'Trent Place. Near Southgate, The Seat of Wigston Esq.', 1808. On two occasions so far I have been asked to work on houses with strong connections with my family. The first time was a charming Regency house in...
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Stone Colour
Entrance Hall - Roehampton House A recent project reminded me of an important point that one is frequently faced with when examining eighteenth century houses. It is something that often causes surprise especially...
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The Entrance Hall in the 18th Century
An entrance hall of the 1770s In 1715 the Scottish architect, Colen Campbell, launched his campaign for a return to the purity which he believed to have been the quality of the antique. In the preface to the first...
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Pea Green
Fresh Peas - with thanks to Gerry the Cook Pea Green is a colour name that immediately conjures up an image, but on reflection is it the colour of fresh peas, frozen peas, tinned peas or (forgive the accent) mushy...
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The Terrace, Richmond Hill
This was another of those houses that I had been hoping to be involved with for many years and then fate struck twice. In the late 1990s I carried out an initial paint investigation of two of the rooms and then I...
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King’s Observatory, Kew
The King’s Observatory was an astronomical and terrestrial magnetic observatory built for George III, a keen amateur astronomer. The architect was Sir William Chambers who also designed the Pagoda in nearby Kew...
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Carlton House
Carlton House was the town house of the Prince Regent for several decades from 1783 until it was demolished forty years later. It faced the south side of Pall Mall, and its gardens abutted St. James's Park in the...
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Goodwood
The first Duke of Richmond (1672-1723) bought Goodwood as a hunting Lodge in 1697. Part of the Jacobean house survives in the form of the present Long Hall. It was the third Duke (1735-1806) who was responsible...
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Albany
Albany was built between 1770-1774 by Sir William Chambers for Viscount Melbourne, as Melbourne House. It is a three-storey mansion seven bays wide, with a pair of service wings flanking a front courtyard. In...
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