Wedgwood Dinner Service at A la Ronde
- Published:
- 24 March 2025
A la Ronde was carefully designed so that the rooms faced into the sun’s path, ensuring each room had natural lighting throughout the day. The dining room was used at the end of the day, lit by the fading western sun. It is probable that Jane and Mary Parminter shared dinner in this space.
The dinner set that remains at A la Ronde, and was likely used by Jane and Mary, is a Wedgwood creamware dinner service which dates to 1784. When the Parminters were living at A la Ronde, Wedgwood was one of the most recognisable names in British ceramics, and it is equally popular today.
Josiah Wedgwood established his business in 1759, a period where focus was shifting to a new type of ceramic product; Creamware. It is a type of earthenware pottery made from a combination of white clay and flint. It has a distinct cream colour and a pale lead glaze. Creamware pottery is known for being lightweight and clean, making it ideal for domestic ware.
The collection at A la Ronde consists of twenty-three dinner plates, eight soup plates, ten dessert plates, five oblong serving dishes with curved corners, three sauce tureens, an entrée dish, spoon rests, three saucers, five side plates, a fruit bowl and a pierced oblong drainer or mazarine which fits over one of the serving dishes.
Discover some of the items from the dinner service collection at A la Ronde
Wedgwood Creamware Entree Dish
An entree dish from the Wedgwood Creamware dinner service at A la Ronde
The creamware crockery set at A la Ronde is practical but also attractive due to the green-banded rim decoration. This set was likely very popular and in high demand. As a set matching this was gifted to Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III, by Wedgwood.
The set was once removed from A la Ronde by Stella Reichel upon her marriage to the Reverand John Tudor in 1880. It remained with her at the vicarages of Turkdean, in the Cotswolds, and East Garston in Berkshire. When she died it moved with her husband to Reading. Upon his death it was passed to his daughters Margaret and Stella Tudor who returned it to A la Ronde.
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.
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