at 2pm. Pre-booking is advised.