Sudley House

The exact date of Sudley House is unknown, although Nicholas Robinson, a rich corn merchant, bought the land for £4500. It is thought that the exterior of the house may be the work of Thomas Harrison between 1781–1815. George Holt bought the house around 1883. The main entrance was moved from the eastern to the northern front, and a garden veranda was created on the eastern side. He built a tower and extended the western side.

Inside, the fireplaces, lincrusta wallpapers, and oak panelling are still visible. The Holt family crest is carved into the marble fireplace. The house contains fabulous works by Gainsborough, Reynolds, Landseer, and Turner, all displayed among original Victorian décor. George Holt’s daughter Emma, born in 1862, bequeathed the house and its contents to the city of Liverpool in 1944.

George Holt senior was a cotton broker originally from Rochdale. He married Emma Durning in 1820, who came from a rich and long‑established Liverpool family. They were involved in local politics and educational and philanthropic schemes. His son George Holt married Elizabeth Bright.

Sudley House

Sudley House Map 1905

Extract from the Mersey Magazine of the Mersey Dock Board, October 1924: The Makers of Modern Liverpool — The Holt family, part 2, part 3.

Explore the house of George Holt and his family, a Victorian merchant with impeccable taste in period furniture and paintings. Sudley House Museum