Nunnington Hall
Encyclopedia
Nunnington Hall is a country house situated in the English county of North Yorkshire
. The river Rye
, which gives its name to the local area, Ryedale
, runs past the house, flowing away from the village of Nunnington
. Nunnington Hall is owned, conserved and managed as a visitor attraction by the National Trust
.
It was William Parr
who built the oldest parts of the surviving house of Nunnington, which now form part of the west front. Following the forfeiture of the estate after his death in 1571, Nunnington was again subject to let. One of the tenants was Dr Robert Huicke who was physician to both Catherine Parr
and Elizabeth I
. Dr Huicke was to be the one to tell the Queen that she would never have children. Huicke never lived at Nunnington however and the estate was managed by stewards. The sub-lease was granted to Thomas Norcliffe in 1583 and the family made many alterations over the next sixty years.
The present building is a combination of seventeenth and eighteenth century work. Major changes took place during the early 1920s, under the architect Walter Brierley
. Most of the building seen today was created during the 1680s, when Richard Graham, 1st Viscount Preston
, was its owner.
The Hall stands within 8 acres (32,374.9 m²) of organically managed grounds, with the main walled garden lying to the south of the building. The Walled Garden includes lawns, orchards, formal Rose beds, mixed borders, a Tea Garden, and an Iris Garden. The orchards are managed as wildflower meadows containing flowers such as Cowslip
, Primrose
, Snake's Head Fritillary, Buttercup and Camassia
all growing below the fruit trees of which most are traditional Ryedale
varieties. Another feature of the gardens are the resident peacocks. On June 10, 2007 Bluey, head of the peacock family, died under suspicious circumstances.
The property lies in the valley of the river Rye. A stone bridge over the river separates the grounds of the house from the village. Above, a ridge known as Caulkley's Bank, lies between Nunnington
and the Vale of York
, to the south. The Vale of Pickering
and the North York Moors
lie to the north and east.
The first Nunnington Hall was mentioned in the thirteenth century and the site has had many different owners. They include William Parr
, Robert Huicke, Richard Graham, 1st Viscount Preston
, the Rutson family and the Fife family. Mrs Fife gave Nunnington Hall and its gardens to the National Trust in 1952.
to the Stone Hall. This west-facing room is in the oldest part of the building and it dates from the sixteenth century. On the walls you can see preserved animal skins as trophies, a collection of arms and armour and also some large brown-wood furniture.
This space comprises the National Trust's reception area, and it is lit by two high windows which face a gravelled area to the west.
Also on the west wall a modern, (1920s) fireplace, in the style of the sixteenth century. The steps heading to the Dining Room in the South and the archway to a corridor in the East are of the same hand.
While this may have been the site of an earlier Great Hall, Lord Preston may have converted the Stone Hall to become a kitchen, alongside his own bedchamber, now dressed as a dining room.
The hunting trophies consist not only of animal hides
and heads, elephant, rhinoceros, lion, tiger and antelope among them, but also of the souvenirs from World War II. Of the antelope specimen, which themselves cover one wall, both the giant eland
and the tiny dik-dik
are included. These all belonged to Colonel Fife. As well as a German tank crewman's helmet with its blast visor, Colonel Fife owned a Prussian Officer's helmet, flintlock pistols and a bayonet, all of these on display together in the Stone Hall.
As you walk around the room clockwise from the entrance, you see a centre table with carving and inlay which might be from the 1630s in Germany and behind it an English press of oak. Against the south wall is a long and tall settle
made of panels recycled from the seventeenth century.
colour, a dark turquoise, survives from the 1920s, when Colonel Fife had this as his smoking room
. More than two hundred years before the first Lord Preston had this as his chief bedroom, and added a new fireplace
, panelling
and some very early window sashes.
A picture of the son and grandson of the 1st Viscount Preston, bought for display at Nunnington Hall by local supporters of the National Trust. Both of these sitters were heirs to Nunnington Hall, and both died in early life. The title Viscount Preston was lost on the death of Charles Graham in 1739. He left Nunnington Hall to his aunts Catharine, Lady Widdrington
and Mary. The fine rococo
frame has bounded this portrait for more than a century, but may have been designed for a mirror
.
Purchased by the Trust in January 2010 through the generosity of the Miss Mary Lawn Simpson Bequest and other gifts and bequests
s to the National Trust, which displayed some in the Dining Room at Nunnington Hall. These are prints
of the eighteenth century after Joshua Reynolds
(1723–1792).
and dining table
are set with a part of a dinner service from the eighteenth century. This Imari
service from China carries the coat of arms
of the Pitt
family. Rococo
candlestick
s by J.Cafe in 1756, knives, also of the mid eighteenth century and with pistol grips
and a 1794 cake basket sit amongst the dinner service. Finally, two glass and plate
silver claret jug
s complete the display.
A Meissen
set, with six flower decoration coffee cups and saucers, covers the side table. A coffee pot alongside is dated 1765, and was made by Priest of London. There is also a creamer
of 1803 presented alongside.
A sideboard
in the Sheraton style
dates from the late eighteenth century. One side drawer front opens to reveal a wine keeping box lined with lead
, and the other contains press-drawers for linen. On the sideboard two 1888 sauceboats
reflect the late nineteenth century taste for a revival of Georgian styles. There are also two knife boxes with cutlery
of a mixture of dates, from around 1750 to the early nineteenth century. A pair of scissor-shaped candle snuffer
s of silver
bears a crest
of the Rutson family which owned Nunnington Hall.
A card table of around 1750 and made from mahogany
stands between the south facing windows in this room, and a pier glass
of the late eighteenth century with a giltwood
frame hangs above it.
annexed his bedroom with this small chamber to the West.
These panels join the two family crest
s in one work. They include family motto
es and lie within a clouded background bordered with gold seraphim. This style of painting is also found on funerary hatchment
s.
This Rutson bought Nunnington in 1839 from Sir Bellingham Graham. His motto
means 'judge us by our actions'.
Involved in the intrigue to restore James II's kingship, Richard Graham was imprisoned for his Royalist
fidelity and was kept at the Tower of London
. Upon his release, Preston spent the remainder of his life at Nunnington.
remodelled this room during the late 17th century, and evidence of this phase of building is visible throughout the room in the form of panelling, carving on the staircase and pediment
s above fireplaces and doorcases.
