Knowsley Hall
Encyclopedia
Knowsley Hall is a stately home near Liverpool
within the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley
, in Merseyside
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade II* listed building, and is the ancestral home of the Stanley family, the Earls of Derby. The hall is surrounded by 2500 acres (10.1 km²) of parkland, which contains the Knowsley Safari Park
. The hall is no longer the home of the Stanley family but has been restored and converted for functions such as corporate events, conferences and weddings.
in 1702 who developed the lodge into a large house. A dairy (since demolished) was designed by Robert Adam
, 1776-77. The house was given Gothic
castellations
and extended further about 1820 to designs by John Foster
, William Burn
(who provided a boathouse and bridges in the park) and other architects. In the early 20th century it was "tidied up" by W. H. Romaine-Walker
for the 17th Earl
. After the Second World War
, the buildings were considerably reduced by Claud Phillimore
, and ceased to be lived in by the family. A smaller - but still substantial - family residence was built in the park.
was rewarded with the title of Earl Derby in 1485 by Henry VII
as a reward for his support at the Battle of Bosworth Field
which led to Henry's gaining the crown. The title was taken from the area in South Lancashire
called West Derby
(and not from the city of Derby
). In 1495 Thomas entertained Henry VII at Lathom House and at Knowsley, which was then still a hunting lodge. Thomas, the second Earl
, fought with Henry VIII
at the Battle of the Spurs
in 1513. Ferdinando, the fifth Earl
, was a poet and a patron of writers, including William Shakespeare
. He held the position of Earl for only one year before dying from arsenic poisoning
. James, seventh Earl
, was involved in the Civil War
as a Royalist
supporter of Charles I
. Charlotte
, his wife, withstood a siege at Lathom Hall for ten weeks in 1644. James fought with Charles I at the Battle of Worcester
, was taken prisoner and beheaded at Bolton
. He became known as the "Martyr Earl". The massive rebuilding of Knowsley in the early 18th century was carried out by James, the tenth Earl
who had become wealthy through his marriage. Edward, the twelfth Earl
had a great interest in horseracing and founded the Derby
and the Oaks
horseraces. He created the State Dining Room for the visit of George IV
in 1820–21. In the grounds of Knowsley he maintained a menagerie
which contained 94 different species of mammals and 318 species of birds, many of which were rare and valuable. Edward, the 13th Earl
created a large library of works relating to natural history
and was a champion of Edward Lear
, whom he commissioned to paint animals from the menagerie.
Edward, the 14th Earl
was a politician who became Prime Minister
three times. He was responsible for steering the Slavery Abolition Act through Parliament and in his third administration the Second Reform Bill
was passed. The political tradition was maintained by Frederick, the 16th Earl
who became President of the Board of Trade and later was appointed Governor General of Canada
. While in Canada he presented the Stanley Cup
, the country's premier trophy for ice hockey. Also a politician, Edward George Villiers, the 17th Earl
, was Secretary of State for War
for two periods, first during the First World War
and again from 1922 to 1924. Between these periods he was Ambassador
to France. He was also interested in horseracing, winning the Derby three times and owning the successful stallion
Hyperion
. He was responsible for the major alterations to the house by Romaine-Walker. Edward John, the 18th Earl
was awarded the Military Cross
in the Second World War, and after the war he reduced the hall to a more manageable size. He founded Knowsley Safari Park
in 1971. Restoration of the hall has been continued by Edward Richard William, the 19th and current Earl
and his wife, Caroline Emma Neville, daughter of Lord Braybrooke
. The family do not live in the hall but in the New House in the grounds near the hall.
in style, built in red brick with stone dressings. The south wing and Dynamo Tower are built in ashlar
red sandstone
. The oldest part of the south wing is known as the Royal Lodging. On its north side, facing the courtyard, are two round turret
s with conical roofs. This face has nine bays with tall sash window
s which are divided into groups of three by the towers.
The west side of the east wing, which faces the courtyard, has a total of 19 bays, with seven bays in a central section and six bays on each side. It consists of two storeys over a basement with an attic storey over the middle section. Above the central section is a pediment
on the summit of which is sculpture of the eagle and child (the Stanley emblem). The east face of the east wing is particularly long. At the north end are four bays in two storeys; the centre is of nine bays in 2½ storeys; and at the south end are 16 bays, also in 2½ storeys but one storey lower because the land falls away to the south. At the south end of the east wing is a "handsome" two-storey, five-bay stone "portico
or loggia
" with paired Doric
columns on the lower storey and paired fluted Ionic
columns above. The east wing then jumps back with six bays facing west until it joins the south wing.
