Concert of Music by Handel and Purcell - Leconfield Hall Petworth 26th April 2009

It is still a long wait for the start of the Petworth Festival and still no indications of the programme details yet, but classical music lovers have other options in the mean time.

I will be getting my tickets for this as soon as I can - its a shame there isn't anywhere in Petworth itself you can buy them.

If the organisers are reading - I would love a better illustration if you have one. 

 

 

 

 

 

Coverage of Petworth Festival here

The Market Square

Petworth's current layout is a fairly new one, having to live with the demands of the modern road network. The A272 runs through the middle of town including through the historic market square. The name is an old one but easy enough to understand. The square is still the home of regular markets and is also used for many local events.

One of the regular fairs held in it is the Charter Fair. This is a fair held by a royal charter, the charter in this case going back to the reign of Edward IV many centuries ago. There are also much more modern Farmers' Markets and the French Market. The French Market, frankly, isn't all that special even if you are a francophile. (In fact especially if you are a francophile.) The Farmers' Market on the other hand is well worth a visit. There are plenty of stalls selling local produce.

The centre piece of the square is the Leconfield Hall, which seems to be pretty old (note to self - do some research). The bust of William III is interesting, but the building doesn't look quite as old as his reign. It is used today as the cultural centre of the town, a handy venue for social evenings and for more serious public meetings as well. It has its own website, http://www.leconfieldhall.org.uk which has a distinctive design and which lists what is going on there. I find it quite endearing that the website gives no details whatever about the history of the building or any background on its architectural significance, but does give a rundown of the state of the curtains inside. This is obviously a working building and not just an historical relic.

Cobbett in Petworth

Although not that well known today, in his own day William Cobbett was a power in the land. He was a radical journalist originally from Farnham who came to prominence railing against the government in the economic dislocation following the end of the Napoleonic wars. His greatest work was his collection of Rural Rides. He would set out on horse from his home in Kensington and keep a journal of his observations. In the days before the railways Petworth was a fairly major communication centre and he passed through it several times. He was most interested in the condition of the rural poor and to Cobbett's eyes Petworth probably seemed like a fairly major urban area. He didn't spend much time describing it. He was however very favourably disposed to Lord Leconfield, commenting that he was a landlord who looked after his tenants. To Cobbett the legitimate aristocracy were much to be preferred over new money - the people he referred to as speculators and stock jobbers. He was also impressed by the solidity of the town which he attributed to the skillful use of the local stone. It is a shame he didn't write more about Petworth as the William Cobbett society is now based in Tillington just 2 miles up the road from it. http://www.williamcobbett.org.uk/