Panelling in this room was once painted, but is now bare, having been stripped during the refurbishment by Walter Brierly and the Fife family in the 1920s, an example of an Edwardian trend.
Pediments above doorcases are split, and very finely carved, along with the three arches on the north side of the room. Another split, triangle pediment surmounts the large cartouche
bearing the Viscount Preston
family coat of arms above the fireplace, and this high quality carving has been attributed to John Etty, the master carpenter from York
(c.1634–1708), a comparison drawn with his work at Sprotborough Hall in Doncaster. Sprotborough was demolished in 1926. The fireplace itself is carved from Hildenby stone, with its own split triangle pediment below the cartouche. Within this latter device, the Preston coat of arms rests above a supporting group of eagles, foliage and scrolls, terminating at either side with cherub's heads in profile. A likely inspiration for this design is the Livre d'Architecture by French architect Jean Barbet. Robert Pricke used Barbet's pattern in his 1674 work The Architect's Store-House.
In his Book of Sundry Draughts (1615), Walter Gedde included a pattern repeated on the floor of this room in stone flags, the squares and hexagons intersecting. An earlier source for this pattern came from Sebastiano Serlio
's Il Quattro Libri Dell'Architettura, which came to England in 1611, a cornerstone of the late English Renaissance.
(1706–1739), by Enoch Seeman
, (c. 1694–1745).
This portrait shows Lord Preston wearing the robes of his peerage. His premature death meant that there was no direct descendent to receive Nunnington Hall or his title, so the estate passed to his aunts Mary and Catherine, but the viscountship was extinguished. The support of the National Trust Associations made the purchase of this portrait possible in 1996.
Edward Graham, (c.1679/81–1710), with his sister Catharine (1677–1757), as children.
Edward was the second Viscount Preston in 1695, and for fifteen years before his early demise. Meanwhile Catherine, who lived to eighty, was married to Lord Widdrington. A Jacobite, Widdrington was convicted and condemned to death after the Jacobite uprising in 1715. Catherine however pleaded for his life and married him thereafter. The National Trust Associations part funded the acquisition of this picture along with the Victoria & Albert Museum, in 1987.
A Groom and Two Hunters, by John Ferneley
, (1782–1860). Dated 1820, signed by the artist and inscribed 'Melton Mowbray'.
A Grey Hunter, by John Ferneley
, (1782–1860). Dated 1820, signed by the artist and inscribed 'Melton Mowbray'.
William Rutson (1791–1867) on a Grey Hunter, by John Ferneley
, (1782–1860). Dated 1820, signed by the artist and inscribed 'Melton Mowbray'. The sitter for this last of three pictures by John Ferneley, William Rutson, was an owner of Nunnington Hall. Rutson bought the estate in 1839, nineteen years after he had ordered these pictures from Ferneley.
ware, from around the seventeenth century. On the South wall is a north-european cabinet of the late seventeenth century, with a display of mid 19th century Chamberlain's Worcester tea and coffee cups, along with other, 18th century ceramics. A longcase clock of around 1760 belonged first to William Rutson's grandfather, (also William), for whom it was made by a clockmaker from Kendal, William Wilson. The elder William Rutson had been Kendal's mayor in 1761, and the clock bears his initials as a monogram, on its dial. Near the stairs are a large cupboard made from pieces of recycled seventeenth century panelling and an Italian chest of walnut. In the stairwell the Soho tapestry of around 1700 survives a sample of the work of John Vanderbank
, in excellent condition, with a design of oriental allegories fashionable at a time of high import of oriental ceramics. In front of the fireplace a Bidjar rug of a final design is dated around 1900.
Found in a store at Nunnington by housekeepers, Shrimpers at Lyme Regis, a small picture in oils on board, has been attributed to Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775–1851)
The picture returned to Nunnington in 2006, having been studied by National Trust and Tate Gallery specialists in London over five years.
When the picture was found in a rack during routine housekeeping, cleaning revealed a faint and faded inscription-
Presented to me by JM Turner, 1832. J Harding
And another -
Lyme Regis. Shrimpers
Research and investigation identified J Harding as James Duffield Harding
, (1797–1863), eminent watercolorist and draughtsman, and friend of Turner's. Comparing the handwriting on the inscription with Harding's manuscripts at the Royal Watercolour Society proved a match.
The title is in a different hand and a different medium, which fits the idea that Turner made the gift to Harding in 1832, and that the title was added later, by another.
Further evidence was found in the similarity between this picture and Turner's watercolour of 1811, held in Glasgow's art gallery - Lyme Regis, Dosetshire: A Squall, [sic].
Today Shrimpers at Lyme Regis hangs in the Drawing Room in a frame selected by the National Trust, a purchase made possible by the generosity of the Association of National Trust Members in Belgium.
The piano was recently restored by the local York firm of Banks.
The longcase clock in the corner was sold c.1720 by William Troutbeck of Leeds.
For winelovers and children the painting "Grape Harvest in the South of France" attributed to Hendrick van Ballen the Younger (1623–61)provides a glimpse of rural social history.
On show are memorabilia from The Colonel's army career including his campaign medals and notices of Mentions in Despatches together with presentation cups from his days in India where he enjoyed success on the polo field and race course.
Photographs of Col Fife also demonstrate the substantial nature of the restoration work to Nunnington Hall.
One of the small watercolour paintings on display is a "View of Philae" by Edward Lear better known for his owls and pussycats in seagreen boats.
The bedspread was worked by Fanny Wrather, great grandmother of Mrs Fife.
Among the family portraits on display is a charming portrait of Mrs Fife (nee Margaret Rutson) as a young girl in pastel by Paul-Cesar Helleu (1859–1927) and a pencil drawing of Col Fife signed and dated 1915 by William Strang (1859–1921).
This room also has another much earlier example of Fanny Wrather's needlework; a sampler hanging adjacent to the late 19th century pastel portrait of her.
