Belsay Hall, Northumberland

Fashion at Belsay 2004

I love the architectural details in this image that I shot in 2004 at the exhibition, Fashion at Belsay, Belsay Hall, Northumberland. The cornice and frieze are stunning, featuring as the do the classic ancient Greek and Roman inspired amthemion frieze surmounting a further intricate fret work frieze in a Greek key style. The Greek influence is prevalent as Belsay Hall is an austerely Classical Greek Revival villa. Begun in 1807, it was built for Sir Charles Monck (formerly Middleton), a man inspired by Ancient Greece and the buildings he had seen on his honeymoon in Athens, to a design by architect John Dobson. The plaster work is then complemented by the window paneling and shutters complete with their fielded panels and bolection mouldings.