Temple Newsam House

This magnificent Tudor-Jacobean house, was the birthplace of Lord Darnley, infamous husband of Mary Queen of Scots, and for 300 years the home of the Ingram family until it was bought by Leeds from Lord Halifax in 1922.

Temple Newsam is home to outstanding collections of fine and decorative arts. Over thirty interiors display great paintings, renowned furniture including masterpieces by Chippendale; sumptuous textiles, silver, porcelain, and Leeds pottery.

The House runs regular tours and activities for families.

This venue has a Designated Collection of national importance.

In 1997 Temple Newsam's decorative art collections were listed as Designated Collections of national importance.

Temple Newsam is justly celebrated for its sumptuous collections of fine and decorative arts, especially paintings, furniture, silver, ceramics, textiles and wallpapers. The collection has been built up since 1923 when the estate was bought from the Hon Edward Wood (later Earl Halifax) by the city of Leeds and developed as a country house museum.

Despite the sale of many of the furnishings in 1922, the basis of the contents of Temple Newsam today is still the family collection. To this has been added over the years what now makes up one of the finest publicly owned collections of English decorative art outside London.

Collection details

Fine Art, Decorative and Applied Art, Costume and Textiles, Architecture

Key artists and exhibits

• The English 18th century furniture collection is one of the finest in the country and feature work by Thomas Chippendale including his Library Writing Table commissioned for Harwood House. There are approximately 400 paintings on display, highlights include The Temptation of St Jerome by Giorgio Vasari and Portrait of a Child with a Rattle attributed to Paul van Somer.The magnificent collection of silver consists of 200 objects dating between Elizabethan and modern times and include the Mostyn and Thirkleby Flagons (1601 and 1646) and the Paul de Lamerie Tea Equipage (1735). The musuem also houses extensive collections of wallpapers and textiles that can be viewed through appointment.
• Designated Collection