The mezzotint female portraits are late 18th century after the style of Reynolds and form part of a collection given to the National Trust by Kathleen Cooper-Abbs owner and donor of Mount Grace Priory.
The miniature walnut-veneered bureau is likely to be either an apprentice's masterpiece or a furniture's salesman's showpiece.
In front of the fireplace is a painted leather firescreen made from a piece of a set of leather wallhangings which according to a local historian, the Rev. Eastmead once decorated a room at Nunnington but which were shreds relegated to an attic room by 1824.
The oak bed is an interesting example of an old stretcher base being updated at intervals by the addition of later posts and canopy.
The late 17th century marquetry and turned side-table at the side of the bed opens out to reveal a tapestry of ?.
Over the door to the Bedroom Corridor is an early example of a "borrow" light window allowing natural light to reach the corridor which was probably formed as part of Lord Preston's alterations.
The Bedroom Corridor leads to the he Reading Room where visitors can stop for a rest. This room was used in later years as a dressing room for the next door room, the Panelled Bedroom.
The eared overmantel surround of the fireplace is believed to be a later addition and may be the work of the York joiner John Etty (1634–1708).
The room and its little adjacent Oratory are reputed to be haunted by a presence that passes over the bed and through the wall.
The various samplers displayed on the walls are a testament to the skill and diligence of their young creators from a time when a neat hand with a needle and an "improving" text was a sign of a good upbringing.
The bed in this room is an officer's travelling bed which can be dismantled for transportation in the baggage trains that have been an essential part of a campaigning army on the move throughout history.
Most of the children's furniture and toys on display are from the Victorian period onwards.
"The Baby House" (c.1800-10) is furnished and decorated in 18th century taste and was made for the Rutson family in the 19th century. It would originally have been kept in the Drawing Room as it was not made as a children's toy.
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
. The river Rye
River Rye, Yorkshire
The River Rye is a river in the English county of North Yorkshire. It rises just south of the Cleveland Hills, east of Osmotherley, and flows through Hawnby, Rievaulx, Helmsley, Nunnington, West and East Ness, Butterwick, Brawby, and Ryton, before joining the River Derwent at near Malton.On some...
, which gives its name to the local area, Ryedale
Ryedale
Ryedale is a non-metropolitan district of the shire county of North Yorkshire in England. Settlements include Helmsley, Kirkbymoorside, Malton, Norton-on-Derwent, Pickering, and Terrington.-Derivation of name:...
, runs past the house, flowing away from the village of Nunnington
Nunnington
Nunnington is a small village and civil parish in the Ryedale district of North Yorkshire, England. The river Rye runs through the village.Nunnington Hall is a Grade I listed mansion owned by the National Trust and open to the public. The parish church, dedicated to All Saints and St James, is also...
. Nunnington Hall is owned, conserved and managed as a visitor attraction by the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
.
It was William Parr
William Parr, 1st Marquess of Northampton
William Parr, 1st Marquess of Northampton, 1st Earl of Essex and 1st Baron Parr, KG was the son of Sir Thomas Parr and his wife, Maud Green, daughter of Sir Thomas Green, of Broughton and Greens Norton...
who built the oldest parts of the surviving house of Nunnington, which now form part of the west front. Following the forfeiture of the estate after his death in 1571, Nunnington was again subject to let. One of the tenants was Dr Robert Huicke who was physician to both Catherine Parr
Catherine Parr
Catherine Parr ; 1512 – 5 September 1548) was Queen consort of England and Ireland and the last of the six wives of King Henry VIII of England. She married Henry VIII on 12 July 1543. She was the fourth commoner Henry had taken as his consort, and outlived him...
and Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
. Dr Huicke was to be the one to tell the Queen that she would never have children. Huicke never lived at Nunnington however and the estate was managed by stewards. The sub-lease was granted to Thomas Norcliffe in 1583 and the family made many alterations over the next sixty years.
The present building is a combination of seventeenth and eighteenth century work. Major changes took place during the early 1920s, under the architect Walter Brierley
Walter Brierley
Walter Henry Brierley was a York architect whopractised in the city for 40 years. He is known as "the Yorkshire Lutyens".He is also credited with being an exponent of the "Wrenaissance" style - incorporating elements of Christopher Wren....
. Most of the building seen today was created during the 1680s, when Richard Graham, 1st Viscount Preston
Viscount Preston
Viscount Preston is a title that has been created twice, once in the Peerage of Scotland and once in the Peerage of Ireland. The first creation came in the Peerage of Scotland on 21 May 1681. For more information on this creation, see Graham Baronets of Esk. The second creation came in the Peerage...
, was its owner.
The Hall stands within 8 acres (32,374.9 m²) of organically managed grounds, with the main walled garden lying to the south of the building. The Walled Garden includes lawns, orchards, formal Rose beds, mixed borders, a Tea Garden, and an Iris Garden. The orchards are managed as wildflower meadows containing flowers such as Cowslip
Primula veris
Primula veris is a flowering plant in the genus Primula. The species is found throughout most of temperate Europe and Asia, and although absent from more northerly areas including much of northwest Scotland, it reappears in northernmost Sutherland and Orkney.-Names:The common name cowslip derives...
, Primrose
Primula vulgaris
Primula vulgaris is a species of Primula native to western and southern Europe , northwest Africa , and southwest Asia...
, Snake's Head Fritillary, Buttercup and Camassia
Camassia
Camassia is a genus of six species native to western North America, from southern British Columbia to northern California, and east to Utah, Wyoming and Montana...
all growing below the fruit trees of which most are traditional Ryedale
Ryedale
Ryedale is a non-metropolitan district of the shire county of North Yorkshire in England. Settlements include Helmsley, Kirkbymoorside, Malton, Norton-on-Derwent, Pickering, and Terrington.-Derivation of name:...
varieties. Another feature of the gardens are the resident peacocks. On June 10, 2007 Bluey, head of the peacock family, died under suspicious circumstances.
The property lies in the valley of the river Rye. A stone bridge over the river separates the grounds of the house from the village. Above, a ridge known as Caulkley's Bank, lies between Nunnington
Nunnington
Nunnington is a small village and civil parish in the Ryedale district of North Yorkshire, England. The river Rye runs through the village.Nunnington Hall is a Grade I listed mansion owned by the National Trust and open to the public. The parish church, dedicated to All Saints and St James, is also...
and the Vale of York
Vale of York
The Vale of York is an area of flat land in the north-east of England. The vale is a major agricultural area and serves as the main north-south transport corridor for northern England....
