Tabley House
53°17′46″N 2°24′47″W / 53.296°N 2.413°W
Tabley House | |
---|---|
Type | Country house |
Location | Tabley Inferior, Cheshire |
Built | 1761-69 |
Architect | John Carr |
Architectural style(s) | Palladian |
Owner | University of Manchester |
Invalid designation | |
Official name | Tabley House |
Tabley House is an
In the early part of the 19th century, three of Carr's rooms on the west side of the house were converted to form a single room, the gallery. After Sir Peter's death, the house was re-orientated and the main entrance moved from the south to the north front. The house and estate continued to be held by the Leicester family until the death of Lt. Col. John Leicester Warren in 1975.
Under the terms of his will the house, contents and estate were offered to the National Trust, which declined the offer. The house was then acquired under the terms of the will by the Victoria University of Manchester, and the house was used as a school. Since 1988 its lease has been held by a healthcare company. The 3,600-acre (1,500 ha) estate surrounding the house was sold in 2007 to the Crown Estate.
The house is symmetrical and designed in Palladian style. It is constructed in brick with stone dressings, with a large sandstone portico on the south front. On the east and west sides of the main house are pavilion wings connected to the house by curved corridors. To the west of the house is St Peter's Church, also listed Grade I, which was moved from a position adjacent to Tabley Old Hall to its present site in 1927. In the grounds are other listed buildings, including the ruins of the Old Hall.
As of 2012 the ground and top floors of the main house, together with the adjacent wings, are used as accommodation for the elderly. The reception rooms of the first floor are open to the public at advertised times, and are entered by the original stairway on the south front; they contain paintings and furniture collected by the Leicester family. Some items in the collection had formerly been displayed on this floor, whilst others were moved from elsewhere in the house. The first floor may also be hired for weddings, meetings, and conferences. It is managed by a
History
Old Hall
The original house was built on an island in Nether Tabley
In 1671 his son, the historian
After the new house was built in the 1760s, the Old Hall continued to be furnished, and the chapel was used for family worship. But in 1927 part of the hall collapsed because of subsidence resulting from the extraction of brine nearby. The building was abandoned, and is now a ruin. The chapel (now known as St Peter's Church) was demolished and rebuilt near to the west front of the new house. The ornate chimneypiece was moved and reinstalled in the Old Hall Room on the west side of the house.[3]
Present house
The present house was built by Sir Peter Byrne Leicester. He inherited the estate through his mother's line on the death of his grandfather in 1742, at which time he was aged 10. At this time his name was Peter Byrne, and the name of Leicester was added by an
Carr designed the house in Palladian style, even though by the 1760s this style was becoming less fashionable. His design consisted of a rectangular building in three storeys, with a projecting portico on the south front, and two pavilions on each side, which were set back and approached by curved corridors. On each side of the portico was a curved stairway leading to the main middle floor, the piano nobile. As the house was originally planned, it had a central staircase, with three rooms on the south front. The middle of these rooms was the entrance hall, to the west of it was the drawing room, and to the east was the dining room. Behind the drawing room was the library, and behind the dining room was a room known as the common parlour. Across the back of the house, on this floor, there were two bedrooms and three dressing rooms. The western pavilion contained the servants' bedrooms, and in the eastern pavilion was the kitchen. The interior of the house contained craftsmanship of a high quality. The plasterwork was created by Thomas Oliver of Warrington, the woodcarving of the doorcases and staircase was by Mathew Bertram, assisted by Daniel Shillito.[3] Much of the furniture was made by Gillow of Lancaster.[4] Sir Peter also commissioned a number of paintings, which included full-length portraits of himself and his wife by Francis Cotes, and landscapes of the grounds and the halls by J. M. W. Turner and Richard Wilson amongst others.[3]
An interest in paintings continued in the family's next generation. Sir John Fleming Leicester, the 1st Lord de Tabley, built a collection of modern British art that was hung in a gallery in his London house at Hill Street, Berkeley Square. Sir John has been described as "the first important patron of British art".[6] In 1823 he offered his collection to Lord Liverpool to form the basis of the planned National Gallery, but the offer was declined. After his death in 1827 the best works were sold by auction and the remainder moved to Tabley, where most of them are today.[3] Between 1808 and 1810 the three original rooms on the west side of the first floor of the house had been converted into a single tripartite room to form a picture gallery by Thomas Harrison.[7][8] Further work was carried out in the room following this; Peter Cannon Brookes, the author of the 1991 guide to the house, concludes that the final appearance of the room "dates almost entirely from 1840–45".[4]
After Sir John's death the house was structurally reorganised for
The house and estate continued to be owned by the Leicester family until the death of Lt. Col. John Byrne Leicester Warren in 1975. The first request in his will was that the estate should if possible be taken into the care of the
In 2007 the university sold the estate - but not the house - to the Crown Estate in a deal worth "over £35m".[9] Its 3,600 acres (1,500 ha) included 18 tenanted farms, 18 farmland lettings, 52 residential properties and 13 commercial leases generating a total rent roll of £500,000.[9]
Architecture
Tabley House was designated as a Grade I listed building on 5 March 1959.
