the semi-lobed vase body with moulded rim and carved ring handles to each side, roughly hewn within, raised on a generous socle foot and a square section plinth

A pair of urns exactly matching this one can be found at Adlington Hall, Cheshire.

After nearly two centuries outside, this large urn is weathered and has some losses. The losses to the semi-lobed body are curious and we’ve seen this before in an urn that we salvaged recently originating from Stowe. There is delamination of the stone – that’s the way that sandstone weathers – but it weathers like an onion. It looks as if the outer layer is revealing a carved layer within. It could be a coating of cement fondu that was failing  – but it is the natural stone and may just be the way the cookie crumbles (the same effect can be observed at the Adlington Hall examples).

Holes drilled in the reverse face of the urn may indicate that it originally had some decorative metal scrollwork applied.