, wife of the 7th Earl
. The Walnut Drawing-Room contains a number of portraits, including one of the second wife of the 12th Earl
, the actress Elizabeth Farren
. The library contains a collection of books on natural history brought together by the 13th Earl
. The Stucco Room, decorated in Rococo
style, was created in the 18th century to link the Royal Lodging with the rest of the house is now a ballroom with a sprung floor. The State Dining Room is hung with portraits of family members. The room was designed by Foster to look like a great hall
with doors 30 feet (9 m) high and contains two Gothic
fireplaces and an ormolu
chandelier
. It was reworked in 1890, adding a bay window
, a carved dado
and a roof consisting of a large rectangular lantern supported on brackets which is glazed round its sides. The hall now measures 53 by and is 50 feet (15.2 m) high.
, who flooded a 62 acres (25.1 ha) lake to feed the water-gardens around the hall. The southeast section of the park was made into a safari park
in 1971. To the east and northeast of the hall is a chain of lakes, White Man's Dam, the Octagon Pond and the Home Pond. The Octagon was built as a summer house in 1755 and designed by Robert Adam
.
The park contains a number of buildings. These include the New House which was built for the 18th Earl
and his family, by Phillimore in 1963 in Neo-Georgian style, the stables to the north of the hall which were designed by William Burn in the 1840s, the boathouse of 1837, also by William Burn, the Nest, Home Farm, and a number of lodges.
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
within the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley
Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley
The Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley is a metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England. It comprises the towns of Kirkby, Prescot, Huyton, Whiston, Halewood and Cronton; Kirkby, Huyton, and Prescot being the major commercial centres...
, in Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a Grade II* listed building, and is the ancestral home of the Stanley family, the Earls of Derby. The hall is surrounded by 2500 acres (10.1 km²) of parkland, which contains the Knowsley Safari Park
Knowsley Safari Park
-External links:**...
. The hall is no longer the home of the Stanley family but has been restored and converted for functions such as corporate events, conferences and weddings.
History
Originally Knowsley was a medieval hunting lodge in the estate of Lathom House. It was inherited by the 10th EarlJames Stanley, 10th Earl of Derby
James Stanley, 10th Earl of Derby PC , styled The Honourable until 1702, was a British peer and politician.Derby was the second son of Charles Stanley, 8th Earl of Derby, and Dorothea Helena Kirkhoven...
in 1702 who developed the lodge into a large house. A dairy (since demolished) was designed by Robert Adam
Robert Adam
Robert Adam was a Scottish neoclassical architect, interior designer and furniture designer. He was the son of William Adam , Scotland's foremost architect of the time, and trained under him...
, 1776-77. The house was given Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
castellations
Battlement
A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet , in which portions have been cut out at intervals to allow the discharge of arrows or other missiles. These cut-out portions form crenels...
and extended further about 1820 to designs by John Foster
John Foster (architect)
John Foster, Junior was an English architect.-Biography:Foster studied under Jeffry Wyatt in London and in 1809 travelled in the eastern Mediterranean. During 1810-11 he accompanied C. R. Cockerell and the German archaeologists Haller and Linckh in their excavation of the temples at Aegina and...
, William Burn
William Burn
William Burn was a Scottish architect, pioneer of the Scottish Baronial style.He was born in Edinburgh, the son of architect Robert Burn, and educated at the Royal High School. After training with the architect of the British Museum, Sir Robert Smirke, he returned to Edinburgh in 1812...
(who provided a boathouse and bridges in the park) and other architects. In the early 20th century it was "tidied up" by W. H. Romaine-Walker
W. H. Romaine-Walker
William Henry Romaine-Walker was an English architect and interior decorator. From 1881 to 1896 he worked in partnership with Augustus William Tanner.-Works:These include:*Canford School, Canford Magna, Dorset, extended ....
for the 17th Earl
Edward Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby
Edward George Villiers Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby KG, GCB, GCVO, TD, PC, KGStJ, JP , known as Lord Stanley from 1893 to 1908, was a British soldier, Conservative politician, diplomat and racehorse owner. He was twice Secretary of State for War and also served as British Ambassador to...
