Hadspen house and garden

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Hadspen House
Hadspen house and garden (Somerset)
Hadspen house and garden
Shown within Somerset
Building information
Town Pitcombe
Country England
Coordinates 51°05′29″N 2°29′27″W / 51.0915, -2.4908Coordinates: 51°05′29″N 2°29′27″W / 51.0915, -2.4908
Completion date 18th century

Hadspen house and garden is an estate between Pitcombe and Ansford, Somerset.

Hadspen House was bought before 1747 by Vickris Dickinson, and then sold in 1767 to Charles Medows and subsequently to John Ford who in 1785 sold it to Henry Hobhouse.[1] His son Arthur was born there and it has remained in the family ever since.[2]

[edit] House

The house was built for William Player in the late 17th century, but has undergone several major restorations. It is built of Cary stone ashlar, with a hipped Welsh slate roof behind parapets and stone chimney stacks. It has been designated by English Heritage as a grade II* listed building.[3]

Within the grounds are a Coach House,[4] cottage,[5] granary,[6] south west lodge,[7] stables[8] and summerhouse.[9] There are also plans to built a number of modern follies in the grounds.[10]

The clock house was an old barn converted into a modern five-bedroom dwelling in 2000.[11]

[edit] Garden

William Player created formal gardens and courts around the house within a private park of 300 acres (121 ha) with two fountains, and planted avenues on three axes. The plantations behind the house were cut in the mid 18th century by vistas and ornamented with an artificial mount and a seat.[12] The terraces and formal gardens were created in the 20th century around the house and on Pen Hill, including a large walled area later associated with a commercial nursery. [2] which attracted some controversy about the appropriateness of the competition, including the bulldozing of the old garden and the selection of the architects.[13][14]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Burke, John (1838). A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Commoners of Great Britain, 360. 
  2. ^ a b Pitcombe. British History Online. Retrieved on 2007-11-24.
  3. ^ Hadspen House. Images of England. Retrieved on 2007-11-24.
  4. ^ Coach House, 30 metres West North West of Hadspen House. Images of England. Retrieved on 2007-11-24.
  5. ^ Cottage, 25 metres North of Hadspen House. Images of England. Retrieved on 2007-11-24.
  6. ^ Granary, 40 metres North West of Hadspen House. Images of England. Retrieved on 2007-11-24.
  7. ^ South West Lodge to Hadspen House. Images of England. Retrieved on 2007-11-24.
  8. ^ Stables and Byre adjoining, about 40 metres West of Hadspen House. Images of England. Retrieved on 2007-11-24.
  9. ^ Summerhouse, about 70 metres East of Hadspen House. Images of England. Retrieved on 2007-11-24.
  10. ^ Glancey, Jonathan. "Noble Folly", The Guardian, 2002-08-12. Retrieved on 2007-11-24. 
  11. ^ Clock House. Rightmove. Retrieved on 2007-11-24.
  12. ^ A New Walled Garden at Hadspen. Hadspen Parabola. Retrieved on 2007-11-24.
  13. ^ Rawsthorn, Alice. "Controversy over changes at Hadspen Garden", International Herald Tribune, 2007-07-20. Retrieved on 2007-11-24. 
  14. ^ Hadspen’s scorched earth. BD The architects web site. Retrieved on 2007-11-24.