Image ID: 14969

Rampton Manor

Rampton
England

The following article is extracted from Leonard Jacks account of the Great Families of Nottinghamshire, and describes the house and contents, home to the Eyre Family, as he saw them in 1881:- 'Rampton Manor, as it appears to-day, in bold, well-defined Elizabethan proportions, situated in the midst of rich pasture land, and unobscured by any wealth of foliage, does not suggest antiquity. It is a handsome modern brick mansion, built thirty years ago (1851-3), by an eminent architect, and at considerable cost. (Throsby speaks of the house which Sir Gervase and his predecessors, the Babingtons, occupied as 'a large old mansion, built so long back as the time of Henry VIII.' Only a fine stone gateway which led to it now remains, at the north-east corner of the churchyard, for the house was taken down about 1730, and the family removed to Grove, where they had a residence. The village saw little of its owners for about a century, but in 1853 they again made it their home, and a splendid Elizabethan mansion uprose worthy of its possessors.) The only trace of the old hall remaining, is a fine gateway and an oak shield or panel, on which are carved the arms and crest of the Eyres. This solitary and somewhat modest relic of the old family residence, now hangs over the doorway in one of the lower apartments at Rampton, where there are a number of glass cases- containing rare birds of brilliant plumage, which have been shot in different parts of the world, by Colonel Eyre. The principal rooms are bright, and the prospects are cheerful, though the general formation of the country is flat. A mile away, the Trent flows along a broad and bending channel, and a stone thrown across the river falls in Lincolnshire, where, close to the water's edge, are the ruined and turreted walls of what is said to have been a castle. In front of this dismantled brickwork, which once formed part of a substantial and pretentious residence, the Trout flows through green meadows, kept within bounds on the Nottinghamshire side by a sturdy and continuous embankment, which is of great use when the river is swollen by heavy rains. Rampton Manor is said to occupy an elevated position, though this is hardly apparent to one sitting in the comfortable dining room, and looking over the park and meadow land, which spreads away towards the river. In summer, when everything is in full life, the scenery is pretty about here, and one would say that the manor was well situated. Inside, it is very comfortable, filled with bright objects and cheerful furniture, and one realises what is implied by that sober and genuine hospitality which was enjoined upon the owner's ancestors nearly two centuries ago. In the dining room there are a few good pictures; in the drawing room are several excellent copies of old masters. Among these is a striking copy of Murillo's 'Children of the Shell,' which was executed by an artist Colonel Eyre had met in Rome. There are also admirable copies of two well-known works by Guido and Albert Durer, which, with other pictures in the drawing room, overlook some choice pieces of Sevres China. Among the dining room collection are two interesting landscapes, by Salvator Rosa. Originally they are supposed to have formed one large picture, which some former possessor divided into two parts, a division which increased the collection to which they belonged, and affected a companionship which has not marred the conception of the painter, or caused any mutilation of his work. They are parts of a mountain scene, into one half of which figures are introduced, the central one an astrologer or seer, who, with outstretched arms, appears to be invoking some spirit of the mountain. The picture is a good example of Salvator's comprehensive genius and lively poetic imagination, and the attitudes and actions of the figures are natural and full of dignity. In another part of the room there is a characteristic painting by Bloemart - a cook engaged in trussing a fowl; and there are good examples of the work of Van der Docs- probably Simon of that name, and of Van Diest, the last-named in two small frames, with herons and dogs upon a few inches of canvas. There are, besides, a fruit piece and a Dutch painting without a name, making up a small, but interesting, collection. In these old houses of the county one generally sees what is good in the way of pictures. If they are modern pictures, they are well chosen; if they are old, while they tell no tale of artistic taste bearing upon their owner, they say something at least for his ancestors, and form a hidden contribution to the art treasures of the country.'

Date: 1900

Organisation Reference: NCCN001380

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