Bramshill House

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Bramshill House (photo by Andrew Smith, 2006)

Bramshill House is a Jacobean mansion standing on 269 acres (1.09 km²) of land in the civil parish of Bramshill in north-east Hampshire in England. It has been the location of the Police Staff College since 1955.

[edit] History

Reference to Bramshill (or Bromeselle) can be traced back to Saxon times. In the 14th century, it was the home of Thomas Foxley, who rebuilt Windsor Castle for the Crown. He appears to have used masons from Windsor in erecting a small castle or fortified manor house at Bramshill in 1327. Their work can still be seen in the cellars of the present house.

In 1605, Edward Zouche, 11th Baron Zouche of Harringworth, bought the property from Sir Stephen Thornhurst of Agnes Court, Kent. He demolished a large part of the building and began to build the Bramshill house of today. This was completed in 1612. The building included both a chapel and priest’s hole.

In 1622, while hunting in the park, George Abbot, Archbishop of Canterbury accidentally shot and killed one of the keepers with his cross-bow. It almost caused his downfall.

In 1699, the property was purchased by Sir John Cope whose family continued to lived there until 1935. The Cope family demolished the chapel during the 18th century. Later, the house was the home of Lord Brocket.

During World War II, the exiled King Michael and Queen Marie of Romania lived at Bramshill.