Swarthmoor Hall Visit by Accredited BAFRA Member César Cerejo

I had the privilege of attending a BAFRA event at Swarthmoor Hall in the Lake District. The three-day programme, led by Tim Phelps ACR, provided an outstanding opportunity to engage hands-on with pieces from the Hall’s remarkable early-English furniture collection. Under Tim’s expert guidance, we undertook the cataloguing and assessment of several significant items, enabling close examination and insightful discussions around construction methods, condition, and authenticity.

It was a real pleasure to collaborate with my colleague Mark Coray throughout the course.  Working together on assessments and exchanging observations greatly enriched the experience, fostering a spirit of shared learning and professional camaraderie.

Leading the examination and cataloguing of early English furniture in the Great Hall at Swarthmoor Hall, Tim Phelps ACR (right), Accredited BAFRA and ICON member, is joined by Accredited BAFRA members Mark Coray (centre) and César Cerejo (left).

A particular highlight was the visit from members of the Regional Furniture Society on Thursday. Their presence sparked a breadth of knowledge, particularly on regional decorative features and provenance. The lively exchange of perspectives between conservators and furniture historians created a rich, varied and interdisciplinary dialogue.

Tim Phelps ACR giving a talk to the Regional Furniture Society group on a travelling bed dated 1671, reportedly gifted to George Fox in Barbados by a Quaker plantation owner during his missionary journey through the Caribbean. The bed’s posts are made from solid cocuswood - an exotic timber also prized in the period for oyster-cut veneers used in fine decorative cabinetwork.

As a conservator-restorer, I found the experience both inspiring and professionally rewarding. The depth of learning, the collaborative atmosphere, and the rare access to such an important collection made this a truly memorable and valuable CPD activity. I would like to express my sincere thanks to Tim Phelps ACR and the team at Swarthmoor Hall for the opportunity and their generous hospitality.

Left:     César Cerejo examining a 16th-century oak joined stool in the Great Hall at Swarthmoor Hall, focusing on construction details and condition as part of the BAFRA CPD programme.

Right:   In Thomas Fell’s study, César Cerejo, examines the surface of a 1681 court cupboard under UV light.

This example, possibly from North Lancashire, represents an unusual cupboard typology, distinguished by sloping doors typically associated with "standing writing". Unfortunately, the original solid doors have been replaced with glazed panels, and the cupboard was most recently used to display Quaker religious artefacts.

In the attic room at Swarthmoor Hall, César Cerejo examines and records details of a 17th-century oak panelled box, which retains its original turned feet.

Provenance: Roger Warner Loan. Roger Warner, born into a Quaker family, was a respected antiques dealer who sourced many of the items now held in the collection.