Possibly the most splendid of all Georgian fireplaces is the regency fireplace of Burghley House. This great stately home at Stamford is the seat of the Marquess of Exeter, and was built by Lord Burghley in 1556, Lord High Treasurer to Queen Elizabeth I. The 18 staterooms, along the southern side of the house, were prepared and updated in 1789 for a proposed visit from George IV in 1789, when he was Prince of Wales. Many of the fireplaces in the rooms reflect the magnificence of the luxury-loving Georgian age, but the most stunning is the Regency fireplace in the second room, known as the state bedroom after Queen Victoria and Prince Albert stayed in the room on a visit to Burghley in 1844.
The regency fireplace of Burghley House is a magnificent example of a late Georgian fireplace. The chimneypiece of white carved statuary marble was made in Rome under the supervision of the famous artist Giovanni Battista Piranesi. This bears a resemblance to the work of Robert Adam, and this makes sense, as Adam worked under Piranesi for some time. The jambs are fashioned from porphyry, a type of rock made up of large-grained crystals, and upon these are the sculptures of bearded heads, which support the mantel. There is a carved frieze, and in the centre of this is a porphyry tablet in mezzo relievo (half-relief) depicting the sacrifice of a goat.
The fire itself, the grate, fender and fire irons, are made from burnished steel with solid silver furnishings – these include the lions and wheat-sheaf incorporated into the Exeter coat of arms. The silver ornamentation is removable to ensure easy cleaning, and as a result the fireplace has been beautifully preserved up to the present time.
It is well worth a visit to Lincolnshire to see in its magnificence the regency fireplace of Burghley House.
