Table of Contents
Is there hope for this majestic home that is in danger?
Although Wentworth Woodhouse is the largest private residence in England, few people are familiar with it. The Grade I-listed mansion, which is situated on 87 acres of land and is surrounded by a 15,000-acre estate, used to stage the most lavish balls in the nation before a series of sad occurrences caused it to be abandoned for more than 25 years. Click or scroll down to learn more about the house’s interesting history and the recent repairs that aim to bring it back to its former glory.
A complicated past
The Wentworth family is said to have occupied the land as early as the 14th century, according to archives. Wentworth Woodhouse has a complicated history. The house as it is today was built beginning in the early 18th century, combining previous components dating back to roughly 1630.
Since then, Wentworth Woodhouse has been passed down through several generations of aristocratic families in England, including the Fitzwilliams, Watsons, and Wentworths. The Wentworth House Preservation Trust bought it in 2017 and has started the huge job of fixing it up after it had been in bad shape for years.
A two-pronged sword
The Fitzwilliams became one of the wealthiest families in the nation as a result of the discovery of coal at their stately estate, which also contributed to their final demise. The 8th Earl of Wentworth was compelled to allow mining on the estate after the Labour Party’s 1947 nationalization of coal mines.
After some of the home and its gardens were damaged in the process, Wentworth began to have foundational problems. Just before the mining operation started, the Earl and Countess of Fitzwilliam were spotted visiting Wentworth Woodhouse.
Multimillion-pound restoration
The estate was purchased by the Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust in 2017 for £7 million ($9.5 million). Initial estimates for a major restoration effort to restore the ancient property to its former grandeur ranged from £40 million ($54 million) to £200 million ($270 million), but calculations in 2018 put the amount closer to £200 million ($270 million
). The Trust intended that, after restoration, the estate would draw a large number of visitors, reestablishing Wentworth Woodhouse as a popular tourist destination.
Follow us on Facebook
An unusual stately home
| Wikimedia Commons / Andrewrabbott (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The 1st Marquess of Rockingham, and his son, extended and restored the small Jacobean home that served as the foundation of Wentworth in the 18th century. The artwork produced an estate with two houses that were erected next to one another in various architectural styles. The west side is the oldest. It is made of red bricks and has English Baroque stone decorations.
Unprecedented lengths
Construction on the east wing started in 1731, and Palladian architecture quickly emerged as the obvious choice for the great front entry, leaving the west side as a family-only entrance. It is believed to have the longest European country house façade at 606 feet.
The country’s largest ballroom
Some of the best Georgian interiors in the nation are thought to be found at Wentworth. The most famous room in the big stately home is the 60-foot-square Marble Saloon, with its intricate ceiling plasterwork and beautiful rosette marble floor.
Fit for a king.
In its day, the Marble Saloon would have played host to some of the most lavish occasions in the nation, such as a dance that Russian prima ballerina Anna Pavlova performed for King George V. Every corner of the house shows regrettable signs of deterioration, like peeling plaster that needs to be fixed right away.
Recurring events in history
Elegant ballerina dancer Fay Lowe can be seen in this image replicating the well-known dance done for the king. In April 2021, more than a hundred years after the original show, Lowe posed gracefully while doing her routine in the hall.
An ambitious undertaking
The magnificent home’s most impressive rooms will eventually be exposed to the public after 20 years of restoration work that is scheduled to take place. Tours can be taken of the main house and gardens, but only private functions are permitted in the north wing. There are also plans to build self-contained apartments for vacation rentals, producing a strong cash stream that should see the property flourish for decades to come. It costs a fortune to maintain such a large estate.
Fantastic inspiration?
Some scholars claim that Wentworth Woodhouse was even the model for Pemberley Estate in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. The Jane Austen Society, on the other hand, says that there is no evidence that the author ever went to Yorkshire, let alone the estate, while she was alive.
National treasures
In the appropriately named Whistlejacket Room, a replica of George Stubbs’ painting of the racehorse Whistlejacket hangs, framed by intricate gold mouldings. Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham, owned the racehorse, which at the time enjoyed some notoriety. The National Gallery in London is where the original painting is on display.
A Room with a Whistle Jacket
One of Charles’ best horses, Whistlejacket, earned the Marquess 2,000 guineas in just 1759. The background of the picture of Whistlejacket is blank, which is unusual and suggests that the Marquess ordered a rare portrait of just his favorite horse, which drew attention from the whole room.
The several personalities of Wentworth Woodhouse
The estate was maintained after the nationalization of the coal mining sector by renting space to the Lady Mabel College of Physical Education. Many of the women who went to the school, which opened at Wentworth in the 1950s, remember using its fancy rooms as dance studios and test rooms.
Classical influences
The South Lodge, built in the Doric style in 1830, previously served as a gatehouse and a guards’ private dwelling on the Wentworth Woodhouse estate. The building has three private bedrooms and was built in the style of classical Greek architecture. It has columns, an architrave, and a pediment.
The Ghost of Wentworth Woodhouse
The stable block is also receiving extensive renovations and will soon be transformed into offices, homes, and vacation rentals. The stables are said to be haunted by a tall, black man who roams the halls at night. Both employees and guests have reported seeing them.
Wentworth WoodHouse’s future
The Preservation Trust is currently looking to renovate abandoned structures like the Camellia House, Stables South Range, and the riding school to add more amenities and attractions for tourists and the local population. This enormous home renovation project will undoubtedly go down in history.
Source : loveproperty | Please Dm for any credit for any removals
Read more: How to Ruin a Ruin: Renovation of Bokor Hill Palace in Cambodia