, to the south. The Vale of Pickering
Vale of Pickering
The Vale of Pickering is a low-lying flat area of land in North Yorkshire, England. It is drained by the River Derwent. The landscape is rural with scattered villages and small market towns. It has been inhabited continuously from the Mesolithic period...
and the North York Moors
North York Moors
The North York Moors is a national park in North Yorkshire, England. The moors are one of the largest expanses of heather moorland in the United Kingdom. It covers an area of , and it has a population of about 25,000...
lie to the north and east.
The first Nunnington Hall was mentioned in the thirteenth century and the site has had many different owners. They include William Parr
Baron Parr of Horton
William Parr, 1st Baron Parr of Horton was the son of William Parr, 1st Baron Parr of Kendal and his wife Elizabeth Fitzhugh, Baroness Vaux of Harrowden.-Life:...
, Robert Huicke, Richard Graham, 1st Viscount Preston
Richard Graham, 1st Viscount Preston
Richard Graham, 1st Viscount Preston PC was an English politician and diplomat. He became a Jacobite conspirator, but his reputation in the Jacobite community suffered when he gave evidence against his co-conspirators in exchange for a pardon.-Origins and education:Graham was born at Netherby,...
, the Rutson family and the Fife family. Mrs Fife gave Nunnington Hall and its gardens to the National Trust in 1952.
The Stone Hall
Today visitors enter by a modest entrance and porchPorch
A porch is external to the walls of the main building proper, but may be enclosed by screen, latticework, broad windows, or other light frame walls extending from the main structure.There are various styles of porches, all of which depend on the architectural tradition of its location...
to the Stone Hall. This west-facing room is in the oldest part of the building and it dates from the sixteenth century. On the walls you can see preserved animal skins as trophies, a collection of arms and armour and also some large brown-wood furniture.
This space comprises the National Trust's reception area, and it is lit by two high windows which face a gravelled area to the west.
Also on the west wall a modern, (1920s) fireplace, in the style of the sixteenth century. The steps heading to the Dining Room in the South and the archway to a corridor in the East are of the same hand.
While this may have been the site of an earlier Great Hall, Lord Preston may have converted the Stone Hall to become a kitchen, alongside his own bedchamber, now dressed as a dining room.
The hunting trophies consist not only of animal hides
Skinning
Skinning, a gerund from the verb to skin, commonly refers to the act of skin removal.The process is usually done with animals, mainly as preparation of the meat beneath and/or use for the fur...
and heads, elephant, rhinoceros, lion, tiger and antelope among them, but also of the souvenirs from World War II. Of the antelope specimen, which themselves cover one wall, both the giant eland
Taurotragus
Taurotragus, commonly called Eland, is a genus of antelopes of the African savannah, containing two species: the Common Eland and the Giant Eland...
and the tiny dik-dik
Dik-dik
A dik-dik, pronounced "dĭk’ dĭk", is a small antelope in the Genus Madoqua that lives in the bushes of eastern and southern Africa. Dik-diks stand 30–40 cm at the shoulder, are 50–70 cm long, weigh 3–6 kg and can live for up to 10 years...
are included. These all belonged to Colonel Fife. As well as a German tank crewman's helmet with its blast visor, Colonel Fife owned a Prussian Officer's helmet, flintlock pistols and a bayonet, all of these on display together in the Stone Hall.
As you walk around the room clockwise from the entrance, you see a centre table with carving and inlay which might be from the 1630s in Germany and behind it an English press of oak. Against the south wall is a long and tall settle
Settle (furniture)
A settle is a wooden bench, usually with arms and a high back, long enough to accommodate three or four sitters.They are commonly movable, but occasionally fixed. It shares with the chest and the chair the distinction of great antiquity...
made of panels recycled from the seventeenth century.
The Dining Room
The room used by the Fife family for dining is not part of the visitor's tour of this property and so the second room in their route has been dressed as an Edwardian dining room. The paintPaint
Paint is any liquid, liquefiable, or mastic composition which after application to a substrate in a thin layer is converted to an opaque solid film. One may also consider the digital mimicry thereof...
colour, a dark turquoise, survives from the 1920s, when Colonel Fife had this as his smoking room
Smoking room
A Smoking room is a room which is specifically provided and furnished for smoking, generally in buildings where smoking is otherwise prohibited....
. More than two hundred years before the first Lord Preston had this as his chief bedroom, and added a new fireplace
Fireplace
A fireplace is an architectural structure to contain a fire for heating and, especially historically, for cooking. A fire is contained in a firebox or firepit; a chimney or other flue allows gas and particulate exhaust to escape...
, panelling
Panelling
Panelling is a wall covering constructed from rigid or semi-rigid components. These are traditionally interlocking wood, but could be plastic or other materials....
and some very early window sashes.
Pictures
- Attributed to Charles D'Agar (1669–1723), Edward, 2nd Viscount PrestonViscount PrestonViscount Preston is a title that has been created twice, once in the Peerage of Scotland and once in the Peerage of Ireland. The first creation came in the Peerage of Scotland on 21 May 1681. For more information on this creation, see Graham Baronets of Esk. The second creation came in the Peerage...
(c. 1679/81-1710) and his son Charles, 3rd Viscount PrestonViscount PrestonViscount Preston is a title that has been created twice, once in the Peerage of Scotland and once in the Peerage of Ireland. The first creation came in the Peerage of Scotland on 21 May 1681. For more information on this creation, see Graham Baronets of Esk. The second creation came in the Peerage...
