DEPARTMENT FOR CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

DCMS 179/98                                            3 August 1998

         HISTORIC HEVENINGHAM HALL FURNITURE COLLECTION TO
            BE DISPLAYED AT HEATON HALL, NR MANCHESTER

The magnificent 18th-century Heveningham Hall furniture collection is
to be returned to public display after years under wraps, Culture
Secretary Chris Smith announced today. The Department for Culture,
Media and Sport, which owns the collection, has negotiated a 7-year
loan agreement with Manchester City Art Galleries to display the
furniture at Heaton Hall, near Manchester.

The furniture collection is one of the most important 18th-century
ensembles in the country. It was designed by James Wyatt for
Heveningham Hall, Suffolk, a Grade I listed building. The furniture
has been in storage in English Heritage's care at Audley End, Essex
since 1991.

Heaton Hall, also Grade I listed, was Wyatt's first major house. The
Hall, which is managed by Manchester City Art Galleries, was opened
to the public in 1902. A small number of items from the Heveningham
Hall collection are already displayed there. The remainder of the
furniture will be displayed over three phases, with the first
expected to go on view later this month.

Chris Smith said:

"I am delighted that people will once again be able to see this
splendid furniture collection in an appropriate historic context. In
the future, I hope it will be possible to display the collection in
its original setting at Heveningham Hall, but in the meantime this
loan agreement has major advantages. It secures significant public
access, as Heaton Hall is open from Easter to September each year.
It also ensures that the furniture will be preserved within
controlled environmental conditions."

Virginia Tandy, Manchester's Director of Art Galleries and Museums
Services, said:

"With this wonderful collection adding to the furnishings at Heaton
Hall, visitors will get an even better picture of how the house
looked in the 18th century. Heaton Hall will also become a major
centre for the study of furniture by James Wyatt. We are grateful to
the Department for Culture, Media and Sport for arranging this loan
and pleased to facilitate public access to the Heveningham Hall
furniture."

Notes to Editors

1. Heveningham Hall, Suffolk, was built 1778-80 by Sir Robert Taylor
for Sir Gerald Vanneck, 2nd Baron Huntingfield, with interiors
c.1781-84 by James Wyatt and grounds by Capability Brown. In 1970 the
Government bought the Hall, the essential furniture and 470 acres of
the grounds to keep the unity of the 18th-century design intact. The
Hall and grounds were managed by the National Trust until 1981, when
the Secretary of State for the Environment sold it back into private
ownership. The sale did not include the furniture collection, which
remained in the Secretary of State's ownership in order to keep it in
its setting and allow some public access. A loan agreement for the
furniture was entered into with the Hall's owner.

2. Heveningham Hall was sold again in 1994. It has not been possible
to reach agreement with the present owners to display the furniture
collection in its original setting. However, provisions have been
made within the loan agreement should the position change. A small
number of fixture items belonging to the collection remain at the
Hall. The Department will be discussing with the owners the future of
these remaining items.

3. The Heveningham Hall furniture collection includes console tables,
painted chairs, beds, bergeres, chandeliers, pier glasses, pictures,
textiles and sculptures. While the collection is on display at Heaton
Hall, environmental and condition monitoring will be carried out by
English Heritage.

4. Heaton Hall is in Heaton Park, off Middleton Road in North
Manchester. The Hall is open Easter - September each year, Wednesday
- Saturday / Bank Holidays 10.00 am - 12.00 noon and 1.00 pm - 5.00
pm; Sunday 2.00 pm - 5.30 pm. Admission is free. Tel: 0161 773 1231
(Wed-Sun) / 0161 236 5244.
David Dawson                           email: [log in to unmask]
- - - - - - -
Outreach Manager - ICT                 Museum Documentation Association

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