Stansted Park

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Stansted Park and Stansted House is near the city of Chichester, West Sussex, United Kingdom. It is nearest the village of Rowlands Castle over the boarder in Hampshire.

The Grade II listed Edwardian country house is set in the 1750 park, with woodland and grazing land with deer. Stansted House has Carolean revival decor and a lavishly decorated Chapel of St Paul, that was an inspiration to the poet Keats.

The house began as a hunting lodge in the 11th century. It was built on the present site in 1688 for Richard Lumley, probably to a design by William Talman.

The original house, was burnt down in 1900 and rebuilt, on the exact footprint of the previous building in 1903. It was purchased by the Bessborough family in 1924 and owned by the 9th and 10th Earls throughout their lifetimes. The history of Stansted Park since the 12th century is told in Lord Bessborough's book "The Enchanted Forest".

Since 1983 the House and Estate have been owned by Stansted Park Foundation, a charitable trust charged with the preservation of the estate for the benefit of the nation, which was the wish of the last owner, Frederick Ponsonby, 10th Earl of Bessborough.

Stansted is open to the public from Easter to September.