Partly After the Chinese Manner: ‘Chinese’ Staircases in North-West Wales

In 2011, I was undertaking research at the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales, looking at photographic records of domestic interiors as part of a broader study of Welsh homes through history. While examining images of houses in the historic counties of Anglesey and Caernarvonshire in north-west Wales, I came across a series of photographs showing some remarkable staircases.


Resources for the Study
This research draws primarily on records from the National Monuments Record of Wales (NMRW), held by the Royal Commission (www.coflein.gov.uk). The Commission was established by Royal Warrant in 1908. Originally, the Warrant stated that the Commission was to 'make an inventory of the Ancient and Historical Monuments and Constructions connected with or illustrative of the contemporary culture, civilisation and conditions of life of people in Wales and Monmouthshire from the earliest times, and to specify those which seem most worthy of preservation'. 4 The basic function of the Royal Commission was to prepare inventories of buildings and monuments, and identify those considered valuable to the national heritage. During its history, the Royal Commission in Wales generated more data and documentation relating to the built environment of the region than had ever previously been held by a Welsh organisation. Although now a key part of the Commission's function, initially there was no dedicated recording or information service provided for the public. Consequently, documentation originally produced through the various Royal Commissions' investigations and their compilation of inventories was preserved in sets of working files. The content of these files was later merged with the NMRW to form the current core of the Commission's archive.
The NMRW was formally instituted as the Commission's records arm in 1963, with the transfer to the Royal Commission of the Welsh section of the National Buildings Record (NBR). The NBR was an archive created during the Second World War. It was founded in England in 1941 at the height of the London Blitz by a small group of people who were appalled by the scale the destruction of British buildings due to the intensive bombing of the country. The organisation was both independent and professional, and set out to make photographic and hand-drawn records of building before they were damaged or completely destroyed. This collection now forms the core of the Royal Commission's archive, and is kept as sets of working files that incorporate material from earlier work, alongside newspaper clippings, site notes and later additions and amendments to previous work. The records accessed for this case study are a composite of all these sources, with successive written reports, photographic surveys and drawings appearing alongside one another in site files. As a result, the sources used for this case study have a strong architectural focus, with an emphasis on the design and appearance of buildings and their features in the context of architectural history, rather than the details of their social or cultural relevance.
County Archives in Anglesey and Gwynedd were also consulted during the course of this research, alongside papers and documentation held by Bangor University, and conversations with curatorial staff at Bangor Museum and Art Gallery, and the National Trust. Unfortunately, despite the multiplicity of potential resources it seems that very little information relating specifically to the 'Chinese' staircases in this study survives today, beyond that which exists in the NMRW. Fortunately, there is a larger volume of literature relating to eighteenth-century interior design and its broader context, as well as textbooks and articles relating particularly to 'Chinese' staircases, all of which have informed this study.

'Chinese' Staircases on Record in North-West Wales
This case study focuses on three 'Chinese' staircases in north-west Wales: Tan-yr-Allt in Bangor, Caernarvonshire; Bishopsgate House in Beaumaris, Anglesey; and Trefeilir in Trefdraeth, Anglesey. Tan-yr-Allt and Trefeilir were both originally country houses built or occupied during the eighteenth century, while Bishopsgate House is a townhouse owned and used by the Bulkeley family based at Baron Hill, also in Anglesey. The houses are all within a seventeen-mile radius of one another, and have 'Chinese' staircases that survive to the present day, though in variable conditions. The case study will also consider a number of "missing" staircases in the area that were identified as 'Chinese' in the written record but that leave little or no material trace.

