J.M.W. Turner: Sketchbooks, Drawings and Watercolours

With the page turned vertically, Turner has made landscape sketches across four bands, separated by horizontal pencil lines. The hills at the top are presumably in the Peak District, perhaps near Haddon Hall. As Ian Warrell has recognised, the second level shows the outline of the medieval hall,1 above the River Wye two miles south-east of Bakewell in Derbyshire; there appear to be two views of the North Front (actually the north-west). This side of the house is now screened by trees.

Turner’s interest in the building was perhaps primarily in terms of potential illustrations to a new edition of Sir Walter Scott’s novel Peveril of the Peak (first published in 1823) but this subject was not developed (see the sketchbook’s Introduction); the tower at the northern corner of the building is known both as the Eagle Tower and Peverel’s (or Peveril’s) Tower. The hall dates from the twelfth century, and was developed by the Peverel, Avenel, Vernon and Manners families before being largely abandoned from the early eighteenth century until its restoration in the twentieth, since when it has been used as a location for various Romantic films such as Jane Eyre.2 There are other of the hall sketches on the verso and folios 25 recto and verso, 26 recto, 27 recto and verso, 28 recto and verso, 29 recto and verso, 30 recto and 31 recto (D22193–D22196, D22198–D22204, D22206). Many appear unusually rough and hurried, as if Turner did not have time to linger.

The third drawing probably shows Peveril Castle in silhouette. At the bottom, apparently inscribed ‘Peveril’, is a view of the castle from the south-west with hills towards the High Peak beyond. For other views of the castle, Castleton and Peak Cavern, see under folio 1 verso (D22152).