A small village in one area of Merseyside used to be home to one of the largest collections of art in Britain.
Ince Blundell in Sefton was once home to one of the UK's largest collections of Roman sculptures, second only to the British Museum. The collection was housed at Ince Blundell Hall, which had been home to the Blundell family since the 12th century.
In 1720 Robert Blundell decided to build a grand mansion for the family - a building that still stands today inside a sprawling estate at the heart of the village. In 1761 the estate passed to his son Henry, who like many wealthy men of his age was educated in Europe and found a passion for art collecting.
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Inspired by antiquarian Charles Townley, Henry embarked on a series of Grand Tours of Europe, predominantly in Italy. Blundell and Townley’s Grand Tour to Rome and Naples in 1776 introduced him to the vibrant scene of antique dealers, artists and other collectors across Italy.
Henry originally housed the sculptures in his greenhouses but as his collection grew the desire for a grander place for his collection became apparent. In 1790 he had the Italian-inspired Garden Temple built to house part of his rich collection of statuary, paintings, sarcophagi, vases, bronzes, and other objects.
This was followed by the construction of the most notable building on the estate, the Pantheon, based on the iconic temple in Rome. At its height, the collection of artefacts housed more than 400 pieces and was one of the largest collections of classical sculptures in Britain.
However, the hall and surrounding estate fell into a state of disrepair and in 1959 it was sold to the Canonesses of St. Augustine of the Mercy of Jesus and converted into a care home. The collections were donated to the National Museums Liverpool by Joseph Weld, a cousin of Henry Weld Blundell. Joseph was the owner of Lulworth castle and estate, Dorset, and of an art collection including paintings, drawings, and sculpture, much of which descended from Henry and Charles Blundell.
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