Wisbech House

Wisbech house is the largest in the Anglia Dolls Houses range and is double fronted/double depth with opening panels on three sides². This is a country seat of someone of great wealth, power and influence and supports the most imaginative "upstairs/downstairs" themes. With twenty three rooms on four floors this dolls house will absorb a huge amount of furniture for even the most dedicated collector.

Only available built to order, changes can be made to Wisbech House to incorporate, for example, a ballroom or jib doors from the servants stair well to the adjacent reception rooms and bedrooms.

Wisbech House Photographs

Exterior

Wisbech House exterior corner view showing front and side-opening panels.
Wisbech House front portico with balcony above.
Wisbech House double-pitched roof with central valley.
Wisbech House showing rear and side-opening panels.
Wisbech House rear entrance.
Wisbech House showing servant's entrance at
basement level with view of the servant's stairs.

Interior

The family accommodation is on the two central floors accessed via the elegant double depth entrance hall and main staircase while the servants' quarters, in the basement and top/attic floor, are accessed by separate servants' stairs.

The standard house is decorated throughout with colours appropriate to the Georgian period. On bespoke orders the rooms you can choose your colours from the Farrow & Ball colour card. Two of the ground floor reception rooms are panelled to dado rail height and have ceiling mouldings and ceiling roses. Additional panelling and ceiling mouldings can be added as options. Skirting is fitted throughout and coving to the rooms of the ground and first floors. The 6-panel internal wooden doors are all painted or stain varnished with turned brass door knobs. The house has stain varnished scribed floorboards with lifting boards that conceal the wiring for lights. It is already wired for fires that could be added into the kitchen alcove and inside the fireplaces which are each fitted with a hearth stone.

Front of the house with the right-hand panel cranked open.
Front view with both panels open.
Side-opening panel with servant's stairs.
Wisbech House rear of the house with three panels open.
Close-up view of servant's stairs.

Area

Although a country house, Wisbech House has the option of a substantial service area between the pavements outside and the front and rear of the house: The floors of the areas are finished with grouted flagstones.

Optional baseboard with flagstone areas and balustraded pavements front
and rear. Four separate storage rooms can be accessed through arched
doors. Two storage rooms have windows.
Two storage rooms in the optional area at the front of the house.
Close-up of one of the storage rooms.

Basement

Wisbech House basement floor plan.

This is a house that would have quite a large number of servants and there are 6 large basement rooms for them to work and sleep in. All the basement rooms have grouted flagstone floors and include a kitchen, scullery, house keeper's room, wine cellar and servants' hall.

Kitchen with opening bread oven and arch for range.
Laundry with washing copper.
Housekeeper's Room.
Scullery.
Store and wine cellar.
Servant's Hall.

Ground Floor

The ground floor of Wisbech House has three large and one smaller reception rooms, either side of the entrance hall and the main staircase. The smaller reception room, a breakfast room, has a door that opens into the back stairs to the basement. The back stairs are is also accessed via a door from the rear entrance hall. This would enable a servant working in the basement to come quickly to a visitor waiting at the front door or to attend a call from one of the other rooms in the house. A broad arch connects the back hall to the front hall.

Wisbech House ground floor plan.

Entrance Hall looking towards the main staircase.
Main stairs and rear door.
Drawing Room.
Drawing Room.
Looking across the Hall from the Morning Room to the Dining Room.
Dining Room.
Dining Room.
Hall looking towards the front entrance.
Morning Room.
Breakfast Room.

First Floor

Wisbech House first floor plan.

The first floor has three further large rooms and one smaller room:

First floor landing.
Looking across from the Library to the Master's Bedroom.
Master's Bedroom.
Bedroom door.
Boudoir.
Study.
Main staircase.
Landing.

Second Floor

Wisbech House second floor plan

The 5 rooms of the second (top) floor are accessible only via the servants stair well. These are substantial rooms in their own right:

Looking down the back or servant's stairs.
Bedroom.
Small fireplace in Bedroom
showing wiring for coals.
Linen store and sewing room.
Housemaid's Room.
Nursery.
Back or Servant's Landing.

Stairs

Wisbech House includes a particularly grand and complex main staircase situated in the rear hallway. In addition there are 3 flights of plainer staris in the separate servants stairwell which can be accessed by opening a separate panel complete with windows set into the side of the house.

Wisbech House main staircase.
First floor landing.
Looking up the back or servant's stairs.

Lighting

From Autumn 2011 all fully decorated Anglia Dolls Houses include a package of lights as standard with a quality Smallworld digital transformer and Easy Wire fused distribution strip. If you prefer to specify your own choice of lights I can build these in for you. Wiring is concealed behind a false back panel, under lift up floorboards and also down the chimney breasts. The way that the wiring is done makes it easy for you to add further lights at a future date. See the Electric Lighting Datasheet for more details of the standard package of lights included with this house if purchased fully finished.

If you would like more information about this dolls house please call or email me.