English Stately Homes: Sudbury Hall (Derbyshire)


Figure 1.--This scene at Sudbury Hall was staged to copy a portraits of George and Margaret Vernon about 1660 to show off period costumes. It is set in the great staircase at the time Sudbury Hall was being constructed.

Sudbury Hall dates to the the second half of the 17th century. It was built by George Vernon. Lord George Vernon began to build his country home in 1660. It was largely built during the reign of King Charles II and the Stuart restoration. Sudbury Hall is located in Derbyshire. Sudbury Hall has is a red brick building with distinctive diapered brickwork and a carved two-storey stone frontispiece. The architectural influences are both Jacobean and classical. The building is largely Jacobean, but much of the detailing and refinements including the stone work, wood carving, and plasterwork are in the elaborate classical style. Sudbury Hall is an important building in England's architectural history. It is perhaps the most richly decorated English country house from the Stuart Resoration. The ornate interiors can be overwhelming. The most important features are the great staircase and the long gallery. Subbury Hall is now owned by the National Trust. It was opened to the public in 1972. Sudbury Hall is especially known to many English children. The Vernon family added a service wing in the 19th cenury to make the home somewhat more livable. The National Trust has converted the service wing into its fascinating Museum of Childhood. The Museum is a wonderful collection of exhibits designed to inform English children as to what childhood was like from the 18th century into modrn times.

History

Sudbury Hall dates to the the second half of the 17th century. It was built by George Vernon. We have little information on Vernon at this time, othr than he was a country squire and built Sudbury Hall. George Vernon began to build his country home in 1660. It was largely built during the reign of King Charles II and the Stuart restoration. Vernon decided to completely rebuild the old manor house. He was the squire at Sudbury Hall for 42 years and thus had plenty of time to work on the rebuilding. He did the work without a trained architect. Thus Sudbury Hall is one of the individualistic structure among the great country homes. While he did not hire a architect , he did commission the finest craftsmen and artists available to work on the interior. The Vernoin family in 1839 moved to sunny Italy. Sudbury Hall was rented out to tenants. The most moted was Queen Adelaide, Consort to King William IV. After her husband died and Princess Victoriahad become queen, Adelaide leased Sudbury for 3 years. The present Queen's Room is named for her. Subbury Hall in the 19th and early 20th century varied between family and tenancies. Lord and Lady Vernon in 1922 returned to Sudbury. Lady Vernon gave great attention to restoring and refurbishing Sudbury. Assistance was obtasined from the Historic Buildings Council.

Location

Sudbury Hall is located in Derbyshire.

Construction

Sudbury Hall has is a red brick building with distinctive diapered brickwork and a carved two-storey stone frontispiece. The architectural influences are both Jacobean and classical. The building is largely Jacobean, but much of the detailing and refinements including the stone work, wood carving, and plasterwork are in the elaborate classical style, suggesting Christopher Wren's church work. Vernon tended to use basic stone mullion-and transom windows. A destiunctive aspect od Sudbury Hall is the circular and oval sections included in the window arrangement. An important feature restored by the National Trust is the small dome on the roof of the hall. It is crowned with a golden ball, which serves as a landmark for travellers. One noteable aspect of the coinstruction is that the lower sections of the building are less expertly than the upper parts. This is can be attributed to Vernon`s developing expertiese and finding skilled craftsmen as construction proceeded over time. One especially attractive feature of Sudbury Hall is that the basic Jacobean building remained largely unaltered for years. The first Lord Vernon in the mid-18th century decided that some changes were needed. He replaced the wood balustrade on the roof with stone at parapet level. He felt this was needed to 'quieten' the effect of the hipped roof and the cupola, permitting the paneled chimney stacks to be better appreciated.

Interior

Sudbury Hall is an important building in England's architectural history. It is perhaps the most richly decorated English country house from the Stuart Resoration. The ornate interiors can be overwhelming. The decorative Caroline ceiling plaster work was embelished with ceiling paintings by Laguerre in the 1690s. Some believe that the most impressive ceiling of any country house in England is in the in the long gallery which runs the entire length of the house. The interior of Sudbury Hall is noted for stunning decorative plasterwork. There is also Grinling Gibbons woodcarving, including a magnificent overmantel. Another notable attribute are Louis Laguerre's painted ceilings. The centerpiece amd most extensive feature of Sudbury Hall is the great staircase balustrade, designed by Edward Pearce. It is certainly the finest in any English country house. Around the great staircase are beautiful plasterwork and allegorical paintings by Louis Laguerre. These and other interior are well-preserved, althoug in some of the rooms the furnishings are not extensive. The superb plasterwork continues into the long gallery where the Roman emperors appear along with with exotic animals and foliage--shells, palm fronds and seedpods worked round a central rosette. Beyond the great staircase and long gllery there are many other rooms of interest.

Grounds

An important feaure of any English country home is the formal gardens which surround it. At Sudbury Hall the formal garden and meadows are at the rear of the house and slope down to the lakeside. The gardens are the feature that was chngd most continuously over time. The grounds include the castellated Gothic Deercote which was added in 1751, perhaps the most the most elaborate example of these follies in England.

National Trust

Subbury Hall is now owned by the National Trust. It was opened to the public in 1972.

Pride and Prejudice

The BBC production of Jane Austen's Pride and Predudice was filmed at Sudbury hall. The filming used both the Long Gallery and the Main Hall with its beautiful staircase. The novel is perhaps the most familiar look at England durin the early 19th century.

Museum of Childhood

Sudbury Hall is especially known to many English children. The Vernon family added a service wing in the 19th cenury to make the home somewhat more livable. The National Trust has converted the service wing into its fascinating Museum of Childhood. The Museum is a wonderful collection of exhibits designed to inform English children as to what childhood was like from the 18th century into modrn times. The Museum has exhibits related to the 18th century, but the focus is on the Victorian and Edwardian era. The Trust has reconstructed a Victorian schoolroom which is used to give childen a taste of what school was like in the 19th and early 20th century. The Trust has also set up a nursery complete with period old toys and games. Children can even get a taste of what it was like to be a poor little chminey sweep by climbing a mock chimney section, however, only a taste as there is no soot in the mock chimney. The Museum is of course not just open to children. It is also open to adults who will find the exhibits fascinating, especially the wonderful toy and doll collections. The Museum is well attended by school children and during school holidays or by prior arrangement the National Trust offers regular activities for children such as treasure hunts, craft days and wildlife days to make a visit a little more attracive to the younger tourist.






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Created: September 9, 2003
Last updated: September 9, 2003