The Octagon
![A view of the Octagon at A la Ronde, Devon, from the Shell Gallery.](http://nt.global.ssl.fastly.net/binaries/content/gallery/website/national/regions/devon/places/a-la-ronde/library/built-heritage-history-and-collections/the-octagon-viewed-from-above-a-la-ronde-devon.jpg?auto=webp&width=767&crop=16:9&dpr=2 2x)
The Octagon is the heart of the house.
The Octagon was the heart of Jane and Mary’s home, from which the other ground floor rooms radiate. It was a circulating or meeting area between rooms and, with its fine acoustics, was an ideal location for the musical performances that were so important in family entertainment of the time.
![View of the ceiling of the Octagon and the Shell Gallery, A la Ronde, Devon.](http://nt.global.ssl.fastly.net/binaries/content/gallery/website/national/regions/devon/places/a-la-ronde/library/built-heritage-history-and-collections/view-of-the-ceiling-of-the-octagon-and-the-shell-gallery-a-la-ronde-devon.jpg?auto=webp&width=676&crop=16:9&dpr=2 2x)
There are eight doors around the Octagon, of which seven open into the principal rooms of the house, each with a fanlight and surrounded by painted marbling in yellow and green. The hinged panels sunk into the jambs convert into shelves or seats and tuck away neatly into the door surrounds. One door is false and doesn’t open.
The Shell Gallery can be viewed from the Octagon. Because of its extreme fragility, close viewing is solely available by a 360-degree online tour. The Octagon's height is 10.7 metres from floor to ceiling and is a unique space in the centre of the house topped by the Shell Gallery.
![The Octagon, showing rooms radiating from centre with late 18th century mahogany rent table in the centre, prior to redecoration.](http://nt.global.ssl.fastly.net/binaries/content/gallery/website/national/regions/devon/places/a-la-ronde/library/built-heritage-history-and-collections/the-octagon-prior-to-redecoration-a-la-ronde-devon.jpg?auto=webp&width=676&crop=16:9&dpr=2 2x)
When Ursula Tudor-Perkins arrived in 1974 the walls were, in her words, “a dull Victorian green”. She redecorated it yellow, but this didn’t suit, so during a university vacation one of her sons, painted it pink. These colour layers have been rediscovered with paint analysis and the original design and colours as seen by the Parminters found and re-created.
The rustic chevron-painted decoration, a scheme probably dating from the Parminters' time, is thought to represent either a seaweed-covered undersea cave lit by the shell grotto above, or perhaps a flame-stitched textile.
There is an original patch above the door to the Entrance Hall (high up) which is the earliest known paint scheme in the room.
![Wall pattern in the Octagon room at A la Ronde, Devon, with patch of original painting in centre.](http://nt.global.ssl.fastly.net/binaries/content/gallery/website/national/regions/devon/places/a-la-ronde/library/built-heritage-history-and-collections/wall-pattern-in-the-octagon-a-la-ronde-devon.jpg?auto=webp&width=767&crop=16:9&dpr=2 2x)
The painted wall decoration is not the only form of ornamentation in the Octagon. The furniture was designed specifically for the room, linking with the wall painting and the Shell Gallery designs.
This is seen on the details of the Octagonal chairs where applied decoration in paper shows chevrons and circles. Designed and made for the room in about 1795, six of the chairs are originals, with two reproductions from the 1990s completing the set.
![Green octagonal hall chair made for the Octagon at A la Ronde, Devon.](http://nt.global.ssl.fastly.net/binaries/content/gallery/website/national/regions/devon/places/a-la-ronde/library/built-heritage-history-and-collections/octagon-hall-chair-a-la-ronde-devon.jpg?auto=webp&width=443&crop=9:16&dpr=2 2x)
In the centre of the Octagon hangs a dove with a mirror ball suspended under it. The dove dates from the early 1800s and is mentioned in Mary Parminter’s Will of 1849. It is made of carved, painted wood with a metal olive branch in its beak. The mirror ball was a gift to the property in 1994 to replace the missing original.
For more information on A la Ronde, the Parminter ladies and the wider array of individuals who feature in A la Ronde’s story, visit The Compendium to find our other articles.
![The interior of the cabinet of curiosities in the Library at A la Ronde, Devon.](http://nt.global.ssl.fastly.net/binaries/content/gallery/website/national/regions/devon/places/a-la-ronde/library/built-heritage-history-and-collections/14784951.jpg?auto=webp&width=505&crop=16:9&dpr=2 2x)
The Compendium
The Compendium is a collection of stories to delight and surprise. You can explore all things A la Ronde here in one central place for the first time. We will be adding new stories for years to come.
![Inside of the drawing room at A la Ronde with a large fireplace and green curtains](http://nt.global.ssl.fastly.net/binaries/content/gallery/website/national/regions/devon/places/a-la-ronde/library/built-heritage-history-and-collections/the-drawing-room-a-la-ronde-devon-1289952.jpg?auto=webp&width=505&crop=16:9&dpr=2 2x)
The Drawing Room
Bordered with an immaculately constructed feather frieze, the Drawing Room at A la Ronde tells us many stories about its history.
![The Shell Gallery at A la Ronde in Devon after conservation](http://nt.global.ssl.fastly.net/binaries/content/gallery/website/national/regions/devon/places/a-la-ronde/library/built-heritage-history-and-collections/a-la-ronde-devon-shell-gallery-after-conservation.jpg?auto=webp&width=505&crop=16:9&dpr=2 2x)
Our Conservation Story: Conserving the past, creating the future
Learn more about the conservation work undertaken at A la Ronde during the 'Conserving the Past, Creating the Future' project.
![A conservator works on the Shell Gallery at A la Ronde, Devon](http://nt.global.ssl.fastly.net/binaries/content/gallery/website/national/regions/devon/places/a-la-ronde/library/built-heritage-history-and-collections/a-la-ronde-devon-shell-gallery-conservation-chevrons.jpg?auto=webp&width=505&crop=16:9&dpr=2 2x)
Clocks and Pests: A day in the life of a Collections Assistant
Find out how the Collections Assistants at A la Ronde look after the house and its collections. From the many clocks to the smallest of its inhabitants: pests.