Brodsworth Hall Collection Highlights

Many of the objects at Brodsworth Hall today were among its original furnishings in the 1860s. Together with the house and gardens, the collections illustrate vividly how one family set up a new country house. There are heirlooms from the families of both Charles Sabine Thellusson and his wife, Georgiana. They include 18th- and 19th-century family portraits, Dutch old masters, paintings of racehorses, books, and mahogany and gilt furniture.

The Thellussons also bought carpets, curtains and furniture from Lapworth Brothers of London and an impressive group of contemporary Italian marble sculpture.

The survival of many of these items and others accumulated over the years was a major reason why English Heritage saved the property in 1990. The National Heritage Memorial Fund purchased most of the collections and transferred them to English Heritage. The interiors and collections have been conserved as they were found – as far as possible – rather than restored. They are a fragile evocation of both the taste of the 1860s and the struggle to live in such a house in changing times.

Find out more about Brodsworth

  • Visit Brodsworth Hall

    Time really does stand still at Brodsworth Hall, one of the most unusual visitor attractions in South Yorkshire.

  • History of Brodsworth Hall

    Find out about the history of this mid-Victorian house and gardens, lived in and adapted by the same family over three generations.

  • The Decline of Brodsworth Hall

    How the precarious survival of Brodsworth’s interiors reflects the determination of its final owners to preserve an earlier lifestyle.

  • Description of Brodsworth Hall

    The hall survives with many of its original contents, while the gardens have been restored to their 19th-century appearance.

  • Buy the guidebook

    This souvenir guide contains a full tour of the house and includes a history of the Thellusson and Grant-Dalton families, illustrated with many family photos.

  • Download a plan

    Download this pdf plan of Brodsworth Hall to explore in detail how this Victorian country house was laid out.

  • MORE HISTORIES

    Delve into our history pages to discover more about our sites, how they have changed over time, and who made them what they are today.