Delaford is the ancestral home of Colonel Brandon, which he inherited upon the early death of his brother. It is located in Dorsetshire and is reasonably close to Barton. The action in the novel never actually travels to Delaford but the reader hears much of it from Mrs. Jennings and, occasionally, Brandon himself.
Delaford appears to have its own surrounding village. Mrs. Jennings says that it is “close to the church, and only a quarter of a mile from the turnpike-road, so ‘tis never dull.” She later adds that there is “a butcher hard by in the village and the parsonage-house within a stone’s throw,” little anticipating that this proximity will later be of interest to the Dashwood girls.
We are led to believe that the estate is a fairly modest one. Mrs. Jennings says that it was never reckoned at more than £2,000 per anum and that she suspects Brandon inherited quite a bit of debt and ill-management from his brother.
Architecture and Decor
Mrs. Jennings describes Delaford as a “nice old fashioned place, full of comforts and conveniences.”Later on, she adds that it “has five sitting rooms on the ground-floor, and I think the housekeeper told me could make up fifteen beds!”
Park, Gardens and Land
Mrs. Jennings says that the house is “quite shut in with great garden walls that are covered with the best fruit-trees in the country,” with “such a mulberry tree in one corner!” She goes on to say that “there is a dove-cote, some delightful stew-ponds, and a very pretty canal; and every thing in short, that one could wish for.”
Later on, Mrs. Jennings mentions a yew arbor back behind the house with trees high enough to climb. John Dashwood later confirms this, praising the woods associated with the estate and saying “I have not seen such timber any where in Dorsetshire, as there is now standing in Delaford Hanger.”
History and Context
Based on the general attitude towards Delaford, it sounds like an older home -- perhaps an early Palladian, but more likely Baroque or even Jacobean. We are given several clues, such as Mrs. Jennings’ praise of the gardens or how comfortable the home is, that suggest Brandon has is a diligent master who has carefully maintained the house, despite the condition it was in before he inherited.