The north front is also symmetrical and is in seven bays, with the central three projecting slightly forwards.[10] Over the bays is a pediment containing the arms of the 2nd Baron de Tabley and his wife Catherina.[4] In the centre of the ground floor is a porch, on either side of which are two 3×2 sash windows, plus a narrow two-pane window. The middle floor has a central Venetian window surrounded by a rusticated stone arch. All the other windows on this floor are 3×5 sashes; those on each side of the central window have triangular pediments, while those in the lateral bays have horizontal architraves. The top storey has seven 3×3 sash windows; the central three have scrolls similar to those on the south front, while the surrounds to the lateral two windows on each side are plainer.[10]
On each side elevation there are central canted bay windows. The middle floor has arched windows on the west front, while the corresponding windows on the east front are blind. On each side of the house are two-storey pavilion wings joined to the main block by quadrant (curved), single-storey corridors. Each pavilion is symmetrical and identical, built in brick with stone dressings. Each is in three bays, the central bay forming a canted bay window. Again, the windows are sashes.[10]
To the east of the house, and linked to it by the Old Hall Room, is St Peter's Chapel. Incorporated in the Old Hall Room (now used as the tea room) is the painted and
Interior
The entrance to the first floor on the south front leads to a room now known as the Portico Room. This was the original entrance hall to the house, but as a result of the 19th-century alterations it was converted into a billiard room. It was later used as a drawing room, and during the time the house was used as a school, it was the school library. From 1990 it has been restored as the entrance hall. It contains a white chimney-piece and a cast iron grate. The mahogany woodwork was carved by Daniel Shillito and Mathew Bertram and the plasterwork was by Thomas Oliver. In the side walls are plaster figures of Isis and the Capitoline Flora in niches, and on the walls are plaster relief medallions representing the four seasons. Much of the furniture in the room has been moved from elsewhere in the house. The breakfast table carries the mark of the Lancaster firm of Gillow.[4][11] The lantern suspended from the middle of the ceiling was made by Ince and Mayhew in about 1770, and was restored by Plowden and Smith in 1998.[13]
To the east of the Portico Room is the Drawing Room. This was designed by Carr as the dining room, and contains a white marble chimneypiece designed by Carr. The plasterwork is again by Oliver. The furniture and paintings are original to the house. The paintings include one of John, 1st Baron Byron by William Dobson, one of his wife as Saint Catherine by Peter Lely, and two paintings by John Opie. The most important painting in the room is Tabley, the Seat of Sir J. F. Leicester, Bart: Windy Day, by J. M. W. Turner. Also in the room are two still life paintings by Thomas Lister, 4th Baron Ribblesdale, a cousin of the Leicesters.[4][11]
The room to the north of the Drawing Room was originally the common parlour, and is now known as the Octagon Room. It provided a link between the public rooms on the south of the house and the more private rooms on the north side. Again designed by Carr, its canted corners contain china cabinets. It also contains a set of five paintings of Tabley by
In the centre of the first floor is the Oak Hall, so-called because of the oaks formerly growing on the site of the new hall.[4] It contains a mahogany four-flight staircase.[4][10] The staircase has triple balusters, and was carved by Shillito. Again the plasterwork is by Oliver.[11] More family portraits hang on its walls and the hall's contents include a hobby horse, a man trap, and an 18th-century sedan chair.[4] Also in the hall is a memorial display for Tabley House School.[13] The other room on the north side of the house is known as the Marble Hall. This was created from Carr's original rooms in the 19th-century alterations. It contains five reliefs on its wall, one of which depicts the nine
The west side of the first floor is occupied by the gallery, which has been described as "one of the great rooms of Cheshire".
