A BRITBOX LOVER'S DREAM PATTERN...

{HISTORY}

We aren't sure if there is a better subject matter for dinner party conversation than the Old Britain Castles pattern by Johnson Brothers England.  Containing pastoral scenes of the English countryside and all the beautiful buildings that dotted the landscape, each dish in this series featured different settings and different architectural subjects.

This set of six bread plates features Haddon Hall as depicted in 1792. Located above the winding River Wye, Haddon Hall is one of the oldest manor houses in England and is one of the few remaining historic houses that has stayed in one family for its 900 year run. An incredible time capsule, Haddon boasts all kinds of interesting history that ranges from the Middle Ages all the way up to the present day. 

For all you BritBox fans, it has also been a popular film location. The estate has appeared in over 30 feature films since the mid-1980s including Pride and Prejudice, Moll Flanders, The Other Boleyn Girl and The Princess Bride.  

As depicted on these vintage 1930s-era bread plates, Haddon can be seen nestled in the hills just above the Dorothy Vernon footbridge. Just like the house, the bridge has its own stories - most prominently being the one about an illicit 16th century love affair between Dorothy Vernon and George Manners.  Dorothy's father disapproved of the relationship, but love won the day regardless. The two sweethearts met on the footbridge on their way to elopement and lived happily ever after. The bridge was named for Dorothy, forever sealing her romantic fate in the lineage of Haddon Hall.  

Edged in a floral lace pattern, these plates also feature horses, people, trees, and clouds adding great deal of detail to the overall setting. 

Made in Stoke-on-Trent, England in the 1930s, these plates were part of the first wave of production in the Old Britain Castles series.  Debuting in 1930, this series became so popular in the American market, it was continually produced up until 2003. 

Available in several other shades including blue, pink, orchid (lavender), black, and brown, this lovely shade of red looks especially gorgeous when incorporated into Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Valentine's Day tablescapes. With its scalloped edge, decorated rim, and pastoral scene, these plates moonlight as dessert and snack plates too making them especially fun for movie night with friends and family and for festive British-themed dinner parties. 

Contemporary photo of the Dorothy Vernon footbridge courtesy of Haddon Medieval Park.

{SPECIAL FEATURES}

• Red and cream color palette
• Matching set of six bread plates
• Haddon Hall setting
• Stamped on back with the 1930s Johnson Bros mark

{CONDITION}

In beautiful vintage condition. These plates contain no chips or cracks with the exception of one pencil point-sized chip on the back of one plate at the rim.  The transferware details are crisp and clear and the colors are bright and vibrant. Please see photos. 

{SIZE}

Each plate measures 6.25" inches in diameter and weighs 5 oz. The entire set together weighs just a smidge under 2 lbs. 

{DONATION SUPPORTED}

These heirlooms give back! 20% of the proceeds from the sale of these bread plates will be donated to rare.org - an international non-profit committed to protecting, promoting, and preserving global foodways, communities, and the environment through self-sustainability and conservation.

{FOR THE COLLECTOR}

Find more vintage Haddon Hall dishware in the shop here.