The Clarins Gold Spa used to be a Victorian stable block.
Peony embroidery on the wallpaper.
The library-cum-bar is decked out like an elite gentlemen’s club with walls lined with books and chesterfield leather sofas in dark hues. Tis is a very masculine room in contrast to the drawing room next door which is bright and cheerful with feminine touches of prodigious flower arrangements, floral soft furnishings and ample windows to let in copious amount of yang energy. Te vista from the
Te entrance hall of the building is bright and spacious purveying great energy into the house. Tis is where guests check in and are welcome by the staff. Te reception area is clad in enchanting wallpaper of Chinese design of peonies and colourful birds, some actually embroidered and pasted onto the wall giving a 3-D effect. Peonies and birds are symbols of love and harmonious relationship in Feng Shui and guests immediately feel at home by the pleasant ambience. Checking in at Stapleford Park is unlike ordinary hotel. Guests are treated as visiting friends and shown to their rooms personally by a staff. Stepping into the grand foyer, one is transported into a different era influenced by the classic period decoration. Portrait paintings of residents of the past grace the walls keeping silent sentry on their ancestral pile.
The palatial inner sanctum of the building is divided into various compartments for different purposes.
52 FENGSHUIWORLD | JULY/AUGUST 2011
windows is a croquet lawn and beyond that is a grazing field for a large flock of sheep belonging to farmers who have leased part of the estate. Tis is my favourite room to read newspapers and enjoy a delicious afternoon tea. A large portrait of one of the Gretton ladies hangs on the wall in a prominent position. Perhaps this was her favourite room too where she could have entertained friends and relaxed with a good book. I love all the rooms except the ‘Old Kitchen’ which is now converted into a breakfast room. It is dark and the ceiling is peppered with numerous hunting trophies of deer skulls with horns. Eek! Dead animal parts exude very yin energy, not to mention ‘poison arrows’ chi from the sharp horns of the deer. Tis room could do with a make-over to inject some light energy so guests can enjoy their breakfast in a more pleasant atmosphere. Te architecture of this stately home is very much male-oriented.
Te building is very solid with the yang dragon side more dominant than the yin tiger side, contributed by its extension for business and conference facilities. Tis indicates Stapleford Park is a hotel conducive for business meetings and indeed the hotel is very popular with corporate clients. The romantic gardens and lawn lend themselves to wedding ceremonies and the hotel is booked solid for weddings throughout the year. Tere is even a small church, St Mary Magdelene, in the grounds for blessings of marriages. Te historic church was built by the Earl of Harborough in 1783 for the family. Although no longer in regular use, it is well maintained and all its historic features are retained, including the tombs of the Sherrard family in beautiful marble effigies. Wandering through the delightful
gardens with its large collection of plants and flowers is so relaxing and intriguing as there are secret gardens tucked away in every nook and corner. Brightly coloured lupins with their pagoda-like stalks and red poppies as big as saucers add splashes of colours in the foliage. When I return from my lovely walk, as I step through the grand entrance, I feel like a real lady of the manor, if only for a day.
Visit
www.staplefordpark.com for more info.
www.fswmag.com
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