A doll house worth £50,000 has joined a stately home in North Yorkshire, adding to its already impressive collection.
The miniature French townhouse, named Versailles, is now part of the display at Newby Hall near Ripon, which features more than 70 doll houses and other miniatures.
It was the favourite piece of renowned miniaturist Caroline Hamilton and was only added to the collection following her death.
Her son, Alexander Hamilton, said: "We are delighted that our mother's favourite house will soon be available for public view at Newby.
"She took great pride in her doll houses, and this – the 'one that got away' as she referred to it in the book that accompanies the exhibition – is one of the finest.
"As her favourite, she held it back but ultimately wished for it to join the existing collection at Newby, and we know she would be very pleased.
"Newby’s collection of our mother’s and Jane’s doll houses is a wonderful showcase for their talents and passion, and we know visitors will enjoy them and find inspiration in their work."
Versailles is a meticulously crafted miniature inspired by the real townhouse in Versailles, in which Caroline’s parents had an apartment in the 1950s.
It was created by master model makers Kevin Mulvany and Susan Rogers.
The doll house collection at Newby Hall was gifted by Caroline Hamilton and her friend and fellow miniaturist, Jane Fiddick, around a decade ago.
Versailles was excluded at the time because of Ms Hamilton’s attachment to it, though she had always intended for it to join the display after her death.
It features intricate period details, including a 'marble' hall painted by artist Elie Yannas and panelling by Robert Dawson of the Model Room, modelled on the French room at the Metropolitan Museum in New York.
The carpet was stitched by Shamal Carpets and based on designs from the Rothschild Collection at Waddesdon Manor, and the parquet floor was individually laid by hand.
On the wall hangs a replica of a Fragonard painting by Judith Drury, painted with just two hairs of a sable brush over three months.
Caroline Hamilton co-founded the London Doll house Festival, which she ran for 20 years.
Her and Jane Fiddick’s miniature houses have been exhibited as far afield as Japan.
Lucinda Compton, owner of Newby Hall alongside Richard Compton, is also the display’s conservator and curator.
Mrs Compton said: "We are deeply honoured to welcome this magnificent miniature to complete our impressive display of dollshouses here at Newby Hall.
"The collection has proved very popular and it is fitting that Caroline’s favourite house will be displayed in pride of place and continue to give pleasure to our visitors."
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The exhibition is part of Newby Hall’s permanent displays and can be viewed from April to September with a garden admission ticket.
The collection features doll houses, including some antique toy doll houses, Victorian-style shops, rustic family homes, architectural classics and even a yuppie bachelor pad.
Each model includes carefully detailed rooms and characters that reflect the time periods and lifestyles they represent.
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