The charcoal sketches of the three Lushington sisters are preparatory drawings for the painting ‘The Home Quartette’ that their father Vernon Lushington commissioned from Arthur Hughes. A modern print of the painting hangs above.
The drawing of the head of Margaret Lushington is by William Holman Hunt. Both Hunt and Hughes are considered amongst the most talented painters of the Pre-Raphaelite brotherhood.
The Squire’s Room
Turning left on the landing down the little passage and, being sure to note the very striking portrait of the charismatic preacher Damian de Veuster, the innovative way in which bathrooms were introduced into the junction between the old and new wings becomes apparent. The Squire’s Room has wallpaper of an Asiatic pattern in the panels which dates from c1920.
The Grey Bedroom
The utilitarian treatment of the fireplace in this bedroom must date from alterations in the late nineteenth century. The wallpaper however, dates from 1928.
The commode, or night stool is a beautifully crafted piece of deceptive furniture, with a hinged dummy front that lifts to reveal the padded seat and back rest.
The Field Marshal’s Room
This bedroom would have been the master bedroom with a large four poster bed. A large sepia photograph over the mantel is of Raphael’s Madonna and is typical of the taste of an artistically minded household of the late nineteenth century. To the right is a fine ‘seaweed’ marquetry bureau bookcase of the early eighteenth century.