Cholmondeley

Cholmondeley Castle, Cheshire (UK) was built in the early 19th century in a Gothic revival style for George Cholmondeley, the 1st Marquess of Cholmondeley. Maggy Howarth Studios were commissioned by Lady Cholmondeley to produce a mosaic to commemorate her late husband.

The brief was to focus on the family’s coat of arms which has interesting “beasts” and a wheat sheaf. Translating the intricacies of such an emblem into pebble mosaic was a significant design challenge, since the pebble medium naturally requires some degree of simplification. Maggy re-drew these elements in a more lively, exaggerated style and wove them together to make the best aesthetic for pebbles.

The fabrication process of this 20m2 mosaic was equally demanding, involving the creation of many individual ceramic pieces including regimental insignia, military drums, pheasants, foxes, pedigree bulls & lots of horses. Each was sculpted from clay, cast in plaster to form a mould, before the final ceramic could be created and kiln-fired.

Red tones dominate the colour palette to complement the red sandstone of the Castle. Materials include Scottish red jasper in varying tones, black and yellow quartzite, Lakeland green slate and custom ceramics.