Raby

A project delving into Raby Castle’s links with Cleveland House, in collaboration with BIFMO (British and Irish Furniture Makers Online).

Today, Raby Castle is closed over winter for its’ annual deep clean, and historically the Vane family often spent the winter period in the warmer climates of the south of England. One of their former London residences was Cleveland House. This house was used during the heyday of the Vane family, when they were the Earls of Darlington and later Dukes of Cleveland. Whilst the original Cleveland House was demolished at the turn of the 20th century, Raby’s archives and collections give us an indication of how the house might have looked during the 1800s.

This blog and interactive website are the outcome of a collaborative research project hosted by Raby Castle and BIFMO (British and Irish Furniture Makers Online,) in which two students explored the history and significance of Cleveland House’s dining hall.

Visit the Interactive Website
raby castle park and gardens

Introducing Daniela and Yan

Two postgraduate students, Yan and Daniela, were awarded an internship over the summer of 2024 to research an aspect of Cleveland House and design an interesting way to present their findings. Daniela Díaz Blancarte is a second year MA student in Decorative Arts, Design History and Material Culture at Bard Graduate Center in New York City, and Yan Leung is a postgraduate student at the University of Leeds focusing on art galleries and museum studies.

Yan and Daniela are thrilled to present their research through an interactive platform which offers a creative way to gain a deeper understanding of the use and development of Cleveland House.

Ownership of Cleveland House

Whilst the origins of Cleveland House trace back to 1674, associations with the Vane family at Raby Castle begun around 1722. It was at this point the house was sold to Charles FitzRoy, Duke of Cleveland and Southampton. Charles was a son of King Charles II and Barbara Villiers, and father of Lady Grace FitzRoy who in 1725 married Henry Vane, later Earl of Darlington, and owner of Raby Castle.

After the death of Charles FitzRoy, Cleveland House passed to his son, William, who died without issue at Raby Castle while living with his sister and brother-in-law. Lord Darlington now succeeded Cleveland House, which would be passed down through the Vane family- who later also took the title Dukes of Cleveland- until the death of the 4th Duke of Cleveland in 1891 and subsequent demolition of the London residence.

A plan of St. James’s Square showing the Duke of Cleveland in residence at no. 19. Found in ‘The History of St. James’s Square (1895) Arthur Irwin Dasent, Macmillan and No.’

A plan of St. James’s Square showing the Duke of Cleveland in residence at no. 19. Found in ‘The History of St. James’s Square (1895) Arthur Irwin Dasent, Macmillan and No.’
Pages from an Inventory of Cleveland House from 1864 showing the contents of the Dining Room. Raby Estates
A plan of ‘the Great Dining Room at Cleveland House for the Rt Hn Earl of Darlington’ by John Carr. Raby Estates

Cleveland House Interiors: The Dining Hall

Floor plans in the Raby archives show a large Dining Hall, a Ball Room, a Sitting Room and Study, a Silver Room and several bedrooms across four floors, along with a Coach House and laundry for more practical purposes. Inventories describe paintings on the walls of the Saloon, rosewood chairs and settees in the Drawing Room, and a Dining Room filled with crimson and mahogany.

Yan and Daniela chose to focus their project primarily on the dining hall of Cleveland House, one of the more well-documented rooms, which even allowed for some items to be traced to Raby Castle’s current collection.

The dining hall also stood out for its architectural grandeur and for its significance in the social and cultural history of the time. Dining areas were more than just a place for meals; they were a central space for displaying wealth, power, and hospitality. As the needs and functions of the household evolved, the dining hall might have been repurposed, but its original grandeur would have remained a key feature of the room. Cleveland House was described as ‘more curious in appearance than beautiful, though it still retained some vestiges of its original splendor’ by Arthur Irwin Dasent in 1895.

Pages from an Inventory of Cleveland House from 1864 showing the contents of the Dining Room. Raby Estates.

A plan of ‘the Great Dining Room at Cleveland House for the Rt Hn Earl of Darlington’ by John Carr. Raby Estates.

Reimagining Interiors: Dining in Style

If you want to learn more about BIFMO and the Furniture History Society click HERE

Explore previous projects we have collaborated with BIFMO on…

Delve into the History of our Octagon Drawing Room

The Secret of the Thomas Weeks Cabinet 

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