WESLEY BARRELL HANDCRAFTED SOFAS SINCE 1895. BUILT TO LAST

For over 120 years Wesley Barrell have been handcrafting beautiful bespoke upholstery in Oxfordshire, so it’s no surprise they are one of the UK’s foremost makers of timeless sofas and armchairs. Every piece of furniture demonstrates a commitment to the highest levels of craftsmanship, great British design, and the best quality materials that truly respect the company’s rich heritage.

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In 1561 Sir Thomas Leigh, a London merchant and later Lord Mayor of London, inherited the Abbey through his wife and converted Stoneleigh into a family home. The additions undertaken by Thomas Leigh now form the north and west wings of Stoneleigh Abbey. Little remains of the original abbey buildings, except for the 14th Century gatehouse. By 1626, inventories show that Stoneleigh had grown to become the largest house in Warwickshire, ranking it as one of the country’s most significant estates.

In 1714, the celebrated architect Francis Smith of Warwick was commissioned to build a palatial four-storey wing in the Baroque style to expand the stately home. This is now the most recognisable part of the building, best viewed from the sweeping green lawns at the house’s front beside the river. Ask anyone to envisage the setting for a Jane Austen novel, and this is the view they will picture.

But that’s no coincidence – Britain’s most famous authoress was descended from the Leigh family on her mother’s side, and she even visited the estate in 1806. Although, sadly, we have no journal entries or letters from Austen Continued on page 22...

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...Continued from page 21 herself describing her time at Stoneleigh, we do have a letter from Jane Austen’s mother to her daughter-in-law, capturing the essence of Stoneleigh with much of the eloquence and wit of her famous daughter:

“We found ourselves on Tuesday (that is yesterday se’nnight) eating fish, venison, and all manner of good things, in a large and noble parlour, hung round with family portraits. The house is larger than I could have supposed. We cannot find our way about it – I mean the best part; as to the offices, which were the Abbey, Mr Leigh almost despairs of ever finding his way about them. I have proposed his setting up direction posts at the angles.

“I had expected to find everything about the place very fine and all that, but I had no idea of its being so beautiful. I had pictured to myself long avenues, dark rookeries, and dismal yew trees, but here are no such dismal things. The Avon runs near the house, amidst green meadows, bounded by large and beautiful woods, full of delightful walks...

“The ponds supply excellent fish, the park excellent venison; there is great quantity of rabbits, pigeons, and all sorts of poultry.”

Critics widely agree that the visit to Stoneleigh directly inspired Jane Austen’s writing, with Stoneleigh’s private chapel providing the setting for a significant moment in Mansfield

Park. Giving a tour of the titular house, the character Mrs Rushworth says: “We are coming to the chapel, which properly we ought to enter from above, and look down upon.” Disappointed with a lack of Gothic extravagance, Fanny remarks: “This is not my idea of a chapel. There is nothing awful here, nothing melancholy, nothing grand. Here are no aisles, no arches, no inscriptions.”

Though a modern visitor may take issue with Fanny’s definition of ‘grand’, as the chapel and indeed the house beyond exemplifies the elegance and intricacy of its time, with delicate Baroque plasterwork, gilded furniture and high windows that illuminate every room with striking vistas of the grounds.

Later in the century the house was further updated with the addition of the Orangery, located near the river. A Victorian status symbol, orangeries allowed wealthy families to grow and enjoy the most exotic and expensive fruit from all across the British Empire. Today the Orangery has been made into a charming tearoom for visitors.

The prestigious associations continue with the exterior of the Abbey too; in 1809, the famous landscape gardener Humphry Repton completed renovation of the Abbey’s grounds, commissioned by Reverend Thomas Leigh. Considered by many to be the ‘successor’ to landscape designer Capability Brown, Repton created picturesque and romantic gardens for many of England’s greatest country homes, including Clumber Park, Harewood House, Tatton Park and Woburn Abbey. At

Stoneleigh, Repton presented Reverend Leigh with one of his famous Red Books, which illustrated Repton’s suggested alterations to the Abbey’s grounds, which sought to enhance nature, rather than tame it. Today works are underway to restore the grounds to Repton’s vision of idyllic natural beauty. Visitors can enjoy the ‘Repton Walk’ within the ground, which showcases key aspects of Repton’s horticultural designs.

The Leigh family continued to inhabit Stoneleigh from 1561 right up until the 1990s.

In 1996 Lord Leigh transferred ownership of the estate to a charitable trust. The house and grounds have been extensively renovated thanks to funding from various sources, including £7.3m from the Heritage Lottery Fund and £3m from English Heritage and the European Union.

Today, the upper floors of the house have been transformed into private apartments, while large areas of the property are accessible to the public. There are guided tours and the Abbey frequently holds Austen-themed events for enthusiasts, as well as it being a popular location for weddings.

Stoneleigh has been branded ‘Warwickshire’s Downton’ in recent years, but the comparison does little to explain the Abbey’s true historical significance. Far from being just a ‘set-piece’ that replicates the past, Stoneleigh has hosted, and been shaped by, some of the most influential names in British culture, rightfully earning it a place among the most celebrated of Britain’s country homes.

STONELEIGH’S FAMOUS GUESTS King Charles I

Thomas Leigh of Stoneleigh was ennobled in July 1643 for assisting King Charles I during the Civil War. After the gates of Coventry were shut against the illfated king, Thomas Leigh welcomed King Charles and was, in return, made the first Baron Leigh of Stoneleigh.

Jane Austen

One of Britain’s most treasured authors visited Stoneleigh in the company of her sister and mother in 1806. They were visiting their relative, Reverend Thomas Leigh, who had recently inherited the impressive estate and was trying to adjust to his new lifestyle.

Queen Victoria

In the summer of 1858, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert visited Stoneleigh Park. In her journal, Georgina Leigh describes their visit: “Nature itself dressed her loveliest garb to do honour to our beloved Queen Victoria upon her first visit into Warwickshire.”