The Woolavington Collection is one of the finest collections of sporting paintings in the world and certainly the finest in Europe. Started by Sir James Buchanan Bt (afterwards Lord Woolavington), great-grandfather of the present owner, it is a uniquely British art collection including works by:
This collection was formed principally at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century and originally assembled at Lavington Park in Sussex. It was later removed to Cottesbrooke when Lord Woolavington's descendants, the Macdonald-Buchanan family, came to live here in the 1930s. Other artists included in the collection are Lionel Edwards, de Laszlo and Zoffany amongst others. In June 2008, Country Life Magazine published an article about sporting art focusing on the Woolavington Collection here at Cottesbrooke. Click here to view the article. It is in adobe pdf format (requires Adobe Reader) and will open in a new window.
It is probably correct to say that the collection is the finest of its type in Europe and surpassed only by the Mellon collection in the USA. There are also to be seen a number of portraits and other fine paintings as well as many bronzes including several of the French 19th Century Animalier school.
In addition to the Woolavington Collection, there is also a collection of notable furniture, including excellent 18th century English and French, as well as English, continental and Chinese porcelain.
