Sudley House - How to live top-notch in Victorian Liverpool
We found this little pearl of a manor by studying the south Liverpool area on Google maps. It is not a well-known object of general historic and tourists attention. It was a surprise to discover it, and - a few days later - to visit the by-gone little world of the Victorian lifestyle of an upper-middle-class family. Truly great upkeep of the whole manor, very informative inside, and on a time-lapse map.
The history of Sudley House begins in the first decade of the 19th century. It first belonged to Nicholas Robinson, who a few years later became Mayor of Liverpool (1828-9). He lived in the house until his death in 1854, with his two daughters who continued to live there until their own deaths in 1883. It was then put on sale.
The house is surrounded by small parkland, especially beautiful in Autumn time.
George Holt, shipping-line owner, businessman, philanthropists bought Sudley House a few months later, in 1884. He made some strange alteration to the house - the main entrance is on the side of the building.
He had spent there his retirement years, along with his wife Elisabeth, and only daughter, Emily. He kept himself moderately busy collecting and exchanging art, mostly paintings.
The house encompasses the spirit of the Holt family, late Victorian members of the upper society; it is now a museum and art gallery, managed by National Museums Liverpool with free entry.
The most remarkable thing about Sudley House is that it is one of only a few period homes with original Victorian design, features and decorations in place, in the UK. Even more important - it has the only surviving Victorian art collection in Britain still in its original settings.
The ground floor rooms tell a story about the Holt family. There are audio-visual displays, family portraits, furniture, a model of the steamer Verdi, which belonged to the Lamport and Holt shipping company that George Holt had co-founded in 1845.
George Holt's collection which remains in the house today includes works J. M. W. Turner, R.P. Bonington, E. Landseer, J.E. Millais, J. Reynolds, G. Romney, T. Gainsborough and the Pre-Raphaelites.
Emma was the only child of the Holts; she was 21 when they moved in here. She remained to live in Sudley House for the next 60 years of her life. She never married; in 1944 she gave the entire house with the collection of paintings in her will to the city of Liverpool.
Like her father, Emma was also a philanthropist, especially supporting women's right to education and health charities. There is an interesting story and insight into her life in one of the rooms. As the last resident, she left her mark and a feminine touch on the house.
There is a real sense of taste, comfort and simple delight in Sudley House. These are the rooms where the Holts had entertained their wealthy friends in the last decades of 19th century, through the Edwardian Era, World War I, the Roaring Twenties, and the start of World War II.
Many original features add to the fabric of time, for example, a wallpaper in the Dining Room that has never been replaced or the sideboard with George Holt’s initials. There are some exotic items like the chair in Emily's office, the Morning Room. Holt did not collect art simply as a status symbol. He was also interested in helping local artists and wanted his art collection to fit in properly to the specific settings of his house.
The carved marble fireplace in Italian style, in the dining room, bears the Holt family crest.
This was the Holts' best sitting room. The fireplace and paintings still remain in their original position. The furniture is original from Victorian times.
The staircase with Doric columns reaches to the above dome and glazed oculus. The upstairs are used as temporary exhibitions and a display of Victorian childhood rooms and costume room.
Entry to Sudley House is free. It has limited parking space so on weekends and bank holidays a better option might be the train - ten minutes walk from Mossley Hill Station.
An enchanting place to visit.
The history of Sudley House begins in the first decade of the 19th century. It first belonged to Nicholas Robinson, who a few years later became Mayor of Liverpool (1828-9). He lived in the house until his death in 1854, with his two daughters who continued to live there until their own deaths in 1883. It was then put on sale.
The house is surrounded by small parkland, especially beautiful in Autumn time.
George Holt, shipping-line owner, businessman, philanthropists bought Sudley House a few months later, in 1884. He made some strange alteration to the house - the main entrance is on the side of the building.
He had spent there his retirement years, along with his wife Elisabeth, and only daughter, Emily. He kept himself moderately busy collecting and exchanging art, mostly paintings.
The house encompasses the spirit of the Holt family, late Victorian members of the upper society; it is now a museum and art gallery, managed by National Museums Liverpool with free entry.
The most remarkable thing about Sudley House is that it is one of only a few period homes with original Victorian design, features and decorations in place, in the UK. Even more important - it has the only surviving Victorian art collection in Britain still in its original settings.
The ground floor rooms tell a story about the Holt family. There are audio-visual displays, family portraits, furniture, a model of the steamer Verdi, which belonged to the Lamport and Holt shipping company that George Holt had co-founded in 1845.
George Holt's collection which remains in the house today includes works J. M. W. Turner, R.P. Bonington, E. Landseer, J.E. Millais, J. Reynolds, G. Romney, T. Gainsborough and the Pre-Raphaelites.
Emma was the only child of the Holts; she was 21 when they moved in here. She remained to live in Sudley House for the next 60 years of her life. She never married; in 1944 she gave the entire house with the collection of paintings in her will to the city of Liverpool.
Like her father, Emma was also a philanthropist, especially supporting women's right to education and health charities. There is an interesting story and insight into her life in one of the rooms. As the last resident, she left her mark and a feminine touch on the house.
There is a real sense of taste, comfort and simple delight in Sudley House. These are the rooms where the Holts had entertained their wealthy friends in the last decades of 19th century, through the Edwardian Era, World War I, the Roaring Twenties, and the start of World War II.
Many original features add to the fabric of time, for example, a wallpaper in the Dining Room that has never been replaced or the sideboard with George Holt’s initials. There are some exotic items like the chair in Emily's office, the Morning Room. Holt did not collect art simply as a status symbol. He was also interested in helping local artists and wanted his art collection to fit in properly to the specific settings of his house.
The carved marble fireplace in Italian style, in the dining room, bears the Holt family crest.
This was the Holts' best sitting room. The fireplace and paintings still remain in their original position. The furniture is original from Victorian times.
The staircase with Doric columns reaches to the above dome and glazed oculus. The upstairs are used as temporary exhibitions and a display of Victorian childhood rooms and costume room.
Entry to Sudley House is free. It has limited parking space so on weekends and bank holidays a better option might be the train - ten minutes walk from Mossley Hill Station.
An enchanting place to visit.