A chimneypiece at Croome Court

The marble chimneypiece above is in the long gallery at Croome Court, Worcestershire. It is sometimes erroneously attributed to the famous neo-classical architect, Robert Adam (1728-1792). However, though Adam did design some of the decoration in this room (and elsewhere at Croome) this is actually the work of the sculptor Joseph Wilton (1722-1803). His composition dates from c.1764 and features two similar but not identical caryatids supporting the mantelshelf. They hold a festoon of flowers, suggesting that the figures may represent Flora. Ornament typical of the time edges the essentially rectagular chimneypiece and includes egg and dart and bead and reel.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon Z 5

Coade stone

Coade stone was an artificial stone used to cast sculptures and garden ornaments. It is named after Eleanor Coade (1733-1821) who in 1769 bought an artificial stone manufacturing company and set about improving the product and dominating the British market. The stone has proved to be longer lasting than much natural stonework and over 650 pieces have been recorded still in use. Coade stone comprised 60-70% ball clay from Devon and Dorset, 10% crushed soda lime glass, 5-10% fine quartz, 5-10% crushed flint and 10% grog (crushed shards of pottery).

 The examples shown here are part of a garden arch at Croome Court, Worcestershire, and date from 1797.

photos © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon Z 5

Chinese Bridge in the landscape

In the eighteenth century, just as today, fashions and styles came and went. One style  that lingered a while was a liking for all things Chinese: what came to be called "chinoiserie". Blue and white pottery, painted wall-paper depicting Chinese scenes, birds etc, Chinese motifs in chairs and other furniture, mirror frames with oriental decoration and much else was bought from the far east or manufactured nearer to home. A particular favourite was a footbridge based on the ones painted on the scenes that decorated the blue and white plates and saucers. This example at Croome Court, Worcestershire, is a reconstruction of one built there in the eighteenth century. You can find out more about that bridge here.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon D5300

Country house compositions

The great temptation when photographing a large, ornate, historic country house is to let the architect's symmetrical facade speak for itself. In other words, fill the frame with the facade of the front of the house, the place where all the money was spent. There's nothing wrong with this approach. However, it's an interesting challenge to find a composition that gives less emphasis to the facade. These two shots of Croome Court, Worcestershire, a house completed in 1760 to the designs of Lancelot "Capability" Brown, a man better known for his landscape gardening, do just that. The first retains a measure of symmetry - the house in the centre glimpsed between two trees with a path leading to it. It also contextualises the house in its grounds with the nearby Gothick church built in 1763 for the then owner (also by Brown). 

The second photograph puts the house on the right of the frame with balance achieved by the tree on the left.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon D5300

Rotunda, Croome Court

The rotunda (or garden temple) at Croome Court dates from c.1760 and is probably the work of Robert Adam. It stands on a rise a couple of hundred yards from the main house and is almost surrounded by conifers that are thought to be contemporary with the building. The exterior is made of Bath stone. It has a shallow dome, five pedimented windows and one entrance, each of which has a swag above. 

The interior has fine decorative Rococo plasterwork featuring egg and dart, paterae, cartouches, masks and swags, with coffering above. The floor has a central circled sunburst with Greek key edging the room.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon D5300

I Am Archive

I Am Archive is an installation designed by an architectural practice in one of the rooms at Croome Court, a Georgian mansion in Worcestershire owned by the National Trust. The designers say that "the tower visually links the ground floor exhibitions with the top floor offices and archive storage, and celebrates the direct relationship between events at Croome and it's (sic) historic archive." The visitor sees a structure that incorporates numerous box files and hears "abstracted recorded voices taken from Croome’s archive (which) gives the sculpture a voice and encourages a more intimate connection with the visitor". My photograph shows part of the "immersive infinity effect" which many people don't notice because they don't look directly above their head.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon D5300

Chinese bridge, Croome Court

When, in 1751, Lancelot "Capability" Brown was engaged to re-fashion the landscape around Croome Court, Worcestershire, he decided to keep the Chinese bridge that had been designed by William Halfpenny in the 1740s. "Chinoiserie" was fashionable during the eighteenth century and many British country houses still retain wallpaper, furniture, mirrors, tableware etc that was influenced by this taste for the oriental. Being made of wood the original bridge has not survived the intervening centuries. The National Trust, now the owners of Croome Court, recently had this replacement built. It is based on Halfpenny's original drawing that features in an eighteenth century book, and on Richard Wilson's painting. The National Trust website tells and illustrates the fascinating story of the building of the new bridge.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Landscape gardening

One of Britain's contributions to gardening is the "landscape garden". This eighteenth century development is best summarised by that era's succinct description of it as "nature improved". The example in the photograph is a part of a landscape at the stately home of Croome Court, Worcestershire, which was first worked over in this fashion by Lancelot "Capability" Brown. Neither the lake or the plantings are original to the site - it was described as a "morass". Nor are the stone grotto, bridges, sculptures, tiny classical pavilion, large stone, brick and glass orangery or massive "eye-catcher" rotunda. The parkland is currently being restored by the National Trust.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Gallery, Croome Court

Croome Court is slowly being restored by the National Trust after having suffered under several short-term owners. The Gallery shown in the photograph was the best preserved room and can now be seen empty of the kind of furniture, rugs, paintings etc that it would have held when built. The house is the work of Lancelot "Capability" Brown, a man better known as a landscape gardener. The interiors include work by the celebrated Robert Adam.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Olympus OMD E-M10

Church, Croome Court, Worcestershire

On a hill, a couple of hundred yards away from the stately home of Croome Court in Worcestershire, stands the church of St Mary Magdalene. The medieval church that served the village and was nearer the grand house was demolished in the 1760s to make way for this Gothick structure. It was designed by the landscape architect, Capability Brown, for the Earl of Coventry. The interior is the work of Robert Adam. Though the overall shape of the church mimics historical Gothic, the details are fanciful, departing radically from the medieval precedents.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Olympus OMD E-M10