'Chinese' staircase 1: Tan-yr-Allt, Bangor
Tan-yr-Allt (in English 'below the hill') is a two storey, Grade II* house in Bangor, Caernarvonshire, built in 1755 for John Ellis, the Archdeacon of Merionedd on a portion of land belonging to his family. It was built in the Palladian style popularised at the time of its construction by Inigo Jones and his contemporaries, and is believed to have been planned by one such Master builder, though there is little remaining evidence to support this supposition. 5 The house was originally situated outside of Bangor, set within extensive formal gardens sloping downhill to the River Adda, with pathways connecting the property to Bangor Cathedral and Bishop's Palace. However, the house and grounds were purchased by Bangor University in 1928 as part of its post-First World War expansion, along with adjacent land that the university required for its planned development. The house has since been encroached by university buildings, and more recently by the PONTIO Arts and Innovation in Bangor development, obscuring its original rurality (see Figure 2 below).    Tan Particular attention is given to the main staircase, which the final inventory notes is 'a good example of the local Chinese Chippendale style'. 6 It ascends from the main entrance of the property to the first floor in a single flight, with a railing on the landing and fluted reveals to the window at the head of the stairs (see Figure 6 below). It features a latticework design, with two contrasting patterns repeating in sequence to form the balustrade. The stair rail on the landing uses two different but equally contrasting patterns across the span of the landing (see Figure 7 below). In addition, the tread end of each step is carved with a stylised wave design (see Figure 4 above). Although the staircase is now painted white, the photographs from the initial 1950s investigation show the original staircase as being dark wood, though it is not possible to ascertain from the images whether its appearance is inherent in its materiality (i.e. whether it is made from mahogany or similar), or whether it is a result of wood staining (see Figure 5 below). This staircase is the earliest of all the surviving staircases examined in this case study, and at the time of writing, the earliest confirmed occurrence of a 'Chinese' staircases in north-west Wales.    Just as at Tan-yr-Allt the staircase is the main stairway in the building, and ascends from the ground floor to the first floor in two flights. Again, the Royal Commission records make particular reference to the 'Chinese' staircase at the property. 8 The staircase rail is the same design as at Tan-yr-Allt, and the repeating pattern of alternating and contrasting latticework designs is almost identical with only slight adjustments needed to better fit the space allocated to them, and to accommodate the slightly steeper pitch of the staircase (see    As at Tan-yr-Allt and Bishopsgate House, the staircase appears to be made from dark wood, and has a reasonably plain handrail, newel and newel cap. The tread ends are also carved with a stylised wave design, though this is slightly more ornate than at the other two properties (see Figure 11 above). The staircase ascends from the central hall to the first floor in two flights, with different sequences of patterns used for each flight and the landing.
However, while the latticework patterns utilised at Tan between 1755 and c.1760. In each example, the staircase is either part of the original interior design of the building or appears to coincide with a change in the marital status of its owner. From the Commission's photographs, the staircases appear to be constructed from similar materials (though further investigation is required to ascertain the particulars of their fabrication) and feature designs that are extremely similar to one another, as at Tanyr-Allt (see Figure 12 above) and Bishopsgate House (see Figure 13 below), or that share basic, characteristic motifs and patterns that have been arranged differently, as at Trefeilir (see Figure 14 below). All properties share the stylised wave motif carved into their tread ends, though at Trefeilir this is more ornate than at the other properties. It should also be noted that the quality of the craftsmanship exhibited in the construction of each staircase is high. When examined in close detail, the photographs reveal a fine finish to the woodwork, with close, precise joints between component parts. However, despite searches of county archives and a number of documents held at Bangor University and the National Library of Wales, it has not been possible at this time to uncover the identity of the craftsmen that physically installed these staircases.  The geographical and chronological proximity of these staircases relative to one-another, as well as their similarities of design and construction suggests that their appearance in these houses in north-west Wales in the mid-1750s to c. 1760 may also be related. Furthermore, the Royal Commission's Caernarvonshire Inventory notes that the staircase at Tan-yr-Allt 'is a good example of the local Chinese Chippendale style' (emphasis added). 9 There are also several "missing" 'Chinese' staircases in the region that were mentioned in the record, but that could not be located. In visiting local archives, museums and history groups in Anglesey and Caernarvon a number of 'Chinese' staircases were reported to have been in place in private households and even in shops up until the 1970s. However, with no evidence to support this they remain unconfirmed occurrences. Despite this, their frequent appearance in local history discourse hints that 'Chinese' staircases may have been more prevalent in the region than records suggest. How, then, might a 'Chinese' style become 'local' to northwest Wales in the eighteenth century, and how did the contemporary trade of the East India Company affect the appearance of this style of staircase in this area?

