Eastnor in objects: the dragon benches

Mystical and majestic in equal measure, the dragons that lie beneath the Staircase Hall’s banquettes have a lore as storied as the castle itself

Since the dawn of myths and legends, the dragon has been a symbol of strength and prosperity; its ferocious beauty the inspiration behind infinite writings, works of art and architecture. Transcending cultures with symbolism spanning Asia, Britain and Europe, the dragon has become an icon of Eastnor – a personification of the castle’s eclectic interior design, with a curation of pieces garnered from every corner of the globe. This array of storied objects includes the four benches that await in the Staircase Hall.

Each a 17^th-century Italian piece reconstructed in England in the mid-19th century, the banquettes are hand carved from deep, glossy wood, their great depth and weight arresting visitors that pass through the lofty hall and up the sweeping staircase. Entangled in a scaly nest where curling tails entwine their young, the proudly guarding dragons peer out from beneath intricately patterned leather seats, meeting young passers-by with an unwavering gaze. This is something that captivated Eastnor Castle resident and director Imogen Hervey-Bathurst as a girl: ‘It’s the expression on the dragons’ faces and the sense you get that they are alive and crawling out.’

She’s not the first to be drawn to their enigmatic design. The dragon benches were acquired by the 3rd Earl Somers (son of the 2nd Earl, who built the castle), who was arguably the greatest influence in the design and style of the interiors at Eastnor. Hervey-Bathurst explains: ‘A true aesthete and completely original in his spirit of eclecticism, he travelled the world – Asia, Europe, the Middle East and more – and developed a diverse taste that he imbued to the castle when he embarked on its restoration in the 1860s.’

Spending much of his time in Italy, the Earl fell in love with Renaissance aesthetics, purchasing many antiques, paintings and textiles from fine palazzos with the ambition to recreate a grand Italianate interior in Herefordshire – including the Venetian dragon benches which now adorn the Staircase Hall. So taken with the dragons was the Earl that he bought a chandelier from Florence’s Corsini Palace that also features the mythical creatures.

The dragon motif also comes with an intriguing Gothic air, nodding to the original interior of Eastnor Castle commissioned by the 2nd Earl in 1849 to A. W. N. Pugin – the architect renowned for reimagining the Palace of Westminster’s interiors after the fire of 1834. It’s in this utterly unique way that Eastnor epitomises three successive phases of 19^th-century domestic taste; Regency Baronial, Catholic Gothic and aesthetic Italian.