(1706–1739)
A picture of the son and grandson of the 1st Viscount Preston, bought for display at Nunnington Hall by local supporters of the National Trust. Both of these sitters were heirs to Nunnington Hall, and both died in early life. The title Viscount Preston was lost on the death of Charles Graham in 1739. He left Nunnington Hall to his aunts Catharine, Lady Widdrington
Widdrington (name)
Widdrington is a surname, and may refer to:* The various barons Widdrington, including:** William Widdrington, 1st Baron Widdrington ** His great-grandson William Widdrington, 4th Baron Widdrington...
and Mary. The fine rococo
Rococo
Rococo , also referred to as "Late Baroque", is an 18th-century style which developed as Baroque artists gave up their symmetry and became increasingly ornate, florid, and playful...
frame has bounded this portrait for more than a century, but may have been designed for a mirror
Mirror
A mirror is an object that reflects light or sound in a way that preserves much of its original quality prior to its contact with the mirror. Some mirrors also filter out some wavelengths, while preserving other wavelengths in the reflection...
.
- Circle of Joseph Highmore, William, 4th Baron Widdrington
Purchased by the Trust in January 2010 through the generosity of the Miss Mary Lawn Simpson Bequest and other gifts and bequests
- In the manner of Giovanni Paolo PanniniGiovanni Paolo PanniniGiovanni Paolo Panini or Pannini was a painter and architect, who worked in Rome and is mainly known as one of the vedutisti ....
, (c. 1692–1765/8), CapriccioCapriccio (painting)In painting, a capriccio , means especially an architectural fantasy, placing together buildings, archaeological remains and other architectural elements in fictional and often fantastical combinations, perhaps with staffage of figures. It fits under the more general term of landscape painting...
with Ruins
Mezzotints
In 1974 Miss Kathleen Cooper-Abbs gave an extensive and fine collection of mezzotintMezzotint
Mezzotint is a printmaking process of the intaglio family, technically a drypoint method. It was the first tonal method to be used, enabling half-tones to be produced without using line- or dot-based techniques like hatching, cross-hatching or stipple...
s to the National Trust, which displayed some in the Dining Room at Nunnington Hall. These are prints
Printmaking
Printmaking is the process of making artworks by printing, normally on paper. Printmaking normally covers only the process of creating prints with an element of originality, rather than just being a photographic reproduction of a painting. Except in the case of monotyping, the process is capable...
of the eighteenth century after Joshua Reynolds
Joshua Reynolds
Sir Joshua Reynolds RA FRS FRSA was an influential 18th-century English painter, specialising in portraits and promoting the "Grand Style" in painting which depended on idealization of the imperfect. He was one of the founders and first President of the Royal Academy...
(1723–1792).
Ceramics, metalwork and furniture
The fireplace mantelFireplace mantel
Fireplace mantel or mantelpiece, also known as a chimneypiece, originated in medieval times as a hood that projected over a grate to catch the smoke. The term has evolved to include the decorative framework around the fireplace, and can include elaborate designs extending to the ceiling...
and dining table
Table (furniture)
A table is a form of furniture with a flat and satisfactory horizontal upper surface used to support objects of interest, for storage, show, and/or manipulation...
are set with a part of a dinner service from the eighteenth century. This Imari
Imari porcelain
Imari porcelain is the name for Japanese porcelain wares made in the town of Arita, in the former Hizen Province, northwestern Kyūshū. They were exported to Europe extensively from the port of Imari, Saga between latter half of 17th century and former half of 18 th century, Japanese as well as the...
service from China carries the coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
of the Pitt
William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham
William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham PC was a British Whig statesman who led Britain during the Seven Years' War...
family. Rococo
Rococo
Rococo , also referred to as "Late Baroque", is an 18th-century style which developed as Baroque artists gave up their symmetry and became increasingly ornate, florid, and playful...
candlestick
Candlestick
A candlestick, chamberstick, or candelabrum is a holder for one or more candles, used for illumination, rituals, or decorative purposes. The name 'candlestick' derives from the fact that it is usually tall and stick-shaped.Candlesticks are also called candle holders...
s by J.Cafe in 1756, knives, also of the mid eighteenth century and with pistol grips
Pistol grip (disambiguation)
Pistol grip may refer to:* Pistol grip, a handle for a firearm, drill, or other tool* Pistol grip , a grip used for foil and épée swords in the sport of fencing* Pistol Grip, a street punk band...
and a 1794 cake basket sit amongst the dinner service. Finally, two glass and plate
Plating
Plating is a surface covering in which a metal is deposited on a conductive surface. Plating has been done for hundreds of years, but it is also critical for modern technology...
silver claret jug
Silver claret jug
A silver Claret jug is a wine jug made of glass and silver for the so called Claret, which is a French Bordeaux wine.Claret jugs where produced from about 1830 to 1920 and are nowadays very collectable. The vast majority were made of cut glass. The silver mounted tops incorporated hinged lids, and...
s complete the display.
A Meissen
Meissen
Meissen is a town of approximately 30,000 about northwest of Dresden on both banks of the Elbe river in the Free State of Saxony, in eastern Germany. Meissen is the home of Meissen porcelain, the Albrechtsburg castle, the Gothic Meissen Cathedral and the Meissen Frauenkirche...
set, with six flower decoration coffee cups and saucers, covers the side table. A coffee pot alongside is dated 1765, and was made by Priest of London. There is also a creamer
Creamer (crockery)
A creamer is a small pitcher or jug designed for holding cream or milk to be served with tea or coffee in the Western tradition. Creamers can be earthenware or porcelain, but also made of silver or other metals; a creamer is an obligatory part of a coffee or tea set, whether in silver or...
of 1803 presented alongside.
