The furnishing of a gothic fantasy 1803–1825: Eaton Hall, Cheshire

Lindfield, Peter N. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8393-9344 2013. The furnishing of a gothic fantasy 1803–1825: Eaton Hall, Cheshire. Furniture History 67 , pp. 155-180.

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Abstract

At the end of the eighteenth century, Eaton Hall was a substantial nine-bay house, originally designed by William Samwell for Sir Thomas Grosvenor and built from 1675 to 1682, surrounded by gardens, partly formal and partly landscaped. The house’s initial enlargement and transformation in the years from 1803 to 1814 reflected a wish to demonstrate the wealth and nobility of its new owner, the second Earl Grosvenor, who had inherited it in 1802, and to stress the antiquity of his family by employing the Gothic style with its manifold historical associations. This phase, however, was obscured by modifications made to the hall between 1821 and 1825 when it was remodelled and extended to become a sprawling complex even more covered with ‘prickly’ ornament. Although Eaton has been recognised as a pre-eminent example of early nineteenth-century domestic Gothic Revival architecture, little detailed research into its furnishing has been undertaken. This article directly addresses the early nineteenth-century furnishing of Eaton Hall, and confirms that the architect, William Porden, played a decisive role in the design of its furniture. It considers some of the pieces supplied by Gillows of Lancaster, and explores the furnishing programme undertaken between 1822 and 1824 by the relatively obscure upholder, John Davis of 20 Lower Brook Street, London.

Item Type:	Article
Status:	Published
Schools:	Architecture
Publisher:	Furniture History Society
Last Modified:	13 Jul 2023 14:46
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/159868

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