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Coade stone

Coade stone, also called Lithodipyra or Lithodipra, () is stoneware that was often described as an artificial stone in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It was used for moulding neoclassical statues, architectural decorations and garden ornaments of the highest quality that remain virtually weatherproof today.

Coade stone features were produced by appointment to George III and the Prince Regent for St George's Chapel, Windsor; The Royal Pavilion, Brighton; Carlton House, London; the Royal Naval College, Greenwich; and refurbishment of Buckingham Palace in the 1820s.

Coade stone was prized by the most important architects, such as: John Nash (Buckingham Palace), Sir John Soane (Bank of England), Robert Adam (Kenwood House), and James Wyatt (Radcliffe Observatory).

The product (originally known as Lithodipyra) was created around 1770 by Eleanor Coade, who ran Coade's Artificial Stone Manufactory, Coade and Sealy, and Coade in Lambeth, London, from 1769 until her death in 1821. It continued to be manufactured by her last business partner, William Croggon, until 1833.

History

In 1769, Mrs Coade bought Daniel Pincot's struggling artificial stone business at Kings Arms Stairs, Narrow Wall, Lambeth, a site now under the Royal Festival Hall. This business developed into Coade's Artificial Stone Manufactory with Coade in charge, such that within two years (1771) she fired Pincot for "representing himself as the chief proprietor".

Coade did not invent artificial stone. Various lesser-quality ceramic precursors to Lithodipyra had been both patented and manufactured over the forty (or sixty) years prior to the introduction of her product. She was, however, probably responsible for perfecting both the clay recipe and the firing process. It is possible that Pincot's business was a continuation of that run nearby by Richard Holt, who had taken out two patents in 1722 for a kind of liquid metal or stone and another for making china without the use of clay, but there were many start-up artificial stone businesses in the early 18th century of which only Coade's succeeded.

The company did well and boasted an illustrious list of customers such as George III and members of the English nobility. In 1799, Coade appointed her cousin John Sealy (son of her mother's sister, Mary), already working as a modeller, as a partner in her business. The business then traded as Coade and Sealy until his death in 1813, when it reverted to Coade.

In 1799, she opened a showroom, Coade and Sealy's Gallery of Sculpture, on Pedlar's Acre at the Surrey end of Westminster Bridge Road, to display her products.(See Coade and Sealy gallery.)

In 1813, Coade took on William Croggan from Grampound in Cornwall, a sculptor and distant relative by marriage (second cousin once removed). He managed the factory until her death eight years later in 1821 whereupon he bought the factory from the executors for c. Ã‚£4000. Croggan supplied a lot of Coade stone for Buckingham Palace; however, he went bankrupt in 1833 and died two years later. Trade declined, and production came to an end in the early 1840s.

Material

Description

Coade stone is a type of stoneware. Mrs Coade's own name for her products was Lithodipyra, a name constructed from ancient Greek words meaning 'stone-twice-fire' (), or 'twice-fired stone'. Its colours varied from light grey to light yellow (or even beige) and its surface is best described as having a matte finish.

The ease with which the product could be moulded into complex shapes made it ideal for large statues, sculptures and sculptural façades. One-off commissions were expensive to produce, as they had to carry the entire cost of creating a mould. Whenever possible moulds were kept for many years of repeated use.

Formula

The recipe for Coade stone is claimed to be used today by Coade Ltd.

Its manufacture required extremely careful control and skill in kiln firing over a period of days, difficult to achieve with its era's fuels and technology. Coade's factory was the only really successful manufacturer.

The formula used was:

This mixture was also referred to as "fortified clay", which was kneaded before insertion into a kiln for firing over four days – a production technique very similar to brick manufacture.

Depending on the size and fineness of detail in the work, a different size and proportion of Coade grog was used. In many pieces a combination of grogs was used, with fine grogged clay applied to the surface for detail, backed up by a more heavily grogged mixture for strength.

Durability

One of the more striking features of Coade stone is its high resistance to weathering, with the material often faring better than most types of natural stone in London's harsh environment. Prominent examples listed below have survived without apparent wear and tear for 150 years. There were, however, notable exceptions. A few works produced by Coade, mainly dating from the later period, have shown poor resistance to weathering due to a bad firing in the kiln, where the material was not brought up to a sufficient temperature.

Demise

Coade stone was only superseded after Mrs Coade's death in 1821, by cast stone products using naturally exothermic Portland cement as a binder. It appears to have been largely phased out by the 1840s.

Examples

Over 650 pieces are still in existence worldwide.