. After the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the buildings were considerably reduced by Claud Phillimore
Claud Phillimore, 4th Baron Phillimore
Claud Stephen Phillimore was an English architect who in 1990 succeeded to the title of 4th Baron Phillimore.-Works:These include:...
, and ceased to be lived in by the family. A smaller - but still substantial - family residence was built in the park.
Earls of Derby
Thomas StanleyThomas Stanley, 1st Earl of Derby
Thomas Stanley, 1st Earl of Derby, KG was titular King of Mann, an English nobleman and stepfather to King Henry VII of England...
was rewarded with the title of Earl Derby in 1485 by Henry VII
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
as a reward for his support at the Battle of Bosworth Field
Battle of Bosworth Field
The Battle of Bosworth Field was the penultimate battle of the Wars of the Roses, the civil war between the House of Lancaster and the House of York that raged across England in the latter half of the 15th century. Fought on 22 August 1485, the battle was won by the Lancastrians...
which led to Henry's gaining the crown. The title was taken from the area in South Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
called West Derby
West Derby
West Derby is a suburb in the north of Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It is also a Liverpool City Council ward. At the 2001 Census, the population of the ward was 14,801 .-History:...
(and not from the city of Derby
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
). In 1495 Thomas entertained Henry VII at Lathom House and at Knowsley, which was then still a hunting lodge. Thomas, the second Earl
Thomas Stanley, 2nd Earl of Derby
Thomas Stanley, 2nd Earl of Derby was an English peer.-Parents:Derby was the eldest son of George Stanley and Joan Strange, 9th Baroness Strange and 5th Baroness Mohun. Thomas Stanley, 1st Earl of Derby was his grandfather...
, fought with Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
at the Battle of the Spurs
Battle of Guinegate (1513)
The Battle of Guinegate or Battle of the Spurs took place on August 16, 1513. As part of the Holy League under the on-going Italian Wars, English and Imperial troops under Henry VIII and Maximilian I surprised and routed a body of French cavalry under Jacques de La Palice.The English army was...
in 1513. Ferdinando, the fifth Earl
Ferdinando Stanley, 5th Earl of Derby
Ferdinando Stanley, 5th Earl of Derby was the son of Henry Stanley, 4th Earl of Derby and Lady Margaret Clifford. According to the will of Henry VIII, his mother was heiress presumptive of Elizabeth I of England from 1578 to her own death in 1596...
, was a poet and a patron of writers, including William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
. He held the position of Earl for only one year before dying from arsenic poisoning
Arsenic poisoning
Arsenic poisoning is a medical condition caused by increased levels of the element arsenic in the body. Arsenic interferes with cellular longevity by allosteric inhibition of an essential metabolic enzyme...
. James, seventh Earl
James Stanley, 7th Earl of Derby
James Stanley, 7th Earl of Derby KG was a supporter of the Royalist cause in the English Civil War.Born at Knowsley, he is sometimes styled the Great Earl of Derby, eldest son of William Stanley, 6th Earl of Derby and Lady Elizabeth de Vere. During his father's life he was known as Lord Strange...
, was involved in the Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
as a Royalist
Cavalier
Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I and son Charles II during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration...
supporter of Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
. Charlotte
Charlotte Stanley, Countess of Derby
Charlotte Stanley, Countess of Derby , born Charlotte de La Trémoille, was the daughter of the French nobleman Claude de La Trémoille, Duke of Thouars, and his wife Charlotte Brabantina of Nassau...
, his wife, withstood a siege at Lathom Hall for ten weeks in 1644. James fought with Charles I at the Battle of Worcester
Battle of Worcester
The Battle of Worcester took place on 3 September 1651 at Worcester, England and was the final battle of the English Civil War. Oliver Cromwell and the Parliamentarians defeated the Royalist, predominantly Scottish, forces of King Charles II...
