One of the UK National Trust’s more unusual building commissions has been put on display inside the stately home that it copies: a 2m-long gingerbread replica of Waddesdon Manor, a Buckinghamshire pile that was built for Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild’s art collection in the 1870s.
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Image via the National Trust
The model, which took 500 hours to bake, required more than 30kg of butter and sugar, 240 eggs and 216kg of icing.
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Image via the National Trust
The contractor was a London baker called Biscuiteers, which started work on the design 15 months ago. The final version includes detailed replicas of Waddesdon’s most famous rooms including paintings, furniture, porcelain and textiles.
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Waddesdon Manor (Wikimedia Commons/Diliff)
The model was completely crafted by hand and contains only gingerbread and icing.
The gingerbread house will be on show at Waddesdon Manor until the 2 January. The manor hosts an annual summer “Feast festival”, but it’s unknown if the gingerbread house will be on the menu.
Top image via the National Trust