The State Coach is usually on display at the National Trust's Mount Stewart estate, County Down, former seat of the Marquesses of Londonderry.
A new coach-house was made for the coach, which used to be based at the family's grand London residence, Londonderry House, Park Lane.
The coach (or chariot) is exquisite in its detail and craftsmanship.
The Londonderry coat-of-arms, crests and coronets adorn it.
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| 7th Marquess & Marchioness |
The walls of the coach-house tell its story: it only seems to have been used on state occasions.
The coach is on loan from the present Marquess.
First published in 2010.
What a horrid day it turned out today after a promising start counting Brent Geese numbers grazing at Mountstewart Bay so by mid morning I steered the jamjar in the direction of Belfast where I stopped off at Neil's Hill, Ballyhack for some sustenance before darkening the doors of PRONI with a view of revisiting the Mountstewart collection. I was pleasantly surprised to find a selection of about 8 photographs loosely attached near the back of an old Londonderry family scrapbook , these photos where of a Mountstewart shooting scene , the main players with the then Marquis being Lord Kilmorey , Countess Kilmorey , Countess Wicklow , Caption and Mrs. Craig. Lord Kilmorey looked resplendid in moleskin breeches ,flatcap & barbour shooting jacket with shotgun held aloft tracing a fowl in flight, the others clad in similar country attire except for both Countess Wicklow and Mrs Craig in their Aquascutum winter coats but with faces like Lurgan spades as I guess country sports was not high up on their list of pleasure pursuits.
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