, was taken prisoner and beheaded at Bolton
Bolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
. He became known as the "Martyr Earl". The massive rebuilding of Knowsley in the early 18th century was carried out by James, the tenth Earl
James Stanley, 10th Earl of Derby
James Stanley, 10th Earl of Derby PC , styled The Honourable until 1702, was a British peer and politician.Derby was the second son of Charles Stanley, 8th Earl of Derby, and Dorothea Helena Kirkhoven...
who had become wealthy through his marriage. Edward, the twelfth Earl
Edward Smith-Stanley, 12th Earl of Derby
Edward Smith-Stanley, 12th Earl of Derby PC , styled Lord Strange between 1771 and 1776, was a British peer and politician of the late 18th and early 19th centuries...
had a great interest in horseracing and founded the Derby
Epsom Derby
The Derby Stakes, popularly known as The Derby, internationally as the Epsom Derby, and under its present sponsor as the Investec Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies...
and the Oaks
Epsom Oaks
The Oaks Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 10 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early June....
horseraces. He created the State Dining Room for the visit of George IV
George IV of the United Kingdom
George IV was the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and also of Hanover from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later...
in 1820–21. In the grounds of Knowsley he maintained a menagerie
Menagerie
A menagerie is/was a form of keeping common and exotic animals in captivity that preceded the modern zoological garden. The term was first used in seventeenth century France in reference to the management of household or domestic stock. Later, it came to be used primarily in reference to...
which contained 94 different species of mammals and 318 species of birds, many of which were rare and valuable. Edward, the 13th Earl
Edward Smith-Stanley, 13th Earl of Derby
Edward Smith-Stanley, 13th Earl of Derby KG , styled Lord Stanley from 1776 to 1832 and known as The Lord Stanley from 1832 to 1834, was an English politician, landowner, builder, farmer, art collector and naturalist...
created a large library of works relating to natural history
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
and was a champion of Edward Lear
Edward Lear
Edward Lear was an English artist, illustrator, author, and poet, renowned today primarily for his literary nonsense, in poetry and prose, and especially his limericks, a form that he popularised.-Biography:...
, whom he commissioned to paint animals from the menagerie.
Edward, the 14th Earl
Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby
Edward George Geoffrey Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby, KG, PC was an English statesman, three times Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and to date the longest serving leader of the Conservative Party. He was known before 1834 as Edward Stanley, and from 1834 to 1851 as Lord Stanley...
was a politician who became Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
three times. He was responsible for steering the Slavery Abolition Act through Parliament and in his third administration the Second Reform Bill
Reform Act 1867
The Representation of the People Act 1867, 30 & 31 Vict. c. 102 was a piece of British legislation that enfranchised the urban male working class in England and Wales....
was passed. The political tradition was maintained by Frederick, the 16th Earl
Frederick Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby
Frederick Arthur Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby KG, GCB, GCVO, PC , known as Frederick Stanley until 1886 and as Lord Stanley of Preston between 1886 and 1893, was a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom who served as Colonial Secretary from 1885 to 1886 and the sixth Governor General...
who became President of the Board of Trade and later was appointed Governor General of Canada
Governor General of Canada
The Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...
. While in Canada he presented the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
, the country's premier trophy for ice hockey. Also a politician, Edward George Villiers, the 17th Earl
Edward Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby
Edward George Villiers Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby KG, GCB, GCVO, TD, PC, KGStJ, JP , known as Lord Stanley from 1893 to 1908, was a British soldier, Conservative politician, diplomat and racehorse owner. He was twice Secretary of State for War and also served as British Ambassador to...
, was Secretary of State for War
Secretary of State for War
The position of Secretary of State for War, commonly called War Secretary, was a British cabinet-level position, first held by Henry Dundas . In 1801 the post became that of Secretary of State for War and the Colonies. The position was re-instated in 1854...
for two periods, first during the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and again from 1922 to 1924. Between these periods he was Ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to France. He was also interested in horseracing, winning the Derby three times and owning the successful stallion
Stallion (horse)
A stallion is a male horse that has not been gelded .Stallions will follow the conformation and phenotype of their breed, but within that standard, the presence of hormones such as testosterone may give stallions a thicker, "cresty" neck, as well as a somewhat more muscular physique as compared to...
Hyperion
Hyperion (horse)
Hyperion was a British bred Thoroughbred, a dual classic winner and an outstanding sire. Owned by Edward Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby, Hyperion won £29,509 during his career - a considerable sum at the time. His victories included the Epsom Derby and St...
