Oil painting on canvas, The Spur in the Dish warns the Border Chief that the Larder needs replenishing by William Bell Scott (Edinburgh 1811 – Penkill Castle 1890), signed and dated, on top of the stool: W B Scott Aug 1858 to Jan 1859. The lady of the house brings a platter to the table but the food is missing and has been replaced by a spur, indicating to the Laird and men of the household that it was time to ‘ride and rieve’ if they wanted to eat. The room represented is in the castle at Newcastle, the features of the Laird are those of William Henry Charlton of Hesleyside Hall (who was responsible for the railway built from Hexham to Riccarton Junction in Scotland to serve the North Tyne Valley) and the monk is Wilson, his gamekeeper and the man pointing is William Armstrong of Linacres, a noted Northumbrian piper of the day. One of a series of eight oil paintings illustrating the history of the English border painted between 1856 and 1861.
William Bell Scott, then a drawing master at Newcastle, first met Sir Walter Trevelyan in 1854, as a result of the publication of his Poems by a Painter in that year. In the next year followed the commission to decorate the courtyard at Wallington, recently roofed over and changed into a hall, and by this means, according to Scott, ‘making the house comfortable’. Scott’s idea was to do a series of paintings illustrating the history of the English border, but before beginning he was prevailed upon by Lady Trevelyan (i.e. Pauline Jermyn, a literary figure who was the friend of Swinburne and other writers) to consult Ruskin. Scott, who had little affection for Ruskin and disapproved of Lady Trevelyan’s dependence upon his ideas – she had not, he considered, risen above ‘the Turner mania’ – was reluctant to follow her advice. Ruskin however was abroad at the time and indisposed. He gave his approval in principle to the plan, merely emphasising that the natural forms should be ‘uncommonly stiff’. Beginning in 1857 the series was exhibited at regular intervals at the Literary Society in Newcastle. The last picture was completed in 1861 but the scheme of decoration was not finished until 1863/64 when the spandrels high up near the vault were decorated with a progression of eighteen scenes from the Ballad of Chevy Chase, and the lower pilasters painted with local flora. Not all of the latter are by Bell Scott; one is by Ruskin, another by Arthur Hughes and others are by Lady Trevelyan and certain of her friends. In the same way, a variety of painters were engaged upon the portrait heads, in medallions, in the lower spandrels. Ruskin’s contribution is unfinished is sketchier. He is said to have quitted the house in a fury when Lady Trevelyan questioned his horticultural knowledge.
Marks and inscriptions: W B Scott Jan to June 1857 (signed and dated)
Provenance: Commissioned in 1855 by Sir Walter Trevelyan to decorate the courtyard at Wallington; began in 1857 and the series was exhibited at regular intervals at the Literary Society in Newcastle and completed in 1861 – the scheme of decoration was finished in 1863/64 when the spandrels high up near the vault were decorated with a progression of eighteen scenes from the Ballad of Chevy Chase, and the lower pilasters painted with local flora by other artists including Ruskin, Arthur Hughes, Pauline, Lady Trevelyan (1816-1866), as well as the portrait medallions, in the lower spandrels and portrait heads; given with the property to The National Trust in 1941 by Sir Charles Philips Trevelyan, 3rd Bt (1870 – 1958)
Recreating the past
In June 2026 photographer Phil Punton brought the painting “The Spur in the Dish” to life with actors and props in the Great Hall at Newcastle Castle. Visitors could become part of the art, by stepping into the painting and recreating the scene. The event took place as part of the ‘Carnival at the Castle’ seasonal programming.
Object description
Type: Easel painting
Location: Wallington Hall, Northumberland
Material: Oil on canvas
Artist: William Bell Scott (1811-1890)
Date: 1857
Image Details
Date: 11 September 2026
Camera body: iPhone Xs
Lens: Wide Camera 26mm ƒ/1.8
Focal Length: 26mm
Aperture: ƒ/1.8
Shutter Speed: 1/43s
ISO: 400
Licensing: Image of a National Trust asset. This image cannot be licensed.