  • Brighton, Stanmer Park, Sussex. Frankland Monument. A Coade stone statue of 1775 by Richard Hayward, erected to commemorate Frederick Meinhardt Frankland (c. 1694–1768), barrister-at-law, MP for Thirsk, son of Sir Thomas Frankland, 2nd Baronet). (NHLE Code 1380952). It was erected at the expense of Thomas Pelham, 1st Earl of Chichester, who owned Stanmer House and the estate, and his wife Ann, who was Frankland's daughter. The plinth has three stone tortoises and a Latin inscription. The triangular column above has concave sides with oval panels and a cornice with a frieze and some egg-and-dart moulding, all topped by an urn. The monument stands on top of a hill in Stanmer Park.()
  • Brogyntyn, near Oswestry, Shropshire. Benjamin Gummow designed a portico and other alterations for the Ormsby Gores, 1814–15. He used Coade stone ornamentation on the interior of the portico()
  • Broomhall House, Dunfermline, Scotland. A 1796 redesign by Thomas Harrison included a semi-circular bay on the south front decorated with three Coade stone panels depicting reclining figures.
  • Buckingham Palace London, (in a section not open to the public). A frieze with vegetative scrollwork of Coade stone, balconies accessible from the first floor, and an attic with figural sculptures based on the Elgin Marbles. The west front overlooking the main garden features large Classical urns made of Coade stone. ()
  • Burnham Thorpe – Nelson's Memorial.()
  • Burton Constable Hall in the East Riding of Yorkshire, displays 3 figures and a number of 'medallions' above the doors and windows of the Orangerie. In 1966 this was designated as Grade II*. ()
  • Capesthorne Hall, Cheshire. The Drawing Room features twin fireplaces made from Coade stone, dated to 1789, which originally belonged to the family's house in Belgravia, London. Both are carved, one depicting Faith, Hope and Charity, and the other the Aldobrandini Marriage.()
  • Carlton House, London.()
  • Castle Howard, North Yorkshire, ()
  • Charborough House, Dorset. The park wall, alongside the A31 is punctuated by Stag Gate at the northern extremity and Lion Lodge at the easternmost entrance, with heraldic symbols in Coade stone. These gateways are Grade II listed, as is a third one, East Almer Lodge, further to the west. A fourth gateway, Peacock Lodge, is inside the estate, is Grade II* listed.()
  • Chelmsford Cathedral, Essex. The nave partially collapsed in 1800, and was rebuilt by the County architect John Johnson, retaining the Perpendicular design, but using Coade stone piers and tracery, and a plaster ceiling.()
  • Chichester – The Buttermarket. Designed by John Nash (coat of arms engraved with "Coade & Sealey 1808")()
  • Chiswick High Road, London, Presbytery of brown brick with Coade stone details, three storeys with double-hung sash windows; Grade II listed.()
  • Chiswick House, London. A couple of large ornate urns in the Italian Garden.()
  • Clerkenwell, St James's Church Over the west door are the royal arms of George III. Made of Coade stone and dated 1792, they were formerly over the reredos.()
  • Cottesbrooke, Northamptonshire. 'All Saints Church' contains a free-standing monument to Sir William Langham, (d.1812) in the nave, moulded in Coade stone by Bacon Junior.()
  • Croome Court, Upton-upon-Severn in Worcestershire. The south face has a broad staircase, with Coade stone sphinxes on each side, leading to a south door topped with a cornice on consoles. ()
  • Daylesford House, Gloucestershire. The main front was originally to the west, at the centre of which is a projecting semicircular bay, with four Ionic pillars and French Neoclassical garland swags around the architrave, topped by a shallow dome with pointed Coade stone finial, and wings projecting to either side. ()
  • Doddington Hall, Cheshire, The country house was designed by Samuel Wyatt. An outer double staircase leads up to a doorway flanked by columns and under a blind arch containing a Coade stone medallion containing a sign of the Zodiac. There are similar medallions over the first floor windows in the outer bays.()
  • Edinburgh, Stockbridge The "Statue of Hygieia" in the St Bernard's Well building by the Water of Leith "is made of coade stone".(). (See additional image in .)
  • Edinburgh, Bonaly Tower. Statue of William Shakespeare in Coade stone. ()
  • Egyptian House, Penzance, Cornwall. There is some dispute over the architect and the date of build, but in 1973, it was acquired by the Landmark Trust, the elaborate mouldings were mainly Coade stone.()
  • Exeter, 'Palace Gate' – Coade stone doorways on the terrace in 'Palace Gate' between the cathedral and South Street. Several late 18th century houses near Exeter Cathedral have doorway surrounds decorated with a keystone face (chosen from a small range of moulds), and decorative blocks.()
  • Herstmonceux Place East Sussex. Circa 1932 it ceased to be a private house and was divided into flats. The north front of the house was built in the late 17th century. The south and east fronts were designed by Samuel Wyatt in 1778. The white panels are made of Coade Stone. (), (See §Gallery: Herstmonceux Place.)
  • Liverpool Town Hall. 1802 statue by Charles RossiBritannia or Minerva atop Liverpool Town Hall. Minerva, the goddess of wisdom, or Britannia. She is holding a spear, which is a common replacement for Britannia's trident, but that is usually in her right hand. Minerva is commonly depicted with an owl, but she is also the goddess of strategic warfare, so a spear makes sense. Both wear Corinthian helmets. Who is it?Neither Rossi's own list of commissions, nor a (non-existent) Royal Academy contemporary list of his worksare available, so both Historic England and Pevsner hedge their bets saying "Britannia or Minerva".
