The fashion for great panels with bolection moulding was universal in the time of William and Mary and the only permitted originality in the general scheme of any room was in its 'ornament'-its fireplace, doors and windows in the simpler rooms, and the decorated surrounds for such features in the more splendid apartments as described by Celia Fiennes.
Late 17th Century Fireplace
Her admiration for Chippenham Park gives us a fine picture of the 1690's
‘…the hall is very noble paved with freestone a squaire of black marble at each corner of the freestone; there are two fine white marble tables veined with blew, its wanscoated with Wallnutt tree the pannells and rims round with Mulbery tree that is a lemon coullour and the moldings beyond it round are of a sweete outlandish wood not much differing from Cedar but of a finer graine, the chaires are all the same; its hung with pictures att full proportion of the Royal family, all in their coronation robes from Charles the First to his Majesty with the Queen also, and at the end is Prince George and Princess Ann, in their robes of crimson velvet and Dukel coronet as Duke and Dutchess of Cumberland; the whole house is finely furnish'd with differing coulloured damask and velvets some figured and others plaine, at least 6 or 7 in all richly made up after a
new mode; in the best drawing roome
was a very rich hanging gold and silver and a little scarlet mostly tissue and brocade of gold and silver and
border of green damaske round it; the window curtain the same green damaske and doore curtaines; there
was no looking-glass but on the chimney-piece and just opposite in the place a looking glass used to be was4 pannells of glass in length and 3 in breadth set together in the wainscot; the same was in another drawing
roome which was for my Lord; the dineing roome had this looking glass on the two peers between the three
windows it was from the top to the bottom 2 pannells of the oak wall panelling in breadth and 7 in length, so it shews one from top to
toe; the roomes were all well wanscoated and hung and there was the finest carv'd wood wall panelling in fruitages herbages gemms beasts fowles etc., very thin and fine all in white wood without paint or varnish, the severall sorts of things thus carv'd were exceeding naturall all round; the chimney-pieces and sconces stand on each side the chimneys and the glasses in those chambers where were loose looking glasses, which were with fine carved head and frames some of the naturall wood other gilt, but they were the largest looking-glasses I ever saw; there was a great flower pott gilt each side the chimney in the dineing roome for to sett trees in; the great curiosity of this wood carving about the doores chimneys and scomes together with the great looking glass pannells is much talked off and is the finest and most in quantety and numbers thats to be seen any where; there is very fine China and silver things and irons and jarrs and perfume pots of silver; the common roomer are all new convenient and neate with double doores lined to prevent noises; the staircase is wainscot, very noble fine pictures,...'