A sideboard
Sideboard
A sideboard is an item of furniture traditionally used in the dining room for serving food, for displaying serving dishes such as silver, and for storage. It usually consists of a set of cabinets, or cupboards, and one or more drawers, all topped by a flat display surface for conveniently holding...
in the Sheraton style
Sheraton Style
Sheraton is a late 18th century neoclassical English furniture style, in vogue ca 1785 - 1820, that was coined by 19th century collectors and dealers to credit furniture designer Thomas Sheraton, born in Stockton-on-Tees, England in 1751 and whose books, "The Cabinet Dictionary" of engraved...
dates from the late eighteenth century. One side drawer front opens to reveal a wine keeping box lined with lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
, and the other contains press-drawers for linen. On the sideboard two 1888 sauceboats
Sauce boat
A sauce boat, gravy boat or saucière is a boat-shaped pitcher in which sauce or gravy is served. It often sits on a matching plate, sometimes attached to the pitcher, to catch dripping sauce....
reflect the late nineteenth century taste for a revival of Georgian styles. There are also two knife boxes with cutlery
Cutlery
Cutlery refers to any hand implement used in preparing, serving, and especially eating food in the Western world. It is more usually known as silverware or flatware in the United States, where cutlery can have the more specific meaning of knives and other cutting instruments. This is probably the...
of a mixture of dates, from around 1750 to the early nineteenth century. A pair of scissor-shaped candle snuffer
Candle snuffer
In modern times, a candle snuffer is an instrument used to extinguish burning candles. This is accomplished by smothering the flame with a small metal cup that is suspended from a long handle, and thus depriving it of oxygen. The use of a candle snuffer helps to avoid problems associated with...
s of silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
bears a crest
Crest (heraldry)
A crest is a component of an heraldic display, so called because it stands on top of a helmet, as the crest of a jay stands on the bird's head....
of the Rutson family which owned Nunnington Hall.
A card table of around 1750 and made from mahogany
Mahogany
The name mahogany is used when referring to numerous varieties of dark-colored hardwood. It is a native American word originally used for the wood of the species Swietenia mahagoni, known as West Indian or Cuban mahogany....
stands between the south facing windows in this room, and a pier glass
Pier glass
A pier glass is a mirror which is placed on a pier, i.e. a wall between two windows supporting an upper structure. It is therefore generally of a long and tall shape to fit the space. It may be as a hanging mirror or as mirrored glass affixed flush to the pier, in which case it is sometimes of...
of the late eighteenth century with a giltwood
Gilding
The term gilding covers a number of decorative techniques for applying fine gold leaf or powder to solid surfaces such as wood, stone, or metal to give a thin coating of gold. A gilded object is described as "gilt"...
frame hangs above it.
Lord Preston's room
In the French style of the period the bedchamber remained a place for entertaining guests in an open, public way. A withdrawing room provided a measure of privacy and so Viscount PrestonViscount Preston
Viscount Preston is a title that has been created twice, once in the Peerage of Scotland and once in the Peerage of Ireland. The first creation came in the Peerage of Scotland on 21 May 1681. For more information on this creation, see Graham Baronets of Esk. The second creation came in the Peerage...
annexed his bedroom with this small chamber to the West.
Pictures
- English, late 17th century ceiling painting in panels. Arms of Viscount PrestonViscount PrestonViscount Preston is a title that has been created twice, once in the Peerage of Scotland and once in the Peerage of Ireland. The first creation came in the Peerage of Scotland on 21 May 1681. For more information on this creation, see Graham Baronets of Esk. The second creation came in the Peerage...
and his wife, Lady Anne HowardHoward familyThe Howard family is an English aristocratic family founded by John Howard who was created Duke of Norfolk by Plantagenet monarch Richard III of England in 1483. However, John was also the eldest grandson of the 1st Duke of 1st creation...
, the daughter of the Earl of CarlisleEarl of CarlisleEarl of Carlisle is a title that has been created three times in the Peerage of England. The first creation came in 1322 when the soldier Andrew Harclay, 1st Baron Harclay was made Earl of Carlisle. He had already been summoned to Parliament as Lord Harclay in 1321...
.
These panels join the two family crest
Crest (heraldry)
A crest is a component of an heraldic display, so called because it stands on top of a helmet, as the crest of a jay stands on the bird's head....
s in one work. They include family motto
Motto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
es and lie within a clouded background bordered with gold seraphim. This style of painting is also found on funerary hatchment
Hatchment
A hatchment is a funeral demonstration of the lifetime "achievement" of the arms and any other honours displayed on a black lozenge-shaped frame which used to be suspended against the wall of a deceased person's house...
s.
- English, 19th century. Arms of William Rutson, (1791–1867). Oval, watercolour.
This Rutson bought Nunnington in 1839 from Sir Bellingham Graham. His motto
Motto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
means 'judge us by our actions'.
- Anonymous. Richard Graham, 1st Viscount PrestonViscount PrestonViscount Preston is a title that has been created twice, once in the Peerage of Scotland and once in the Peerage of Ireland. The first creation came in the Peerage of Scotland on 21 May 1681. For more information on this creation, see Graham Baronets of Esk. The second creation came in the Peerage...
, (1648–1695). EngravingEngravingEngraving is the practice of incising a design on to a hard, usually flat surface, by cutting grooves into it. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or glass are engraved, or may provide an intaglio printing plate, of copper or another metal, for printing... - R. Sheppard after Sir Godfrey KnellerGodfrey KnellerSir Godfrey Kneller, 1st Baronet was the leading portrait painter in England during the late 17th and early 18th centuries, and was court painter to British monarchs from Charles II to George I...
, (1646/9–1723). James IIJames II of EnglandJames II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
, (1633–1701). EngravingEngravingEngraving is the practice of incising a design on to a hard, usually flat surface, by cutting grooves into it. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or glass are engraved, or may provide an intaglio printing plate, of copper or another metal, for printing...
Involved in the intrigue to restore James II's kingship, Richard Graham was imprisoned for his Royalist
Cavalier
Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I and son Charles II during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration...
fidelity and was kept at the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
. Upon his release, Preston spent the remainder of his life at Nunnington.
- Photographs. Two framed photographs on a side desk show first, the West front without the beech surrounded courtyard and second, the drawing by Samuel Buck of either a plan for or a plan of Nunnington's seventeenth century garden.