  • Lurgan, Northern Ireland. 42–46 High Street. Decorative stonework with Coade stone keys and sculpted heads.() Provenance unclear.
  • Metropolitan Museum of Art ("The Met")New York City. Faith, statue in 'overpainted Coade stone', after a model by John Bacon the Elder. 1791.() (See image in this section above.)
  • Montreal – Nelson's Column, built 1809. Montreal's pillar is the second-oldest "Nelson's Column" in the world, after the Nelson Monument in Glasgow. The statue and ornaments were shipped in parts to Montreal, arriving in April 1808. William Gilmore, a local stonemason who had contributed £7 towards its construction, was hired to assemble its seventeen parts and the foundation base was laid on 17 August 1809.()
  • Bank of Montreal. A series of Relief panels based on designs by John Bacon (1740–1799), moulded in Coade stone by Joseph Panzetta and Thomas Dubbin in 1819.()
- The lion which originally stood over one of the brewery gates is now painted gold and located at the west-gate entrance of Twickenham Stadium, the home of English rugby. (See §Examples: Twickenham Stadium Lion.)
- The lion from the roof of the brewery, now known as the "South Bank Lion", was moved to Station Approach Waterloo, placed on a high plinth, and painted red as the symbol of British Rail. When removed, the initials of the sculptor William F. Woodington and the date, 24 May 1837, were discovered under one of its paws. In 1966, it was moved from outside Waterloo station to the south end of Westminster Bridge. (), (See image of South Bank Lion.)
- 'The Oxford Gates'. The central piers were designed by William Kent in 1731 Pavilions at either end were added in the 1780s to the design of the architect Vincenzo Valdrè. The piers have coats of arms in Coade stone.
- 'The Gothic Cross' erected in 1814 from Coade stone on the path linking the Doric Arch to the Temple of Ancient Virtue. It was erected by the 1st Duke of Buckingham and Chandos as a memorial to his mother Lady Mary Nugent. It was demolished in the 1980s by a falling elm tree. The National Trust rebuilt the cross in 2017 using several of the surviving pieces of the monument.
- 'The Cobham Monument' is the tallest structure in the gardens. It incorporates a square plinth with corner buttresses surmounted by Coade stone lions holding shields added in 1778.
- 'The Gothic Umbrello' also called the Conduit House a small octagonal pavilion dating from the 1790s. The coat of arms of the Marquess of Buckingham, dated 1793, made from Coade stone are placed over the entrance door.
  • Tremadog, Gwynedd, Wales. St Mary's Church Lychgate. Tremadog was founded, planned, named for and built by William Madocks between 1798 and 1811. The Lychgate to the churchyard is spanned by a decorative arch of Coade stone, containing boars, dragons, frogs, grimacing cherubs, owls, shrouded figures and squirrels, while the tops of the towers are surrounded by elephant heads.()
- Sundial, 1825. The sundial in the grounds of the hall is in Coade stone, and is high. It has a triangular plan with concave sides. At the bottom is a plinth with meander decoration on a circular base, the sides are moulded with festoons at the top, in the angles are caryatids, and at the top is a fluted frieze and an egg-and-dart cornice. ()
- Two urns and planting basin, 1825. The urns and planting basin are in Coade stone, and are to the southwest of the 'Temple of Diana'. The basin has a diameter of , with a cabled rim to the kerb. The urns are on a base, and each has a short stem, and a wide body with guilloché decoration and carvings of lions' heads. ()
  • Whiteford House, Cornwall. The stables and a garden folly (called Whiteford Temple) survive. The Temple is owned by the Landmark Trust and let as a holiday cottage. There are Coade stone plaques on the exterior.()
  • Windsor Castle, St George's Chapel. Mrs Coade was commissioned by King George III to make the Gothic screen designed by Henry Emlyn, and possibly also replace part of the ceiling of St George's Chapel. ()
  • Woodeaton Manor, Oxford. In 1775 John and Elizabeth Weyland had the old manor house demolished and the present Woodeaton Manor built. In 1791 the architect Sir John Soane enhanced its main rooms with marble chimneypieces, added an Ionic porch of Coade stone, a service wing and an ornate main hall.()
  • Woodhall Park is a Grade I listed country house, Watton-at-Stone, Hertfordshire. Limited use of Coade stone in the park.()
  • Woolverstone Hall, Ipswich, The house, now a school, is built of Woolpit brick, with Coade stone ornamentation. ()
  • Park Crescent, Worthing, A triumphal arch. The main archway, designed for carriages, contains the busts of four bearded men as atlantes. The two side arches, designed for pedestrians, each contain the busts of four young ladies as caryatids. The Coade stone busts were supplied by William Croggan, successor to Eleanor Coade.()

Birkbeck Image library

In 2020, the library of Birkbeck, University of London, launched the Coade Stone image collection online, consisting of digitised slides of examples of Coade stone bequeathed by Alison Kelly, whose book Coade Stone was described by Caroline Stanford as "the most authoritative treatment on the subject".

Gallery

Coade Ltd

Coade Ltd produces original stone castings and does reproduction work in workshops in Wilton, Wiltshire. It began business in 2000.

See also

Notes

References

Works cited

External links

  • In 2021 Historic England launched a crowd sourced Enrich the List map of Coade stone in England.
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