 Sudbury Hall
Built during the reign of Charles II, Sudbury is an unusual Hall located in
Derbyshire. It is an important edifice, and the most richly decorated
of its time among English Country Houses. In 1660,
George Vernon decided to rebuild the old manor house and, as its squire
for 42 years, did so without the help of an architect. Thus, the structure
was a particularly individualistic one. Looking from the base of the building,
it is quite noticeable that the lower sections of the house are less advanced
than the upper parts, and this is as a direct result of Vernon's increasing
expertise, and his employment of more highly skilled craftsmen as the
work progressed.
Sudbury Hall is predominately Jacobean, yet the carved stone, wood and plasterwork
are in the elaborately decorated 'classical' style, reminiscent of Wren's
City churches. Vernon favoured the stone mullion-and transom windows,
but it is unusual to see circular and oval sections forming part of this
arrangement.
Internally, the extreme ornateness is somewhat overwhelming, especially the Caroline
ceilings, which take on the appearance of 'Baroque'. Already very decorative,
they were enhanced with ceiling paintings by Laguerre in the 1690s to
make them even more elaborate. Possibly the most impressive ceiling of
any house in England, however, can be found in the Long Gallery at Sudbury
Hall. Running the entire length of the house, the plasterwork detail ranges
from heads of Emperors, to shells, palm fronds and seedpods, all created
around a central rosette. This work is considered by many to be the most
magnificent feature of the house, closely followed by the lavishly decorated
staircase balustrade, designed by Edward Pearce.
Whilst the gardens were undergoing frequent changes, the house remained largely
unaltered for many years. However, in the mid-18th century, the first
Lord Vernon decided that the wooden balustrade on the roof should be
replaced in stone, at parapet level, to 'quieten' the effect of the hipped
roof and the cupola, thereby allowing the large paneled chimney stacks to
be better appreciated.
In 1839, the family moved to Italy, letting the house to tenants. Among these
was Queen Adelaide, Consort to William IV, who leased Sudbury Hall for three
years during her widowhood, and The Queens Room was appropriately named after
her. The modest instructions she left for her funeral arrangements are
displayed in the house. Continuing to 'see-saw' between family
possession and various tenancies for several decades the house finally became home again to the late Lord and Lady
Vernon who returned in 1922. With the help of Lady Vernon
in the first instance, and later by a generous financial contribution
from the Historic Buildings Council, a major restoration and refurbishment
programme was carried out to give Sudbury Hall some of its former grandeur.
As well as the splendour of the Hall, present day visitors are able to enjoy the gardens, terraces
and lake, as we did on a sunny May afternoon. Another notable feature
in the grounds, is the castellated Gothic Deercote, built in 1751 and
the most elaborate example in the country. |
