The Study
As though you had wandered into Holmes's study.
About The Study
The Study is the Manor's room of work. A twin-pedestal desk with a leather-inlaid top, a black leather captain's chair, two tiers of lighting, an inkwell and quill upon the desk, a globe, a typewriter and leather-bound books are gathered here, with a suit of Western knight's armour standing at the entrance: English gravitas, distilled into a single room.
A leather top, inherited from the age of the quill.
The twin-pedestal desk is the classic form of the study desk, perfected in eighteenth-century England, its top borne by a column of drawers on either side. English, 1980s, mahogany, W122 × D61 × H76.5 cm.
The leather-inlaid top is a legacy of the quill and inkwell. A quill would catch on bare hardwood, so leather was laid across it: a design born of practicality that became a mark of standing.
A captain's chair, steady for both reading and work
The captain's chair is a form born in nineteenth-century England as the chair of a ship's master, its low back and curved armrests made as one. It was a working chair that could be sat in securely amid the roll of a ship, and later became a fixture of offices and studies. In this room, a single chair in black leather faces the desk.
The butler adjusts the chair with an eye to the distance between armrest and desk. Sitting back to open a book calls for one position; drawing close to the top to write a letter calls for another. When you rise, the butler also keeps watch behind the chair, preserving its distance from the armour and the desk.
Five pieces of the Study, kept in quiet by the Association's butlers
Four small pieces upon the shelves of the Study
Model ship and globe
A model sailing ship, a globe and a set of scales stand upon the display shelf. Each time the butler dusts them, he checks the set of the model's sails.
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The curly-horned ram
Beside the ship, a ram with curling horns rests upon a wooden base.
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The silver tea service
Upon an ornamented tray, a pot, a creamer and a lidded vessel are set together.
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A classic typewriter
The typewriter with its rows of round keys is the centrepiece of a desk for writing letters.
Read moreTake the small objects one by one, and the desk of the quill's age comes to life
Writing and sealing wax
The small objects of the Study do more than adorn the room: they are clues to the hours the desk has served.
The world and time
Let your eye travel from the antique globe to the pocket watch on its stand, the Oliver typewriter and the leather-bound books, and it becomes clear that the desk's purpose was never writing alone.
The butler's guidance
The butler does not explain every object at once, but adds a brief word to each in the order you look upon it.
The guest corner opposite
In the guest corner across from the Study stand the VINCENT long stool in full-grain leather, an Italian brass two-light flower-shade lamp and a telephone bench.
A choice of light
With the lights up, you can compare the mahogany, the brass and the black leather. Dim them, and the three-light chandelier and the floor-standing light frame the desktop alone.
Before moving anything on the desk, the butler asks your purpose
| Asking your purpose | To attend in the Study is to arrange the desktop and the light so that you may give your mind to a single thing. |
|---|---|
| The leather top | The leather-inlaid top of the twin-pedestal desk is a design born of the practical needs of the quill and inkwell. So as not to mark the leather, the butler lifts each object rather than sliding it. |
| Two tiers of light | The three-light chandelier above and the floor-standing chandelier below are two tiers of light, one for the whole room and one for your hands. |
| A discreet distance | Our butlers, women and men alike, do not intrude upon conversation more than needed, and wait at a distance from which they can come the moment they are called. |
What you may bring into the Study
- Anything you will use at the desk: books you wish to read, letters, papers
- Small props for photography. Please consult us on how to place them among the existing pieces
- Drinks. The butler will arrange where they are set down
- Reading alone, conversation for two, or photography for up to six guests
- Commemorative photographs with the armour or the desk as backdrop
What to leave to the butler
- Moving the suit of armour
- Sliding objects across the leather top
- Moving the lighting or antique objects without the butler's guidance
- Using the Manor unattended
QHow may I spend my time in the Study?
The room suits reading, letter-writing, conversation and portraiture. The butler asks your purpose and arranges the desktop and the light accordingly.
QMay I actually use the desk and chair?
Please do, under the butler's guidance. We will show you to a comfortable position while protecting the leather top and the black leather chair.
QMay I use the quill or the typewriter in photographs?
You are welcome to discuss photographs that make use of the objects on the desk. To protect the collection, the butler will guide you on handling and placement.
QMay I touch the suit of armour?
Please view the armour without touching it, following the butler's guidance. For photographs with the armour as backdrop, we will show you a safe place to stand.
QHow many people may enter?
The Manor accommodates up to six guests. To keep clear passage and a safe distance from the collection, the butler may show guests into the Study in turn.
QMay a female butler attend me?
Both male and female butlers are in service. Should you have a preference, please let us know when you book.
The quill and the globe reflect your purpose in the Study
| Writing | Inkwell and quill, sealing wax and stamp. The butler first clears a space for your paper, then sets out the inkwell, quill and wax in the order of use. Nothing is slid across the leather top; each piece is lifted into place. |
|---|---|
| Instruments | A brass-handled magnifier and a brass-framed hourglass. The magnifier goes near what you are reading; the hourglass where it will not topple or block your view. The brass against the leather gives character to close photographs of the hands. |
| Globe | An antique globe. As an instrument for seeing the world, it draws the gaze of the Study outward from the desk. The butler explains its handling before it is turned, and keeps it at a distance from the armour when it serves as backdrop. |
| Clock | The pocket watch on its stand tells time in a different voice from the hourglass. If set beside your reading or letters, the butler places it where it will not overlap paper or book. |
| Typewriter | The Oliver typewriter turns the act of typing into a scene for photography. Should you wish to operate or move it, please ask the butler first. |
| Books | Leather-bound volumes bridge the gravity of the bookcase and the desk. |
The guest corner opposite supports waiting and conversation
The VINCENT long stool (full-grain leather, W109 cm), an Italian brass two-light flower-shade lamp and a telephone bench: a small room for callers awaiting the master at work in the Study.
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Sink into the leather chair.
Tell us what you have in mind, and a butler will guide you.