‘Hardwick Hall more glass than wall’ is a jewel in the Trusts
crown, transferred from the glittering coronet of the Duke
of Devonshire in lieu of death duties in 1960. Remarkable, as
the saying implies, for its impressive use of glass at such an
early date but more so as it is a manifestation of the property-
enhancing marriages of one powerful sixteenth-century
female magnate, Bess of Hardwick. All these things appealed
to Pat who was particularly fond of the two tea towels she
designed for this Derbyshire property.
Ightham Mote in Kent is a relatively recent addition to the Trust, acquired through a legacy in 1985 and not opened until 2004. This design captures the charm of this smaller moated house in bold royal blue and coral with a grisaille vignette of the courtyard in a central lozenge 一 an unusual format.
Montacute in Somerset is an outstanding building. Pat designed three Montacute tea towels, and this is perhaps one of her most assured designs ever. It is a good example of a tea towel in which a simple scheme of five colours and a black outline gives the impression of full colour.
Royal residences was, of course, not designed for the Trust but was one of a group that she produced for the Royal Palaces, indeed one of her last few designs was a cloth for the Prince of Wales private estate, Highgrove in Gloucestershire. However, it sits comfortably within this collection.
Very early on Pat developed a strong working relationship with Warren Davis, who looked after the West Country administrative region for the Trust and later became press officer for the whole organization for many years – as well as a close friend. Pat frequently stayed in his cottage at Cotehele in Cornwall.
Some of Pats early designs were spare and less sophisticated, relying more on drawing and bold colour than elaborate penwork and borders, such as this one depicting Culzean Castle in Ayrshire.
Pat enjoyed a working relationship with the National Trust for Scotland for over 30 years. Her editor there was Elizabeth Renwick, known as Broon.
Not all Pats property tea towels were produced for the Trust. She worked for many private owners and also for Historic Royal Palaces and Royal Collection. She was the most recognizable and reliable designer to turn to in this small but important field.
Pat much enjoyed her Scottish inspiration trips, driving from property to property drawing, and taking photographs (she was an avowedly poor photographer so the drawings were the key). The clear silhouettes of the harled stone castles of the north suited Pat’s strong sense of pattern and design and their simplicity allowed deeper concentration on details and pattern in borders.