. He was responsible for the major alterations to the house by Romaine-Walker. Edward John, the 18th Earl
Edward Stanley, 18th Earl of Derby
Edward John Stanley, 18th Earl of Derby MC , known as Lord Stanley from 1938 to 1948, was a British peer....
was awarded the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
in the Second World War, and after the war he reduced the hall to a more manageable size. He founded Knowsley Safari Park
Knowsley Safari Park
-External links:**...
in 1971. Restoration of the hall has been continued by Edward Richard William, the 19th and current Earl
Edward Stanley, 19th Earl of Derby
Edward Richard William Stanley, 19th Earl of Derby is a British peer. He is known for ownership of the racehorse Ouija Board and for his controversial plans to build houses and an industrial estate on of greenfield land he inherited in Newmarket, Suffolk...
and his wife, Caroline Emma Neville, daughter of Lord Braybrooke
Baron Braybrooke
Lord Braybrooke, Baron of Braybrooke, in the County of Northampton, is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1788 for John Whitwell, 4th Baron Howard de Walden, with remainder to his kinsman Richard Neville-Aldworth...
. The family do not live in the hall but in the New House in the grounds near the hall.
External
The house consists of a long wing running north-south dating originally from the 1720s to 1737 (the east wing) and at right angles to the west is the south wing, dating originally from around 1495. At the west end of this wing is a detached structure, the Dynamo Tower. The east wing is GeorgianGeorgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
in style, built in red brick with stone dressings. The south wing and Dynamo Tower are built in ashlar
Ashlar
Ashlar is prepared stone work of any type of stone. Masonry using such stones laid in parallel courses is known as ashlar masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Ashlar blocks are rectangular cuboid blocks that are masonry sculpted to have square edges...
red sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
. The oldest part of the south wing is known as the Royal Lodging. On its north side, facing the courtyard, are two round turret
Turret
In architecture, a turret is a small tower that projects vertically from the wall of a building such as a medieval castle. Turrets were used to provide a projecting defensive position allowing covering fire to the adjacent wall in the days of military fortification...
s with conical roofs. This face has nine bays with tall sash window
Sash window
A sash window or hung sash window is made of one or more movable panels or "sashes" that form a frame to hold panes of glass, which are often separated from other panes by narrow muntins...
s which are divided into groups of three by the towers.
The west side of the east wing, which faces the courtyard, has a total of 19 bays, with seven bays in a central section and six bays on each side. It consists of two storeys over a basement with an attic storey over the middle section. Above the central section is a pediment
Pediment
A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure , typically supported by columns. The gable end of the pediment is surrounded by the cornice moulding...
on the summit of which is sculpture of the eagle and child (the Stanley emblem). The east face of the east wing is particularly long. At the north end are four bays in two storeys; the centre is of nine bays in 2½ storeys; and at the south end are 16 bays, also in 2½ storeys but one storey lower because the land falls away to the south. At the south end of the east wing is a "handsome" two-storey, five-bay stone "portico
Portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...
or loggia
Loggia
Loggia is the name given to an architectural feature, originally of Minoan design. They are often a gallery or corridor at ground level, sometimes higher, on the facade of a building and open to the air on one side, where it is supported by columns or pierced openings in the wall...
" with paired Doric
Doric order
The Doric order was one of the three orders or organizational systems of ancient Greek or classical architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic and the Corinthian.-History:...
columns on the lower storey and paired fluted Ionic
Ionic order
The Ionic order forms one of the three orders or organizational systems of classical architecture, the other two canonic orders being the Doric and the Corinthian...
columns above. The east wing then jumps back with six bays facing west until it joins the south wing.
Internal
This section describes mainly the rooms which are normally open to the public. The Entrance Hall is panelled in carved oak and is hung with early 18th-century paintings of the house and the park. The Grand Staircase has a collection of oil paintings on leather. The morning room is a light family room overlooking the gardens and parkland. The Breakfast Room has pale blue panels with paintings, one of which is a portrait of CharlotteCharlotte Stanley, Countess of Derby
Charlotte Stanley, Countess of Derby , born Charlotte de La Trémoille, was the daughter of the French nobleman Claude de La Trémoille, Duke of Thouars, and his wife Charlotte Brabantina of Nassau...
, wife of the 7th Earl
James Stanley, 7th Earl of Derby
James Stanley, 7th Earl of Derby KG was a supporter of the Royalist cause in the English Civil War.Born at Knowsley, he is sometimes styled the Great Earl of Derby, eldest son of William Stanley, 6th Earl of Derby and Lady Elizabeth de Vere. During his father's life he was known as Lord Strange...
