Melbourne Hall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Melbourne Hall |
|
|---|---|
Melbourne Hall - the garden front
|
|
| General information | |
| Town or city | Melbourne, Derbyshire |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 52°49′13″N 1°25′27″W / 52.8202°N 1.42420°W |
| Construction started | 17th century (with earlier origins) |
| Client | Sir John Coke |
| Design and construction | |
| Engineer | Richard Shepherd |
| Designations | House Grade II* listed Aisled barn Grade I listed Laundry Grade I listed |
Melbourne Hall is a beautiful country house in Melbourne, Derbyshire, England. It's built in the Georgian style. A famous person who once owned it was William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne. He was a British Prime Minister from 1835 to 1841. Today, Lord and Lady Ralph Kerr live there, and you can visit it! The house itself is a special building, listed as Grade II*. More than twenty other parts of the gardens are even more special, listed as Grade I.
Contents
A Look Back: Melbourne Hall's Story
Melbourne was once a manor owned by the bishop of Carlisle way back in the 1100s. The house we see today started to take shape in the 1600s. In 1629–31, Sir John Coke had parts of it rebuilt by a local builder named Richard Shepherd.
Creating the Famous Gardens
In 1692, Thomas Coke inherited Melbourne Hall. He was a very talented person who loved architecture and design. Between about 1696 and 1706, he created the amazing formal gardens that are still there today. He got some help from a professional gardener named Henry Wise.
The gardens have cool features like long paths, a special flowerbed area called a parterre, and a yew walk that has grown into a yew tunnel. You can also find ponds, fountains, and many sculptures made of lead and stone. A lot of these sculptures were made by John Nost, a famous artist from the Netherlands.
Thomas Coke had traveled to the Netherlands, which inspired him. Nost made lead figures of little angels (amorini), vases, flower baskets, and figures from old myths. You can still see them at Melbourne Hall. One of the most famous is the "Vase of the Seasons" from 1705. It's a fantastic example of Baroque art in an English garden.
Changes to the House Over Time
Thomas Coke also planned to change the house itself. He had the west side rebuilt. Later, his son, G. L. Coke, rebuilt the east side of the house, which faces the garden. This happened in 1743–44, following designs by William Smith.
Inside the house, many rooms were redecorated over the years. In 1745, Joseph Hall of Derby made a special fireplace for the Great Dining Room. In the 1760s, beautiful stucco (a type of plaster decoration) was added by Samuel Franceys. Later, in 1772, Joseph Pickford, a leading architect from Derbyshire, made more changes for the First Viscount Melbourne.
The second Lord Melbourne, who became Queen Victoria's Prime Minister, was separated from his wife, Lady Caroline Lamb, in 1825.
New Owners and Modern Times
The house later passed to the Cowper family. This happened when Emily Lamb, who was the sister of the last Viscount Melbourne, married the 5th Earl Cowper. Emily later married another Prime Minister, Lord Palmerston.
After the 6th Earl died, the house was rented out for twenty years. During this time, Colonel & Mrs Henry Gooch updated the house and fixed up the church. However, the Cowper family still owned it. In 1906, Lady Amabel Cowper married Admiral of the Fleet Lord Walter Kerr. They made Melbourne Hall their family home.
Today, the owner is Ralph Kerr. He used to be a High Sheriff of Derbyshire, which is an important local role. He also owns Ferniehirst Castle in Scotland.
Melbourne Hall's Design
The House Itself
The roof of the house was replaced in 2012 to keep it in good condition.
The Amazing Gardens
The gardens at Melbourne Hall have some incredible metalwork made by Robert Bakewell. One famous piece is a beautiful metal structure called the "birdcage." It was fixed up in 1958 by architect Louis Osman and metalwork experts. They carefully removed a lot of old paint and added many new pieces to make it look like new again. They even brought back its original colors!
Special Building Status
Melbourne Hall is a Grade II* listed building. This means it's a very important historical building that needs to be protected. The gardens are also very special, with many structures and statues that are listed. Most of these are listed at the highest level, Grade I.
Some of the Grade I listed features include:
- Six pairs of cherubim (little angels) statues.
- Statues of Perseus, Mercury, and Andromeda from Greek myths.
- The famous Birdcage Arbour.
- The Muniment Room (a room for important documents) and a barn.
- Seats near the Fountain Pond.
- Eight decorative vases.
- Two fountains next to the Lower Terrace.
- The steps connecting the different garden levels (Top, Upper, and Lower Terraces).
- The Tea Rooms.
- A pair of statues showing slaves.
- The walls to the south and east of the house.
Other features are listed at Grade II*, like some walls on the top terrace, the water channel in the garden, and the bridges over it. The stables, stable cottages, benches, and a grotto (a small cave-like structure) are also Grade II*.
Some features listed at Grade II include an ice house, an urn, metal flower baskets, and three sets of walls.
Gallery
-
The Four Seasons Vase
-
Two brace of cherubs
-
The Birdcage by Robert Bakewell
-
Detail from a vase
.jpg)