Possible Influence of Plas Newydd
In the Commission's Anglesey Inventory, a summary of key or notable architectural features for buildings in the county is provided. The Inventory States: The "Chinese" staircases of c. 1760, at Trefeilir (Trefdraeth) and at Bishopsgate House (Beaumaris), are also noteworthy, and an example at Plas Newydd (Llanedwen) has been attributed to James Wyatt. 10 This note implies that at the time the Anglesey Inventory was being compiled there was a 'Chinese' staircase at Plas Newydd in Llanedwen, Anglesey. Plas Newydd, overlooking the Menai Straits, is one of Anglesey's most iconic buildings, and was home to one of the most influential families in north Wales from the eighteenth century until 1976 when the property passed into the care of the National Trust. The current Plas Newydd was built in the late eighteenth century, incorporating elements of older buildings thought to date back as early as the fourteenth century. 11 However, apart from the reference in the Commission's Anglesey Inventory, no evidence can be found of a 'Chinese' staircase at the property, let alone one that could be attributed to James Wyatt.
Without further information about the original source for this information it is difficult to pursue this line of enquiry further. However, it is known that in the early 1750s, Sir Nicholas Bayly (1708 -1782) undertook a refurbishment of the interior at Plas Newydd, for which he acted as his own architect. 12   Inventory. It should also be noted that the wording of the Inventory is ambiguous at best: the paragraph which describes 'Chinese' staircases could also be referring to significant eighteenth-century staircases in Anglesey more widely, reducing the likelihood of a 'Chinese' staircase having ever been installed at Plas Newydd and acting as a red herring in this research. Although no direct connections could be found between the properties in this study and the East India Company, they were all connected by one shared characteristic: all three houses were owned or occupied by wealthy and socio-politically influential families. John Ellis, as Anglesey in Parliament. 17 All three families were well-connected in society, both within and beyond Wales, holding numerous political positions and posts. They were well-travelled, and held property in London; they were well embedded in fashionable, metropolitan culture. It is likely therefore likely that the decision to install 'Chinese' staircases at the three houses considered in this study was mostly affected by much broader consumer trends for interior design and furnishings across Britain in the mid-eighteenth century.

The 'China Craze'
From the start of this case study the staircases under consideration have been identified as having a 'Chinese' or 'Chinese Chippendale' design. This is primarily because they are identified in the record as such, but also in order to make a distinction between authentic Chinese material culture and design concepts and a constructed idea of Chinese style known as 'chinoiserie', a mixture of Eastern and Western stylistic elements in design ideas. To best understand the genesis of the staircases in this case study, it is first necessary to understand both Chinese and 'Chinese' material culture and design in its historical context.   The influx of Chinese material goods, such as the silk tester, and the popularity of wellillustrated books about the country from the likes of Nieuhof and Du Halde, together provided inspiration for eighteenth-century artisans and architects, who were constantly seeking new aesthetics and designs to tempt the increasingly affluent citizens of a fledging consumer economy to part with their money. 22 It has also been argued that the growing inventiveness of British interior design was partly a rebellion against the constraints imposed by the strict classical vocabulary utilised on building exteriors; the 'Chinese' style, undisciplined by the five orders that so meticulously structured classical architecture, offered an eclecticism and freedom of form that more conventional designs lacked. 23 However, such artistic innovation was not always welcome. Though widely disparaged by contemporary critics as inferior to classical styles, by the 1750s -when the first 'Chinese' staircase appeared at Tan   The variance between Chippendale's designs and the actual staircases may be accounted for by Chippendale himself: he did not intend the designs in the Director to be used rigidly. In his conclusion to the preface he explicitly encourages innovation among his fellow cabinet makers, stating that the publication is 'calculated to assist the one in the choice, the other in the execution of the designs; which are so contrived, that if no one drawing should singly answer the Gentleman's taste, there will yet be found a variety of hints sufficient to construct a new one'. 29 Chippendale was not 'a lone craftsman, turning out fine furniture in a workshop, but a successful entrepreneur', but part of a thriving furniture industry which, by 1750, could supply an amazing diversity of types to consumers across Britain who were ravenous for innovation and choice in interior design. 30    Chinese building serves to remind us that chinoiserie was a fashion of great power and durability'. 31 The erection of the Great Pagoda coincides broadly with the approximate dates of the installation of 'Chinese' staircases at Bishopsgate House and Trefeilir as the trend for Chinese interior decoration was coming to an end, and perhaps lends further credence to Bertram's claim, and weight to the suggestion that wealthy households in Wales were following English trends in fashion at this time.