Ceramics and furniture
- A potichePotichePotiche is a 2010 French-Belgian comedy film directed by François Ozon, based on the play of the same name by Pierre Barillet and Jean-Pierre Grédy. It stars Catherine Deneuve, Gérard Depardieu, Fabrice Luchini, Karin Viard, Judith Godrèche and Jérémie Renier...
jar of the K'ang Hsi dynasty sits on the overmantel and was made in the early eighteenth century. - A mid GeorgianGeorgian eraThe Georgian era is a period of British history which takes its name from, and is normally defined as spanning the reigns of, the first four Hanoverian kings of Great Britain : George I, George II, George III and George IV...
pedestal deskPedestal deskA pedestal desk is usually a large free-standing desk made of a simple rectangular working surface resting on two pedestals or small cabinets of stacked drawers of one or two sizes, with plinths around the bases. Often, there is also a central large drawer above the legs and knees of the user...
is against the North wall. This desk is made from mahoganyMahoganyThe name mahogany is used when referring to numerous varieties of dark-colored hardwood. It is a native American word originally used for the wood of the species Swietenia mahagoni, known as West Indian or Cuban mahogany....
and has fluted and canted corners. - In front of the desk is an armchair which is a few years older. Its seat cover may be a few years older still. The frame is partly made from padoukwood and is curved in the back and the seat rail.
The Oak Hall
Viscount PrestonViscount Preston
Viscount Preston is a title that has been created twice, once in the Peerage of Scotland and once in the Peerage of Ireland. The first creation came in the Peerage of Scotland on 21 May 1681. For more information on this creation, see Graham Baronets of Esk. The second creation came in the Peerage...
remodelled this room during the late 17th century, and evidence of this phase of building is visible throughout the room in the form of panelling, carving on the staircase and pediment
Pediment
A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure , typically supported by columns. The gable end of the pediment is surrounded by the cornice moulding...
s above fireplaces and doorcases.
Panelling in this room was once painted, but is now bare, having been stripped during the refurbishment by Walter Brierly and the Fife family in the 1920s, an example of an Edwardian trend.
Pediments above doorcases are split, and very finely carved, along with the three arches on the north side of the room. Another split, triangle pediment surmounts the large cartouche
Cartouche (design)
A cartouche is an oval or oblong design with a slightly convex surface, typically edged with ornamental scrollwork. It is used to hold a painted or low relief design....
bearing the Viscount Preston
Viscount Preston
Viscount Preston is a title that has been created twice, once in the Peerage of Scotland and once in the Peerage of Ireland. The first creation came in the Peerage of Scotland on 21 May 1681. For more information on this creation, see Graham Baronets of Esk. The second creation came in the Peerage...
family coat of arms above the fireplace, and this high quality carving has been attributed to John Etty, the master carpenter from York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
(c.1634–1708), a comparison drawn with his work at Sprotborough Hall in Doncaster. Sprotborough was demolished in 1926. The fireplace itself is carved from Hildenby stone, with its own split triangle pediment below the cartouche. Within this latter device, the Preston coat of arms rests above a supporting group of eagles, foliage and scrolls, terminating at either side with cherub's heads in profile. A likely inspiration for this design is the Livre d'Architecture by French architect Jean Barbet. Robert Pricke used Barbet's pattern in his 1674 work The Architect's Store-House.
In his Book of Sundry Draughts (1615), Walter Gedde included a pattern repeated on the floor of this room in stone flags, the squares and hexagons intersecting. An earlier source for this pattern came from Sebastiano Serlio
Sebastiano Serlio
Sebastiano Serlio was an Italian Mannerist architect, who was part of the Italian team building the Palace of Fontainebleau...
's Il Quattro Libri Dell'Architettura, which came to England in 1611, a cornerstone of the late English Renaissance.
Pictures
Charles, 3rd Viscount PrestonViscount Preston
Viscount Preston is a title that has been created twice, once in the Peerage of Scotland and once in the Peerage of Ireland. The first creation came in the Peerage of Scotland on 21 May 1681. For more information on this creation, see Graham Baronets of Esk. The second creation came in the Peerage...
(1706–1739), by Enoch Seeman
Enoch Seeman
Enoch Seeman the Younger was born in Danzig, now Gdansk, Poland, around 1694. His father, also Enoch was born around 1661, and the Seeman family were painters....
, (c. 1694–1745).
This portrait shows Lord Preston wearing the robes of his peerage. His premature death meant that there was no direct descendent to receive Nunnington Hall or his title, so the estate passed to his aunts Mary and Catherine, but the viscountship was extinguished. The support of the National Trust Associations made the purchase of this portrait possible in 1996.
Edward Graham, (c.1679/81–1710), with his sister Catharine (1677–1757), as children.
Edward was the second Viscount Preston in 1695, and for fifteen years before his early demise. Meanwhile Catherine, who lived to eighty, was married to Lord Widdrington. A Jacobite, Widdrington was convicted and condemned to death after the Jacobite uprising in 1715. Catherine however pleaded for his life and married him thereafter. The National Trust Associations part funded the acquisition of this picture along with the Victoria & Albert Museum, in 1987.
A Groom and Two Hunters, by John Ferneley
John Ferneley
John E. Ferneley , was an English painter who specialised in portraying sporting horses and hunting scenes...
, (1782–1860). Dated 1820, signed by the artist and inscribed 'Melton Mowbray'.
A Grey Hunter, by John Ferneley
John Ferneley
John E. Ferneley , was an English painter who specialised in portraying sporting horses and hunting scenes...
, (1782–1860). Dated 1820, signed by the artist and inscribed 'Melton Mowbray'.
William Rutson (1791–1867) on a Grey Hunter, by John Ferneley
John Ferneley
John E. Ferneley , was an English painter who specialised in portraying sporting horses and hunting scenes...
, (1782–1860). Dated 1820, signed by the artist and inscribed 'Melton Mowbray'. The sitter for this last of three pictures by John Ferneley, William Rutson, was an owner of Nunnington Hall. Rutson bought the estate in 1839, nineteen years after he had ordered these pictures from Ferneley.
Furniture
The Oak Hall contains an oak table, ten feet long, made during the sixteenth century. Mrs Fife, one of the owners of Nunnington in the twentieth century, installed the table in this room having found it in the kitchens. Today the table bears two large bowls of CeladonCeladon
Celadon is a term for ceramics denoting both a type of glaze and a ware of a specific color, also called celadon. This type of ware was invented in ancient China, such as in the Zhejiang province...
ware, from around the seventeenth century. On the South wall is a north-european cabinet of the late seventeenth century, with a display of mid 19th century Chamberlain's Worcester tea and coffee cups, along with other, 18th century ceramics. A longcase clock of around 1760 belonged first to William Rutson's grandfather, (also William), for whom it was made by a clockmaker from Kendal, William Wilson. The elder William Rutson had been Kendal's mayor in 1761, and the clock bears his initials as a monogram, on its dial. Near the stairs are a large cupboard made from pieces of recycled seventeenth century panelling and an Italian chest of walnut. In the stairwell the Soho tapestry of around 1700 survives a sample of the work of John Vanderbank
John Vanderbank
John Vanderbank was an English portrait painter and book illustrator, who enjoyed a high reputation for a short while during the reign of King George I, but who died relatively young due to an intemperate and extravagant lifestyle.-Life:Vanderbank was born in London, the eldest son of John...
