Abbot Hall, Kendal, Cumbria
Abbot Hall, a Grade I listed building, was built in 1759 by Colonel George Wilson, the second son of Daniel Wilson of Dallam Tower, a nearby large house and country estate. In 1897, Abbot Hall was acquired by the Kendal Borough Council who wanted to turn the grounds into a public park for the town.
By the 1950’s the hall was almost derelict and was threatened with demolition. The newly-formed Lake District Art Gallery Trust (now Lakeland Arts) took over Abbot Hall in 1957, raised the money for its renovation, and in 1962 re-opened the building as an Art Gallery.
The gallery displays portraits by 18th-century local artist George Romney as well as over 300 years of British landscapes, including many local scenes.
Dining and Drawing Rooms
Humphries Weaving were appointed to weave a striking crimson silk and cotton damask used for wall coverings and curtains in the dining and drawing rooms of Abbot Hall Gallery.
The same design can also be seen on the State Bed at Harewood House in green. Fragments of the original 1733 Harewood material are in the Humphries Weaving archive, the Chippendale Society Collection and the Temple Newsam House Collection.
Project reference: 1247
