Episode 39 – Merfield Hall

A Podcast to the Curious - The M.R. James Podcast

This episode Mike & Will false-start their way through the unfinished M.R. James manuscript ‘Merfield Hall’ (or should that be ‘Merfield House’?).

Big thanks to our reader this episode Debbie Wedge.

Show notes:

• ‘Merfield Hall’ manuscript (Ghosts & Scholars)
  What exists of the manuscript(s) for this story can be read online at the Ghosts & Scholars website.
• Potton, Bedfordshire (Wikipedia)
  Potton, mentioned in this story, is a real town in North East Bedfordshire.
• Fishing temple at Southill Park, Bedfordshire (bedfordshire.gov.uk)
  Could the fishing temple at Southill Park, Bedfordshire be an inspiration for the one mentioned in this story?
• Charles Cotton’s fishing temple (derbyshireuk.net)
  The most famous of all fishing temples, that made famous by Izaak Walton, author or ‘The Compleat Angler’.
• James Essex (Wikipedia)
  Architect of the gothic revival James Essex gets a mention in this story as having designed part of the titular house/hall.
• The Roxburghe Club (Roxburgheclub.org.uk)
  William Stedman in the story is said to have been a member of this most exclusive of clubs.