, in excellent condition, with a design of oriental allegories fashionable at a time of high import of oriental ceramics. In front of the fireplace a Bidjar rug of a final design is dated around 1900.
The Drawing Room
Above the Oak Hall the Drawing Room on the first floor contains an interesting find from Nunnington's stores.Found in a store at Nunnington by housekeepers, Shrimpers at Lyme Regis, a small picture in oils on board, has been attributed to Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775–1851)
The picture returned to Nunnington in 2006, having been studied by National Trust and Tate Gallery specialists in London over five years.
When the picture was found in a rack during routine housekeeping, cleaning revealed a faint and faded inscription-
Presented to me by JM Turner, 1832. J Harding
And another -
Lyme Regis. Shrimpers
Research and investigation identified J Harding as James Duffield Harding
James Duffield Harding
James Duffield Harding , English landscape painter, was the son of an artist, and took to the same vocation at an early age, although he had originally been destined for the law...
, (1797–1863), eminent watercolorist and draughtsman, and friend of Turner's. Comparing the handwriting on the inscription with Harding's manuscripts at the Royal Watercolour Society proved a match.
The title is in a different hand and a different medium, which fits the idea that Turner made the gift to Harding in 1832, and that the title was added later, by another.
Further evidence was found in the similarity between this picture and Turner's watercolour of 1811, held in Glasgow's art gallery - Lyme Regis, Dosetshire: A Squall, [sic].
Today Shrimpers at Lyme Regis hangs in the Drawing Room in a frame selected by the National Trust, a purchase made possible by the generosity of the Association of National Trust Members in Belgium.
The piano was recently restored by the local York firm of Banks.
The longcase clock in the corner was sold c.1720 by William Troutbeck of Leeds.
For winelovers and children the painting "Grape Harvest in the South of France" attributed to Hendrick van Ballen the Younger (1623–61)provides a glimpse of rural social history.
Colonel Fife's Dressing Room
Once part of the Drawing Room as can be seen from the unfinished look of the corner panelling.On show are memorabilia from The Colonel's army career including his campaign medals and notices of Mentions in Despatches together with presentation cups from his days in India where he enjoyed success on the polo field and race course.
Photographs of Col Fife also demonstrate the substantial nature of the restoration work to Nunnington Hall.
One of the small watercolour paintings on display is a "View of Philae" by Edward Lear better known for his owls and pussycats in seagreen boats.
The bedspread was worked by Fanny Wrather, great grandmother of Mrs Fife.
Mrs Fife's Bedroom
The bed is painted in Neo-Classical style but is probably an Edwardian revival of this style.Among the family portraits on display is a charming portrait of Mrs Fife (nee Margaret Rutson) as a young girl in pastel by Paul-Cesar Helleu (1859–1927) and a pencil drawing of Col Fife signed and dated 1915 by William Strang (1859–1921).
This room also has another much earlier example of Fanny Wrather's needlework; a sampler hanging adjacent to the late 19th century pastel portrait of her.
Mrs Fife's Dressing Room
Similar to the room running off the Dining Room on the ground floor and part of the same remodelling undertaken by the 1st Viscount Preston.The mezzotint female portraits are late 18th century after the style of Reynolds and form part of a collection given to the National Trust by Kathleen Cooper-Abbs owner and donor of Mount Grace Priory.
The miniature walnut-veneered bureau is likely to be either an apprentice's masterpiece or a furniture's salesman's showpiece.
The Oak Bedroom
The panelling in this room dates back to the Norcliffe family's occupation of the house (1583–1643) but the corner fireplace was put in during Lord Preston's remodelling in the late 17th century.In front of the fireplace is a painted leather firescreen made from a piece of a set of leather wallhangings which according to a local historian, the Rev. Eastmead once decorated a room at Nunnington but which were shreds relegated to an attic room by 1824.
The oak bed is an interesting example of an old stretcher base being updated at intervals by the addition of later posts and canopy.
The late 17th century marquetry and turned side-table at the side of the bed opens out to reveal a tapestry of ?.
Over the door to the Bedroom Corridor is an early example of a "borrow" light window allowing natural light to reach the corridor which was probably formed as part of Lord Preston's alterations.
The Bedroom Corridor leads to the he Reading Room where visitors can stop for a rest. This room was used in later years as a dressing room for the next door room, the Panelled Bedroom.
The Panelled Bedroom
The panelling in this room is also from the period of the Norcliffe occupation. The defacing of the panelling round the window is believed to have been the "work" of Cromwellian soldiers who were billeted at Nunnington during the Civil War.The eared overmantel surround of the fireplace is believed to be a later addition and may be the work of the York joiner John Etty (1634–1708).
The room and its little adjacent Oratory are reputed to be haunted by a presence that passes over the bed and through the wall.
The various samplers displayed on the walls are a testament to the skill and diligence of their young creators from a time when a neat hand with a needle and an "improving" text was a sign of a good upbringing.
The bed in this room is an officer's travelling bed which can be dismantled for transportation in the baggage trains that have been an essential part of a campaigning army on the move throughout history.
The Nursery
In the 1920s this room was occupied by the "odd boy" whose job was to run the household's errands. It is now furnished as the Nursery as the room originally used for this purpose by the Fifes is in a part of the house not on the visitor's route.Most of the children's furniture and toys on display are from the Victorian period onwards.
"The Baby House" (c.1800-10) is furnished and decorated in 18th century taste and was made for the Rutson family in the 19th century. It would originally have been kept in the Drawing Room as it was not made as a children's toy.