Regency Reader Questions: Pride and Prejudice Gold Rods

A reader asks:

Moniker/Name

Joy

Source of Question

Just curious

Your Question

In Simon Langston’s 1995,PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, there are gold rods around the tops of the rooms at the Bennet home. What are they are what is their purpose?

Thank you for the question, Joy, and for being a Regency Readers.

I had a gander at a bad YT pirated version for this assignment so the quality is iffy, but I think this is what you are talking about:

In this version of P&P the role of the Bennet home was played by Luckington Court, a manor home in the Cotswolds that recently sold for some serious coin. That enabled me to see some interior shots that demonstrate this crown molding was not still in the home. Whether it was part of the set or part of the home before a remodel, I do not know.

And now we enter the area of wild speculation. You can only really see this high up the wall in this shot and maybe on one other occasion, so it was hard to get a good look.

This molding (or moulding) has the tinge of the neoclassical style, or Greek Revival.

The Principles of Architecture, Containing the Fundamental Rules of the Art, in Geometry, Arithmetic, and Mensuration, with the Application of Those Rules to Practice … (1836).

But the gold rod in the middle would be fairly inconsistent with most styles I have seen of moulding or framework. However, my first guess is that it might be decorative.

My second guess is that it was made to look discreetly decorative but actually was meant to conceal one of two things:

Wires going from a staff bellpull to the servants quarter bells
Production’s wiring for light or sound

I suspect the second because in the modern pictures of Luckington Court there is little to no crown molding. Granted, it could’ve been removed to update the home. But the crown molding could’ve been part of the set dressing during the filming of the 1995 P&P.

I am admittedly not an interior designer and did not go to Uni for architecture/design, so I am basing my speculation on my knowledge of the era and having looked at lots of photos of recreations or preserved early 19th century rooms.

What are other readers thoughts about these golden rods?

If you are interested in Regency furnishings, interior design, home design, and household tips, check out our category: Regency Household

Ask us more questions about the Regency in our Regency ? page.

Appreciate our research? Please share with other readers, leave your comments, buy a book through one of our links on reviews, or buy us a cup of tea!