WELBECK ABBE\ 
ADDITIONS AND ALTERATIONS THERETO, EXECUTED FOR THE DUKE OF PORTLAND 
By Ernest George Yeates, Architects 
W E are able to give several views of the 
work of reconstruction that has just 
been carried out at Welbeck Abbey for the 
Duke of Portland by Messrs. Ernest George 
& Yeates, architects. The Abbey is an 
L-shaped house; the “Oxford wing,” about 
two hundred and thirty feet in length, having 
been added to the main building by the 
Countess of Oxford in 1743. It was in this 
wing that the recent fire took place, the con¬ 
sequent effects of water, more than of fire, ne¬ 
cessitating the “gutting” of the block by the 
architects. A narrow passage had previously 
run the length of this wing between rooms 
looking north and south. In rescheming the 
plan the rooms 
have now been 
made all to the 
south with access 
from a wide, well- 
lighted corridor. 
The grand stair¬ 
case has been 
formed in this 
wing, with oak 
columns and pi¬ 
lasters and solid 
moulded oak 
steps. While gen¬ 
erally preserving 
the outside walls, 
additional space 
has been gained 
by two bold pro¬ 
jections with pedi- 
ments on the 
south front. At 
the southeast end 
of this wing are 
the Duchess’s 
boudoir and bed¬ 
room with door¬ 
ways and tall 
chimneys of 
carved Istrian 
stone and wood¬ 
work of Italian 
walnut. The ceiling is also of walnut cof¬ 
fered, and with color and gesso enrichment. 
At the west end of this wing are the state 
rooms for royal visitors. The main part of 
the house has in its basement vestiges of the 
original abbey—the servants’ hall having oc¬ 
tagonal shafts and Gothic vaulting. Above 
this the rooms have been built with very 
little system or plan, and the object of the 
recent changes has been to give convenient 
and dignified approach to the various parts. 
At the northeast end of the house a new 
dining-room has been made within the exist¬ 
ing walls by knocking away some ill-lighted 
bedrooms and gaining the additional height. 
Here the oak 
paneling is carried 
seventeen feet 
high beneath a 
wagon ceiling, a 
minstrels’ gallery 
occupying one 
end. This room 
has been especial¬ 
ly schemed for re¬ 
ceiving the fine 
Vandykes be¬ 
longing to the 
house. Th e 
“Gothic hall” 
has been so called 
from its fan and 
pendant ceiling of 
the Horace Wal¬ 
pole period. Its 
stone-colored 
walls have now 
been paneled with 
good English oak, 
and the length 
has been increased 
by throwing in an 
ante-hall at one 
end with a triple 
arcade. A dais 
occupies the other 
end of the hall. 
THE ENTRANCE DOORS 
The outer doors are of bronze , the grill above of wrought iron 
The inner gates are of brass 
1 Entered at Stationers' Hall 
29 
