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Sir Rowland Hill’s Enigmatic Panels: Decoding Messages Hidden in Panels

By 9 August 2023June 9th, 2024No Comments

Whispers in Wood

The extent of Sir Rowland Hill’s wood paneling treatment of Soulton Hall in the 1550s remains unclear. However, we do have some surviving paneling in the Barnet Room, located on the southeast side of the central floor. Interestingly, this room also included the path of a hidden staircase!

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It is rewarding to look closely at the surviving paneling because it is not all of the same age, and the younger stuff is copying the older, but without total knowlege of what is being done and said in the craft.

The only remaining section of wood paneling installed by Sir Rowland Hill himself in the 1550s. Look closely at the frieze for a delightful detail!

The only remaining section of wood paneling installed by Sir Rowland Hill himself in the 1550s. Look closely at the frieze for a delightful detail!

The image above shows the only section remaining from Sir Rowland Hill’s era is located to the left of the fireplace. This section boasts a frieze with a delightful, yet subtle, detail: tiny eight pointed stars.

An example of the tiny eight pointed stars (or flowers) in the Sir Rowland Hill panneling

An example of the tiny eight pointed stars (or flowers) in the Sir Rowland Hill panneling

An example of a tiny eight pointed star or flower in the Sir Rowland Hill panneling

Another of the tiny eight pointed stars (or flowers) in the Sir Rowland Hill panneling

This concern with the circles sectioned into eight is repeatedly see in Sir Rowland Hill’s design choices (such as his chair of estate and his stairs), and it is seen in the As You Like It dave pavement.

a black and wite image of a pavement of cobels showing how to do a danced

The Soulton Dancing Pavement, showing The Dance, which features in AS YOU LIKE IT

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Looking at the later panneling we can see it has missed this detail.

Tudor paneling frieze with tiny eight-pointed stars.

Tudor paneling frieze with tiny eight-pointed stars.

Unlike the original 1550s paneling with its eight-pointed star frieze, the 17th-century copy curiously omits this detail.

Unlike the original 1550s paneling with its eight-pointed star frieze, the 17th-century copy curiously omits this detail.

Despite missing the clever detail of the eight-pointed stars, the 17th-century paneling still tells its own stories. Look closely, and you’ll see marks left by candles that once stood upon a long-gone desk, a testament to the room’s past.

Despite missing the clever detail of the eight-pointed stars, the 17th-century paneling still tells its own stories. Look closely, and you'll see marks left by candles that once stood upon a long-gone desk, a testament to the room's past.

Despite missing the clever detail of the eight-pointed stars, the 17th-century paneling still tells its own stories. Look closely, and you’ll see marks left by candles that once stood upon a long-gone desk, a testament to the room’s past.

The older of these pannels unquestionably saw people known to Shakespeare and involved in the Geneva Bible work.

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The insights presented here are the result of consultations with BYRGA GENIHT Ltd.

Notably, the recent rediscovery of the tiny stars, requiring keen eyesight, was made by Isla Edwards, who was just nine years old at the time!