Ryan Widdowson: My Favourite Thing |

In this episode of our 2024 series My Favourite Thing, Digital Team Volunteer Ryan, one half of the Widdowson brothers who's face you may have seen across our channel, talks about his beginning at Wentworth Woodhouse and how an old staircase hardly seen by the public, dubbed the spooky staircase by some of our trainees, came to be his favourite place in the House.
Do you like this video and the other content we put out on our channel all about Wentworth Woodhouse? If you do, please consider helping us on our mission to grow the channel by liking the video, subscribing and turning on notifications, so you don't miss out on any of our future releases! It's a free way to support us and helps to generate vital revenue for Wentworth Woodhouse, which is a charitable trust and relies on the funds we raise to achieve our goals.
#wentworthwoodhouse #favourite #oak #staircase #spooky

[@dianeleahy3345]

Thanks Ryan for your insight. Thanks Wentworth Woodhouse.

[@OfficialWentworthWoodhouse]

Thank you for watching, glad you enjoyed it!

[@michelledavis8159]

Wonderful video to gain other people's perspective of Wentworth Woodhouse

[@AnnieStyles-y2p]

One of my favourite places too because it's the original part of Thomas Wentworth's house. Very old, cold and a bit spooky. I imagine Black Tom walking up and down those stairs by candlelight on dark winter days. I wonder we might bump into him one day. 👻

[@OfficialWentworthWoodhouse]

Hopefully we don't or the stairs will fully earn it's name! It would be a great experience though!

[@johnwilletts3984]

I fell down those stairs on my first shift volunteering for the Christmas display. Unhurt but very embarrassed and no I didn’t feel a spooky push!

[@AnnieStyles-y2p]

I remember that. It's not the first time it's happened 😮

[@Louise-je6dc]

Funny you should say that! I almost fell on those stairs and it was as if I was touched on the back of my knee to try to unbalance me beforehand. The lady next to me wasn't so lucky and did fall but luckily it was the last step onto one of the landings so she didn't get hurt. It might have been a coincidence but I don't understand why both of us would have that happen to them at the same time on the same step!

[@AnnieStyles-y2p]

My husband has fallen off those stairs too. Others have and it's always the very last step.

[@notnek202]

Are there any photos of how the oak staircase was decorated when the Fitzwillam family lived in the house?

[@alishaplasker]

How old is the staircase?

[@OfficialWentworthWoodhouse]

That's a really good questions! The staircase is part of the house that was built in the 1630's and was originally, the main staircase in that house. We believe that the spindles date from the early 20th Century. When the 1630's house was developed and massively extended from 1725 to 1760, the 1630's house wasn't demolished, it was incorporated into the new building work. This staircase and some of the rooms that lead off from it, are survivors of the older house.