Originally a much larger house with two wings attached to a central rotunda, Claydon House was built in the 1760s and 1770s for Ralph, 2nd Earl Verney and designed in part by Thomas Robinson. Unfortunately, the building and decoration of Claydon ruined Verney, and after the contents of the house were sold in 1783 his niece, who succeeded him, dismantled two-thirds of Robinson’s original scheme, including a grand ballroom and the equally grand rotunda. Now only the west wing survives, but this is attached to an older brick house on the east. The interior features extraordinary Rococo decoration, largely in wood, carried out by the carver and carpenter Luke Lightfoot. In contrast, Joseph Rose’s saloon and staircase hall are models of Neo-classical restraint.
Family portraits, including several Van Dycks; good eigthteenth and nineteenth century furniture, seventeenth century costume and a collection of memorabilia relating to Florence Nightingale.