'Along English Lines'
Domestic interiors of the wealthy and elite in eighteenth-century Britain have been the subject of academic interest throughout the last sixty years, with publications and articles exploring every aspect of the home from wall decoration to furnishing, upholstery, softfurnishings, ceramics and everything in between. 32 However, the vast majority of studies assessing domestic interiors in Britain focus on English homes. Furthermore, Margaret Ponsonby notes that 'the emphasis in many books about historic interiors has been on wealthy homes and the leaders and innovators of fashion' 33 which has 'resulted in London housing and consumption receiving more attention than in other parts of England'. 34 Additionally, the majority of the few detailed studies on non-English British interiors focus more on vernacular architecture and interior architectural features than interior design or the material culture of the home. In Wales, recent scholarship has examined Welsh vernacular architecture and regional decoration, and the Welsh cottage in particular. 35 While the current dearth of detailed scholarship on the eighteenth-century Welsh interior may at first suggest that Wales was untouched by these developments, it may be argued that in the 1700s the Welsh elite were modelling their homes along English lines, and following fashions for architecture and interior decoration that were popular with the upper class across Britain rather than being influenced by, or limited to, geographical location and trends. Lord Uxbridge's decision to task well-known architect James Wyatt with the renovation of both his ancestral home in Staffordshire and the family's summer residence in Anglesey may support this interpretation. In addition, at all three properties in this study the installation of a 'Chinese' staircase was part of a scheme to create fashionable houses that could compete with the houses of wealthy contemporaries and peers: Tan-yr-Allt was constructed in the popular Palladian style and was likely designed by a master builder, while renovation work was undertaken in the mid-eighteenth century at both Trefeilir and Bishopsgate House to modernise the interiors, including the installation of staircases in the 'Chinese' taste, that were likely influenced by books published in London, and distributed widely across England. Each of the unique staircases examined in this case study appears in a wealthy household in north-west Wales between 1755 and c. 1760, when the vogue for interior design "partly after the Chinese manner" was at its peak. Despite the tease of a connection to the Pagets at Plas Newydd, who were early investors in, and continuing supporters of, the East India Company, there is no material evidence to connect the appearance of 'Chinese' staircases at Tan-yr-Allt, Bishopsgate House or Trefeilir directly with the East India Company either through individuals, families or trade. However, in the mid-eighteenth century all three households were in the possession of wealthy local landowners, who had good connections with the elite of Britain through marriage, politics and social station or occupation. The fashionable and affluent families in Britain at that time were spending money on renovating and refurbishing their homes, fitting out ancestral houses and summer residences alike with the newest and most fashionable goods available in a market that was growing not just in size, but in the types and variety of goods available. Consumer appetites for the novel and unique were inevitably influenced by the influx of goods from around the world, and in this instance, by aesthetics and material goods being imported from China by the East India Company.

Sketches of buildings, people and objects by those who had travelled to China on East India
Company business, alongside painted porcelain, Chinese silk and Chinese art all made their way into Britain and into the consciousness of the British public, through the East India Company. Designers such as William Halfpenny, alongside the more celebrated Thomas Chippendale and Sir William Chambers, took these things as inspiration and produced some of the earliest catalogues of furniture, featuring many items 'in the Chinese taste'. Although the 'barbarous gaudy goût of the Chinese' was not received warmly by contemporary cultural critics, it was nonetheless an incredibly popular style that led to many wealthy homeowners purchasing 'Chinese' goods for their homes. 36 In north-west Wales, the British craze for China manifested in particular in the form of the 'Chinese' staircase. As with many local trends, it is likely that the trend started at one house with other local homeowners then mimicking the style in their own houses. While the earliest known surviving occurrence of a 'Chinese' staircase in the region is at Tan-yr-Allt in Bangor, it is not possible to conclude that this was indeed the first to be built: it may simply be the earliest extant example of which we are currently aware. It is equally possible that the trend for 'Chinese' staircases was sparked by a local craftsman adding the design to his repertoire, probably though exposure to works by Halfpenny, Chippendale and Chambers. However, at the time of writing it is not possible to determine who the manufacturer of each of the staircases was, or if the business was a local one.
It must also be noted that the East India Company's influence on 'Chinese' staircases across Britain does not end when the trend becomes outmoded, and nor does it end at the British border: 'Chinese' staircases are an interior design phenomenon found across the former British Empire, appearing in wealthy homes in the wider United Kingdom, for example at Wolverton Manor on the Isle of Wight, as well as further afield in places like Bohemia Farm and Sotterley Plantation in Maryland, USA, and St. Nicholas Abbey in Barbados. The staircases at these far-flung properties were mostly installed in the late-eighteenth or earlynineteenth century, and it has been suggested that were removed from their original settings in British homes when they became unfashionable and transported overseas alongside other items of outmoded furniture. In this way, the East India Company's influence on the material culture of the home, and 'Chinese' staircases in particular, reached farther than might be expected and extended beyond the brief decade when the fashion for all things China was at its peak.