The opening sequence of the much-loved television series Downton Abbey features a ringing servants' bell. At the peak of the programme's popularity, we were selling lots of servants' bells, and entire bell boards, especially to customers in the USA,' recalls Paul Nash, director of architectural salvage company Architectural Decor. "To retrofit an entire working set of bells would be a monster of a job. You'd have to install metal cable, or electric wire, under the floors and hidden behind the plaster. So nowadays mostly they're used decoratively - they give instant English country-house style."
This story is from the December 2024 edition of Homes & Antiques.
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This story is from the December 2024 edition of Homes & Antiques.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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