The Mystery Vase

Visitors walking beside the lake opposite Broomfield House may have noticed an unusual stone bowl decorated with grapes, vine handles and bearded faces. Long part of the park landscape, its origins have been something of a mystery.

Recent enquiries suggest that the feature may be the surviving bowl from a replica of the celebrated Warwick Vase. Conservation specialist Spencer Hall, formerly Head of Conservation at PAYE Conservation, has examined images of the piece and believes it is likely to be the upper section of a Coade stone version of the famous vase.

Coade stone was a remarkable artificial stone developed in the late eighteenth century by the entrepreneur Eleanor Coadeat her Lambeth manufactory. Made from a ceramic composite fired at high temperatures, it proved extremely durable and was widely used for architectural decoration and garden ornaments. Many Coade sculptures remain in excellent condition more than two hundred years after they were made.

The original Warwick Vase is a large second-century Roman marble vessel discovered in 1771 at Hadrian’s Villa near Tivoli in Italy. After restoration it stood for nearly two centuries at Warwick Castle, becoming one of the most admired classical objects of the Georgian period and inspiring numerous replicas for gardens and estates.



The Broomfield Park example would originally have stood on a pedestal and base, which no longer survive. Local recollections also suggest the feature was stolen at one point and later recovered, spending some time stored in a shed at Pymmes Park before being reinstated in the park.

Exactly when or why the vase came to Broomfield Park is still unknown, and its earlier history has yet to be uncovered. However, its identification as a probable Coade stone replica of the Warwick Vase adds another intriguing piece to the park’s historic landscape.

Friends of Broomfield Park would be very interested to hear from anyone who may have further information about the vase and its history in the park.