Nostell's collection

A green and gold-japanned serpentine dressing table by Thomas Chippendale, part of the collection at Nostell in Yorkshire — Green and gold dressing table by Thomas Chippendale at Nostell | © National Trust Images/John Hammond

From world class furniture to elaborate interior design, and paintings by world-renowned artists, the collection at Nostell is full of treasures, bought to impress guests to the Winn family's Yorkshire residence. Here are some of the top must-see items to enjoy during your visit.

Nostell's world-class Chippendale collection

A world-famous furniture maker, Thomas Chippendale supplied over 100 items to the house at Nostell, ranging from a simple chopping block to entire rooms in the latest Chinese fashion.

You’ll find the interior worlds he created alongside Robert Adam on the opulent first floor of the house.

Ornate decorated plasterwork

Nostell’s interiors are a work of art in themselves. Over two generations, the Rose family of plasterers crafted superbly intricate ceilings for the house.

The vibrant Rococo designs of James Paine, with motifs taken from nature, were later joined by the more sober Neo-classical decoration of Robert Adam which used geometric shapes and ornaments taken from Roman and Greek archaeology.

View of the Billiard Room at Nostell in Yorkshire, showing the billiard table and longcase clock made by John Harrison — The longcase clock made by John Harrison in the Billiard Room | © National Trust Images/Andreas von Einsiedel

Longcase clock by John Harrison

Harrison is famous around the world for having invented the maritime chronometer, the scientific instrument that finally allowed sailors to accurately measure their location at sea.

The clock at Nostell dates to 1717 and is one of just four surviving early examples of his work. With a mechanism made almost entirely from wood, it's signed and dated by its proud craftsman.

Paintings at Nostell

Nostell is home to a collection of world-class paintings bought by the Winn family to show their wealth and status.

The Procession to Calvary by Pieter Brueghel the Younger, displayed at Nostell in Yorkshire. It shows Christ carrying the Cross, set in a large landscape with many other notable biblical figures shown. — 'The Procession to Calvary' by Pieter Brueghel the Younger, showing Christ carrying the Cross | © National Trust Images

‘The Procession to Calvary’ by Pieter Breughel the Younger (1564 – 1638)

Painted in 1602, this painting was probably bought by the 5th baronet in the late 18th century. It shows a scene of Christ, surrounded by a crowd, carrying his cross to the hill of Golgotha where he would be crucified. Instead of trying to imagine Jerusalem as it really would have been, the artist has captured the landscape of his native Flanders (now Belgium) at the time he lived. The painting is full of carefully observed details of everyday life, creating a rich and powerful impression.

THE FAMILY OF SIR THOMAS MORE by Rowland Lockey (c1565-1616) after Holbein, 1592, displayed in the Lower Hall at Nostell Priory, Yorkshire — The Family of Sir Thomas More by Rowland Lockey | © National Trust Images/John Hammond

‘Sir Thomas More and his Family’ by Rowland Lockey (1565-1616) 

Painted in 1592, this famous Tudor scene is a copy of a now lost 1527 painting by Hans Holbein the Younger. It shows the family of Sir Thomas More, a leading religious and political figure during the reign of Henry VIII. It came to Nostell through the marriage of the 4th baronet and Susannah Henshaw in 1727, whose family were descended from one of Sir Thomas More’s daughters. Shipped to Nostell in 1742, its size meant it was hard to display and a 1761 visitor records it still in the packing crate in the Lower Hall.

Oil painting on canvas of Sir Rowland Winn and his wife Sabine Louise d'Hervart in the library at Nostell Priory, by Hugh Douglas Hamilton RHA — Sir Rowland Winn and his wife Sabine Louise d'Hervart in the Library at Nostell Priory by Hugh Douglas Hamilton RHA | © National Trust Images/John Hammond

'Sir Rowland Winn, 5th Baronet and his wife Sabine Louise d'Hervart in the Library at Nostell Priory' by Hugh Douglas Hamilton

Painted in 1767, this double portrait was created soon after Rowland and Sabine inherited Nostell and shows them standing proudly in their new Library. It features the bust of Venus, Roman Goddess of Love, symbolising the affection between them. The artist doubled the size of the Robert Adam-designed room, while accurately recording its fittings and original decoration. It includes the famous Chippendale desk. The painting came to Nostell when the London house was sold in 1785. 

'Self-portrait of the Artist hesitating between the Arts of Music and Painting' by Angelica Kauffman 

Kauffman was one of the most prominent artists working in England in the second half of the 18th century. She was also one of the only two founding female artists of the Royal Academy of Arts and the last woman to be admitted until 1922. This picture, painted in 1794, represents Kauffman choosing a career as a painter – the figure of Painting points to the faraway Temple of Fame – rather than one devoted to the more traditionally feminine art of Music.

1 of 4