The Tabley House Collection
I recently had the pleasure of photographing the interiors of Tabley House in Cheshire. This beautiful Grade I listed stately home was built by architect John Carr of York between 1761 and 1769 for Sir Peter Byrne Leicester and is the only 18th century Palladian country house in Cheshire. The original state rooms are open to the public and they were designed to impress. They include the Portico Room (the original entrance hall), the Drawing Room, the Common Parlour, the Dining Room, the Oak Hall, and the Gallery. Tabley is home to a number of important paintings as the 1st Lord de Tabley was a patron of British art and artists with a particular interest in JMW Turner. Sir John commissioned works to hang in specific rooms and this is no more evident than in the Drawing Room at Tabley where Turner’s ‘Tabley' is displayed. Other artists represented include Lely, Lawrence, Dobson and Martin. There's also a fine collection of furniture dating from the 17th to the early 20th century which includes pieces by Gillow and Bullock, and others attributed to Chippendale, as well as to local craftsmen. The house is now in the ownership of the University of Manchester and the collection is managed on behalf of the University by The Tabley House Collection Trust.
