In the BBC Pride & Prejudice...

[FurrySlipperBoots]

how come it's acceptable for them to just rock up at Pemberley and get the grand tour from the housekeeper, and wander round the grounds? I mean, what the hell?! I'd be beyond mighty pissed off to come back from holiday a day early and find my cleaner had let a bunch of strangers rampage all over the joint!

I suspect money changed hands; a housekeeper's perk perhaps.

It was obviously common practice to 'tip the butler' to see the state rooms.

I think it was also established that the family weren't at home when these visits happened. If they were the housekeeper / butler wouldn't show them around

I have a vague recollection that this was an acceptable thing for the wealthier in society. There are also brochures for self guided tours of some stately homes.

They would have public rooms and private rooms. They wouldn't be shown around the private rooms.

Thank you for asking this question! I have often wondered this too!

This is an interesting article

It was totally acceptable. Just like nowadays you can look round places still owned by aristocracy- Chatsworth or Castle Howard, or even Sandringham.

Yes, it was the done thing.

As others said, it was a totally normal thing to do. You'd tour county homes just like we still do now!

T’was a well known perk for the Butler/Housekeeper, ‘specially when Milord and Milady are away at one of there other residences (while the staff deep clean and get the cesspits emptied)....

their other residences

Yes this was a thing. Like a precursor to the National Trust. In P&P the aunt or the uncle mention they’ve already toured Chatsworth.

It's mentioned in Mansfield Park that Mrs Rushworth is 'almost as well-qualified' as the housekeeper to 'show' Sotherton when the party from Mansfield go there in Henry's barouche.

Those girls must have been so bored those days. No 9-5 and in a house like theirs they would not do any of the shopping, cooking, cleaning or laundry etc.

So what would they do all day? Ok go for an hour's walk, read for an hour or two, sew or knit for an hour, practice piano, then what?

There was no TV, no hanging out at the shops, no Xbox, no cinema, no gym. What would they do for the rest of the day?

What would they do for the rest of the day?

This explains why the amateur theatricals in Mansfield Park generated such wild excitement.

There was also riding, writing letters, playing cards and other such games, and of course paying and receiving calls.

Totally normal if you looked respectable and tipped the housekeeper. Tourism was kicking off in the 18th century as transport/roads improved.
But still a bit embarrassing if you know the owner and are outed as a noseyparker!

Just to say, it was written in the book - the scenario isn't just particular to the BBC book adaptation.

Other ways ladies of the period would pass the time would be riding, hunting, visiting friends, playing cards, letter writing and dressing (so many changes of clothes per day and so many layers!).

Bill
That article explains everything 👍🏻 I always wondered too!

Ah, ok, thank you! I can imagine that it might have been a 'thing' for those who'd inherited grand estates, but no money,, to open to the public for a price (I mean the stately homes run by National Trust nowadays were handed over by people who couldn't afford to run them right?) but I'm thinking lack of ££££ wasn't really an issue for Darcy! It seems funny to me to put up with that intrusion unless you really had to!

As for what there was for women to do... eat afternoon tea! Just about the only perk of 'living in the old days'!

Gambling, especially on card games, was a frequent ‘activity’ for ladies, who often ran up enormous debts their husbands would be obliged to settle. It was not uncommon see newspaper announcements saying “To whom it may concern: Mr XXXX XXXX of YYYY Hall, ZZZZshire, will no longer take responsibility for any debt incurred by Mrs XXXX XXXX Of the same address’ or similar words. A famous example of this was Georgiana Spencer, Duchess of Devonshire 1757-1806.

It seems funny to me to put up with that intrusion unless you really had to!

I could be talking out of my but I think that the owners if the srsteky homes/estates out a lot of money and thought into making them beautiful/special etc with fashionable architects and fashionable landscape gardeners, wanted to have something novel compared to other estates (like follies etc) and so were happy for people (as long as they were "respectable" to view and admire and talk about their properties. It was a type of tourism.

As long as it didnt infringe on their privacy I presume.

I'm not sure of they paid an amount, not because the owners needed the money, but to ensure the visitors were well heeled enough to be able to afford it ... if maybe it was just an "inspect potential visitors and say yay or nay type thing by the senior staff).

*if they paid

I suppose they didn’t have Instagram to share their beautiful interiors on. No point making something fabulous if no one ever sees it.

Oh and also lots of sons of the owners had fine the grand tour and shipped back ancient artefacts so they had essentially museums in their properties - and they let people in to look at and appreciate those too.

I think something to that effect is shown in the latest film version.