. The Walnut Drawing-Room contains a number of portraits, including one of the second wife of the 12th Earl
Edward Smith-Stanley, 12th Earl of Derby
Edward Smith-Stanley, 12th Earl of Derby PC , styled Lord Strange between 1771 and 1776, was a British peer and politician of the late 18th and early 19th centuries...
, the actress Elizabeth Farren
Elizabeth Farren
Elizabeth Farren was an English actress of the late 18th century.-Early life:Elizabeth Farren was the daughter of George Farren of Cork, Ireland, formerly a surgeon and apothecary, then later an actor, and his wife of Liverpool, Lancashire, the daughter of a publican or brewer.At a very early age...
. The library contains a collection of books on natural history brought together by the 13th Earl
Edward Smith-Stanley, 13th Earl of Derby
Edward Smith-Stanley, 13th Earl of Derby KG , styled Lord Stanley from 1776 to 1832 and known as The Lord Stanley from 1832 to 1834, was an English politician, landowner, builder, farmer, art collector and naturalist...
. The Stucco Room, decorated in Rococo
Rococo
Rococo , also referred to as "Late Baroque", is an 18th-century style which developed as Baroque artists gave up their symmetry and became increasingly ornate, florid, and playful...
style, was created in the 18th century to link the Royal Lodging with the rest of the house is now a ballroom with a sprung floor. The State Dining Room is hung with portraits of family members. The room was designed by Foster to look like a great hall
Great hall
A great hall is the main room of a royal palace, nobleman's castle or a large manor house in the Middle Ages, and in the country houses of the 16th and early 17th centuries. At that time the word great simply meant big, and had not acquired its modern connotations of excellence...
with doors 30 feet (9 m) high and contains two Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
fireplaces and an ormolu
Ormolu
Ormolu is an 18th-century English term for applying finely ground, high-karat gold in a mercury amalgam to an object of bronze. The mercury is driven off in a kiln...
chandelier
Chandelier
A chandelier is a branched decorative ceiling-mounted light fixture with two or more arms bearing lights. Chandeliers are often ornate, containing dozens of lamps and complex arrays of glass or crystal prisms to illuminate a room with refracted light...
. It was reworked in 1890, adding a bay window
Bay window
A bay window is a window space projecting outward from the main walls of a building and forming a bay in a room, either square or polygonal in plan. The angles most commonly used on the inside corners of the bay are 90, 135 and 150 degrees. Bay windows are often associated with Victorian architecture...
, a carved dado
Dado (architecture)
In architectural terminology, the dado, borrowed from Italian meaning die or plinth, is the lower part of a wall, below the dado rail and above the skirting board....
and a roof consisting of a large rectangular lantern supported on brackets which is glazed round its sides. The hall now measures 53 by and is 50 feet (15.2 m) high.
Parkland
This consists of an area of approximately 2500 acres (10.1 km²) surrounded by a stone wall 9+1/2 mi long. It has been registered by English Heritage at Grade II. The park was landscaped in the 1770s by "Capability" BrownCapability Brown
Lancelot Brown , more commonly known as Capability Brown, was an English landscape architect. He is remembered as "the last of the great English eighteenth-century artists to be accorded his due", and "England's greatest gardener". He designed over 170 parks, many of which still endure...
, who flooded a 62 acres (25.1 ha) lake to feed the water-gardens around the hall. The southeast section of the park was made into a safari park
Safari park
A safari park, sometimes known as a wildlife park, is a zoo-like commercial tourist attraction where visitors can drive in their own vehicles or ride in vehicles provided by the facility to observe freely roaming animals...
in 1971. To the east and northeast of the hall is a chain of lakes, White Man's Dam, the Octagon Pond and the Home Pond. The Octagon was built as a summer house in 1755 and designed by Robert Adam
Robert Adam
Robert Adam was a Scottish neoclassical architect, interior designer and furniture designer. He was the son of William Adam , Scotland's foremost architect of the time, and trained under him...
.
The park contains a number of buildings. These include the New House which was built for the 18th Earl
Edward Stanley, 18th Earl of Derby
Edward John Stanley, 18th Earl of Derby MC , known as Lord Stanley from 1938 to 1948, was a British peer....
and his family, by Phillimore in 1963 in Neo-Georgian style, the stables to the north of the hall which were designed by William Burn in the 1840s, the boathouse of 1837, also by William Burn, the Nest, Home Farm, and a number of lodges.