Ragley Hall

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A birdseye view of Ragley Hall published in the late 1690s. The house was not then complete and the drawing may in part show the proposed form of the house and garden rather than their actual state at that time.

Ragley Hall (grid reference SP073555) is located south of Alcester, Warwickshire, eight miles west of Stratford-upon-Avon. It is the family home of the Marchioness and Marquess of Hertford, and is one of the great houses of England.

[edit] The present day

The House and the 400-acre grounds are seasonally open to the public. The Hall abounds with fine paintings, ceramics and antique furniture. It is the site of the Jerwood Sculpture Park, opened July 2004. The Park includes works that won the Jerwood Sculpture Prizes, and the work of Dame Elizabeth Frink, among others.

[edit] History

Ragley Hall was designed by Robert Hooke in 1680, and belatedly completed in the mid 1700s. The architect James Gibbs was involved in the later stages of the project. The grounds were landscaped by Capability Brown. During both world wars Ragley Hall served as a hospital.