HISTORY TRAIL AT STONE COURT HOUSE

THE JUDGE RIGBY — The Hidden Upper Storey

The Judge Rigby room reveals the hidden upper storey of Stone Court House: a quieter level where the building's private, practical, and atmospheric character comes into view.

 

 

History & Story

The Judge Rigby - Evidence of Everyday Life Above the Grand Rooms

Attic rooms in historic houses were often flexible spaces. They could be used for storage, servants' sleeping quarters, seasonal belongings, trunks, linen, or objects that were too valuable to discard but no longer needed in daily life.

At Stone Court House, the attic helps visitors understand how the building worked beyond its grand public face. The roofline, timbers, and confined proportions speak of craft, economy, and the constant reuse of space.

Today, the Judge Rigby room is a reminder that some of the most revealing historic spaces are not the most ornate, but the ones that quietly preserve evidence of everyday life.

Personal Restoration Note

The upper rooms have always felt quieter and more secretive to us. Working here made us aware of the unseen parts of the house: the rooflines, stored objects, altered levels, and small details that reveal how much life happened away from the grander rooms below.


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THE RESTORATION

Before & After - The Hidden Storey Recovered

Bold red paintwork and a stripped roof space gave way to a calm room that keeps its exposed timbers and sloping roofline on show.

 

Before The Judge Rigby attic room at Stone Court House before restoration, painted red
After The Judge Rigby room at Stone Court House after restoration

The attic as it was found, and the room today with its timbers left visible.

Before The sloping roofline of the Judge Rigby room before restoration
After The restored Judge Rigby room beneath its sloping roofline

The roofline and window, before the works and after, showing how the confined proportions were kept rather than concealed.

Before Exposed timbers and bare floor in the Judge Rigby room before restoration
After The finished Judge Rigby room at Stone Court House

Old timbers repaired and the floor made good, turning a storage level into a guest room.

Historical Significance
Proof that the most revealing historic spaces are not always the most ornate, but the ones that quietly preserve the evidence of everyday life.

 

Did You Know?

 Attics often preserve older timbers because they are less frequently altered than principal rooms.

 Changes in roof level can reveal how a building expanded over time.

 Historic households used attic spaces for everything from trunks to stored textiles.