Tixall – The Lost Family Seat

As grand as Burton Constable is, it can perhaps be surprising to visitors today that in the early 19th Century it stood almost unused for over 10 years when Sir and Lady Clifford Constable chose not to live here. Instead the couple preferred their other house of Tixall Hall in Staffordshire – when not roaming the continent!

Alas, the couple’s elaborate lifestyle and grand building projects soon meant that their costs exceeded their income. Tixall was sold to pay outstanding demands, and Burton Constable became the couple’s new treasure house for their grand and varied collections.

In 2015 Burton Constable explored this story further with an exhibition exploring more of the story of the couple’s lost paradise – and a pivotal moment in Burton Constable’s history.

The years that followed Tixall’s sale saw the couple transfer their extravagance to this new social sphere, transforming it into a centre for arts, philanthropy and entertainment. Extensive renovations were carried out to the hall, a theatre created and musical soirees hosted.

Today, research into Tixall at Burton Constable continues. At Tixall itself only the Gatehouse still remains as a clear reminder of this 16th Century historic site, being maintained as a holiday residence by the Landmark Trust. The Chapel was taken down and moved to a new location following the sale of the Hall in the 1840s, with the Hall itself suffering the same fate in the 1920s.