THE WOOTTON HALL

It survives and is preserved today as a striking Palladian Hall, completed in the Reign of George II, the entrance to the house and incorporating a series of Country scenes by the English Artist John Wootton, (1682 - 1764). He was a specialist Landscape and Sporting painter, especially in Horse subjects as will be later described.

All the canvasses for the commission were completed at his Holborn Studios, taken soft rolled to exact measurements and filled the niches and spaces that were designated to be filled within the Hall in Northamptonshire.

Commissioned by the Fifth Earl of Sunderland, himself a passionate Foxhunter, life size studies of the Earl’s favourite Hunter-Chasers face the visitor on entering the Hall.

The canvasses running full-length of each side of the Hall show Lord Spencer and his friends riding with the Althorp and Pytchley Hounds. The ruins of Holdenby Castle further identify the scenes, as being within the immediate locality of Althorp. (Holdenby House being where Charles I was imprisoned when arrested).

The Hall’s magnificent proportions make it the most satisfying room in the whole house, with a cool dignity, appropriately lit and not fussy.

It was once called the noblest Georgian Room in the County and retains that elegance and brilliance today, possibly the best of its type in the whole of the country, because it retains its original concept and furnishing, remaining an Entrance and Greeting Hall.

The Ceiling

The airiness of the Hall comes from the very high ceiling, which rises almost to the full height of the house itself.

Its deeply coffered coving bears an octagonal design with eagles on the corner buttresses, beneath there is a frieze alternating fox heads with hounds, cherubs, arrows, quivers and ribbons. The ceiling itself has over 200 roses in relief and the whole is painted white.

The Walls

The plain white painted walls are panelled with the paintings of Wootton, stretched onto the walls themselves and edged with gilt frames giving the effect of huge hung paintings.

The Paintings

1. To the left of the entrance doorway and occupying the whole length of the top part of the West Wall is a Hunting scene of the Earl and his friends entitled “The View”.
2. Below this and to the left of the doorway leading to the “Painters Passage” is a canvas entitled “Magpies” and depicts a Negro Worker and Hounds that accompanied the Althorp Hunt.
3. To the right of this door is a canvas entitled “Sore Heels” a Hunter-Chaser and his groom.
4. On the North Wall, to the left of the door leading to the Saloon a full-length canvas almost floor to ceiling, entitled “Squirrel”. It depicts a Hunter-Chaser with his lad and was a favourite mount of the Fifth Earl.
5. Above the door is the smallest of the canvasses and features a Chestnut Stallion Chaser and entitled “Craftsman”.
6. On the right hand side of the doorway, again almost floor to ceiling is a portrait of the Fifth Earl, Charles Spencer, also to whom had been bestowed the title Third Duke of Marlborough.
7. On the East facing wall, running the length of the top above the doorway leading to the Marlborough room, is another hunting scene and entitled “The Death”.
8. To the left of the doorway is another favourite mount of the Earl, “Brisk” depicting a strong hunter in frisky mood.
9. To the right of the doorway is a canvas depicting a Dead Fox in the hands of a gentleman who has filled in the fox warren. It is entitled “Earth Stopper”.
10. All the pictures are signed and carry plaques bearing the titles, subject depicted, date and artist John Wootton, 1733. This commission was obviously an immense task for the painter, for the sheer size and scale of the canvasses alone and all painted in the same year. His main contribution to British Painting was the introduction of the “Classical Landscape”.

Mirrors

On each side of the entrance doorways to the Hall are full-length wall mirrors, incorporating the motto of the Viscount Montague, (Suivez Raison) and come by marriage They are not a pair, one being rescued from a fire at the Montague Family seat at Cowdary Park, Sussex, in 1793. The other was found later in St. James Place, London, and made to match the other.

Doors and Doorways

The doorways, previously mentioned leading from the Hall to the various parts of the house, internally are solid mahogany with fielded panels. They show rich and vibrate use of “Flame”, in the cut of the grain and are almost certainly rich American West Indies mahogany, possibly Cuban, which was extremely popular for furniture making from the early 1700s, because the British Government had scrapped import duty on timber from the Colonies after the decline of Walnut supplies. Above each doorway are triangular formed architrave’s and above the main doorway leading to the Saloon and directly opposite the Entrance to the Hall is a Coronet, depicting the rank of the Fifth Earl, being the Third Duke of Marlborough also. A pair of fluted Corinthian Columns magnificently flank this doorway.

The Floor

The whole of the floor consists of Italian Marble in a “Checker-board” pattern which gives the room immense depth, taking one’s eye in every direction of the room and to the fullest extremities of it. There are no floor covering, saves only runners place to facilitate visitors walkways.

Curtains

The only curtain in the Hall are long drapes at each side of the two south facing lower windows with a matching set each side of the doorway entrance. A large plush pelmet in a scalloped design surmounts them each with gilt braided and banded edges. The material used is green velvet with a tinge of purple, and a gold braiding creating a tapestry effect floral design with gilt thread.

THE FURNITURE

Tables

There are two large matching Jasper Marble topped side talbes, attributed to Benjamin Goodison with Lion Mask decoration, swags and animal feet. They are painted white as part of Campbell’s overall design and dated circa 1733-1746.

Chairs

A fine set of twelve mahogany Hall chairs adorn the Hall at intervals around it in a sympathetic and inviting manner. They are possibly by William Ince and Thomas Mayhew who produced their “Universal System of Household Furniture” in 1762, in competition to Chippendales Directory”. Each chair is decorated with the Spencer family crest in a round cartouche on the back support. They are of unusual architectural form but indicate their original location in Spencer House, Green Park, London. The Bucrania and swags on the seat rails reflect the Doric frieze of the Entrance Hall. They are not upholstered as was custom of the time, so that visitors could wait seated in outdoor clothing whilst awaiting an audience. The square seats have rounded concave insets to accommodate the “Posterior” in a more comfortable style. The backs are decorated with a scroll carving, the supports are tapered. (Dated circa 1760-1797)

Sedan Chair

There is a restored Sedan Chair now located in the corner of Hall; it was made in London for the First countess Spencer in 1760. It has been recovered in burgundy leather.

Desk

At an angle of the entrance now stands a mahogany double sided library/writing or partners desk. Each side with three frieze draws under the restored green leather tooled and gilt inlaid writing surface. Three further drawers are in each flank pedestal support. It has heavy brass “Swan Neck” carrying handles. Interestingly, on one side the drawer handles are open fretted, whilst on the other they are oval with patera. It has typical graduated depth drawers, solid panelled sides and a continuous plinth base of the period form 1765 onwards.

SCULPTURE DECORATION

Busts

Standing on marble and pedestals in each corner of the Hall and another on one of the tables are four busts by Joseph Nollekens, R.A. (1737- 820). They are of various statesmen and dated 1782-1804. They are:-

1. Charles II. Marquis of Rockingham, K.G. (1730-1782)
2. Right Hon. Charles Juno Fox. (1749-1806)
3. Right Hon. William Pitt. (1759-1806)
4. William Wyndham, Lord Grenville. (1759-1804)

A contemporary “WHIG” joke at the time of the collection coming together was the placing of the bust of PITT looking at FOX, whilst the later looked out of the window!

Torcheres

Pair of Italian black and Breschia marble Blackamore Torcheres stands either side of the internal main entrance. The torsos are Roman from the River Tiber with later 16th Century additions of heads, arms and legs.

Hearth and Lighting