18th century dolls’ house goes on show at Wakefield mansion that inspired it

The miniature version of Nostell, near Wakefield, is one of only 12 dolls’ houses from the 18th-century known to survive – and the only one still in its original location.

A mansion in miniature, perfectly reproduced down to the last matchstick of furniture and replete with wallpaper and hallmarked silverware, it is being displayed in a purpose-built, dramatically lit gallery space.

Specialists from the National Trust, which cares for Nostell, discovered that almost all the interior decoration was original, with dozens of minute masterpieces made at great expense by specialist craftspeople in the 1730s. The detail even extends to a working servants’ bell.

“Dolls’ houses were not playthings for children in the 18th century,” said Nostell’s curator, Simon McCormack. “They were part of women’s lives from early teens to adulthood as a key tool in education and self- expression, providing a space to explore design tastes, fashion, social rituals and household management.”

The house was furnished by Nostell’s lady of the manor, Susanna Winn, and her sister, Katherine, and reflected the way they wanted the big house to look.

Maria Jordan, one of the experts who worked on the conservation, said: “The grand beds, just 40cm high, are configured and made just as a real bed would have been – from the carved headboards and bedframes to the exquisite lace trims, bolsters and valances.”