Grounds
The grounds cover an area of about 240 hectares (590 acres) and are listed Grade II in the
To the north of Tabley House, off Chester Road, are two entrance lodges, each of which is listed at Grade II. The White Lodge dates from about 1770 and was probably designed by John Carr. It is constructed in whitewashed English garden wall bond brick with a slate roof.[21] The Red Lodge dates from the late 19th century; it is constructed in English garden wall bond brick with timber framing, and has a tiled roof.[22] St Peter's Church to the west of the house is a Grade I listed building.[23] It is joined to the house by a linking building, constructed in 1927–29 in red Flemish bond brick with stone dressings and a stone slate roof. The linking building is listed at Grade II.[24] To the south of the house is a sundial dating from the early 19th century constructed in stone with a copper dial and gnomon; it is listed at Grade II.[25] To the south of this is a parterre wall, about 1 metre (3 ft) high, constructed in red Flemish bond brick, with piers carrying stone balls. It is also listed at Grade II.[26]
To the north of the house is the former stable block dating from about 1760, designed by John Carr. It was converted and extended in 1995–96. The block is constructed in red brick with stone dressings and green
Present day
The ground and top floors of the main house, and the wings, are run as Tabley House Nursing Home by Cygnet Health Care, with a separate entrance.[30] The Tabley House Collection exists as an exhibition showcased by the University of Manchester.[31][32] The rooms on the first floor, with their collection of paintings and furniture, have been open to the public since 1990.[4] These rooms are open at advertised times during the summer months, as is the tea room in the Old Hall Room.[33] The hall is licensed for civil weddings and is available to hire for conferences and meetings.[34] Occasional events are organised at the house.[35] Tabley House is managed by the Tabley House Collection Trust.[4] It is supported by a group known as The Friends of Tabley,[36] and by volunteers.[37]
See also
- Grade I listed buildings in Cheshire East
- Listed buildings in Tabley Inferior
- List of works by Thomas Harrison
References
- ^ coordinates 53.2960 -2.4131
- ^ Hall, Douglas. (1960). The Talbey House Papers. The Volume of the Walpole Society, 59.
- ^ ISBN 0-85033-655-4
- ^ OCLC 642930882(Note: Additions were made by the Tabley House Collection Trust in 2006. The booklet does not contain page numbers.)
- Vitruvius Britannicus V, pls 16–19 (Christopher Hussey, in Country Life, 21–28 July 1923).
- ISBN 9780853235279.
- ISBN 1-86220-169-2
- ISBN 978-0-300-17043-6
- ^ a b Shirley, Andrew (24 July 2007). "Crown Estate buys Manchester University land in £35m deal". Farmers Weekly.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Historic England, "Tabley House (1115424)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 20 August 2012
- ^ a b c d e f The House, Tabley House, retrieved 24 August 2010
- ^ Tabley: Tabley House (University of Manchester, Tabley House Collection), Corpus Vitrearum Medii Aevi (CVMA) of Great Britain, retrieved 7 January 2011
- ^ a b The Furniture Collection, retrieved 25 August 2010
- ^ Tabley House, Macclesfield, England: Description, Parks & Gardens Data Services, archived from the original on 26 February 2012, retrieved 24 August 2010
- ^ Historic England, "Tabley House (1000645)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 20 August 2012
- ^ Historic England. "Tabley Old Hall (1139011)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
- ^ Historic England, "Tabley Old Hall moated site and gatehouse (1012354)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 20 August 2012
- ^ Historic England, "Farm building at Moat Farm (1139487)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 20 August 2012
- ^ Historic England, "Boat house by Tabley Mere (1329687)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 20 August 2012
- ^ Historic England. "Folly Tower on the island in Tabley Mere (1145816)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
- ^ Historic England, "White Lodge (1320422)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 20 August 2012
- ^ Historic England, "Red Lodge (1139484)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 20 August 2012
- ^ Historic England, "St Peters Church at Tabley House (1329685)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 20 August 2012
- ^ Historic England, "Link building from house to chapel, Tabley House (1329919)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 20 August 2012
- ^ Historic England, "Sundial before garden front of Tabley House (1139485)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 20 August 2012
- ^ Historic England, "Parterre wall, before south front of Tabley House (1329925)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 20 August 2012
- ^ Historic England, "Stables at Tabley House (1139486)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 20 August 2012
- ^ Historic England, "Dove cote approximately 40 yards north of Stable Block, Tabley House (1329686)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 20 August 2012
- ^ Members Guide 2012, published by CPRE, 2012
- ^ Tabley House Nursing Home, Cygnet Health Care, archived from the original on 23 August 2010, retrieved 24 August 2010
- ^ "University of Manchester, Tabley House | Culture24". www.culture24.org.uk. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
- ^ "Tabley House | Art UK". artuk.org. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
- ^ Latest, Tabley House, retrieved 24 August 2010
- ^ Weddings & Conferences, Tabley House, retrieved 24 August 2010
- ^ Events, Tabley House, retrieved 24 August 2010
- ^ Friends, Tabley House, retrieved 24 August 2010
- ^ Volunteers, Tabley House, retrieved 24 August 2010
Further reading
- Roper, Mavis "The Game Set", Cheshire Life September 2001, pp100–103. Four generations of the Hart family served as gamekeepers on the estate until the sale to the Crown.
External links
- Official website
- Medieval stained glass information, CVMA
- Tabley House Nursing Home
- Photographs and information about the Leicester family