The Palladian style Doll’s House c.1735-40. The center pediment shows the Lethieullier coat of arms.

Uppark Dolls House

The Uppark Dolls House has a connection to the most famous dolls house in the world — Queen Mary’s. The Uppark country estate is now owned by the National Trust. The Hall is often called, “A giant dolls’ house, perched high on a hill …” Legend has it that the architect that designed Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House, Edwin Lutyens, used the Uppark dolls’ house as inspiration.

Close view of the rooms, clockwise from the bottom left are the Kitchen, the Drawing Room, the Dining Room, and the Staircase Hall.

A Work of Art

This is a large miniature house that, like so many of its kind, is also a piece of furniture, a toy and a work of art. It is a distinct object, with a diverse collection of objects that provide a window on the times in which it was created

The Uppark dolls’ house dates from the late 1730s and came to Uppark with Sarah Lethieullier, who married Sir Matthew Fetherstonhaugh in 1746. Apart from that, not much is known about the dolls house, except its namesake manor house had no connection to its creation.

It is a favorite exhibit at Uppark. The contents are incredibly well preserved, due to a lack of female children in the family, and gives a rare and very detailed glimpse of family and servant life in the 18th century. Everything is in 1:12 scale, from the mahogany furniture in the housekeeper’s room to the gold silk bed in the center bedroom.

The real Uppark House & Garden, with a video.

The Real Thing

Click on the photograph of the Uppark Manor House for to the National Trust website for views of the gardens and a video of the house as it looks today.

Patrick Owens