Description:The fireplace in the Dining Room at Wightwick Manor.
This plain stone fireplace has a ‘Tudor’ arch containing a cast-iron fire-back, wrought iron basket and the side walls are inset with blue on white Delft tiles with pictures of sailing ships. The oval tray mounted above is lacquered papier-mache with a design of sprays of white, red and yellow flowers from around 1880.
Whitwick Manor is Grade I listed and dates from 1887 with 1893 extensions. Designed by Edward Ould (who also designed the Mander's other property nearby, ‘The Mount') for Theodore Mander, a local industrialist. Although Wightwick’s decoration and furnishings were not supervised by Morris or his firm, there is original Morris & Co. wallpapers, fabrics, furniture and fittings. There are William De Morgan tiles, W.A.S. Benson metalwork, fine plasterwork by Leonard Shuffrey and stained glass by one of the foremost Victorian makers, Charles Kempe. It is now a National Trust property.