Hylands Park
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hylands Park is a country house and its surrounding 232-hectare (574 acre) park in Essex in southern England. It is rented by Chelmsford Borough Council. The park is generally open to the public except when used for special events, e.g. World Jamboree, V Festival. The house underwent restoration, which was completed in 2005. Currently the grounds are undergoing landscape restoration, which was completed in 2007.
[edit] History
Hylands House was built in 1730, for Sir John Comyns; the original house was a red brick Queen Anne-style mansion.
In 1797 Cornelius Kortright purchased Hylands House and employed the well-known landscape gardener Humphry Repton, who set about redesigning the gardens. Kortright added the east and west wings, a colonnaded portico and covered the whole house in white stucco. However despite the charms of Hylands and the county of Essex, Kortright did not live to see the house through to completion.
It was Pierre Labouchere, owner from 1814-1839, who completed Repton's design for Hylands House, which produced the present neo-classical style building.
In 1839 John Attwood purchased Hylands House, and it was under his ownership that the house was greatly altered to become the three storey country mansion that survived up until 1977.
Owner Arthur Pryor left his mark on the local community during his time at Hylands House, and under the ownership of Sir Daniel and Lady Mary Gooch numerous dignitaries and celebrities were entertained at Hylands.
[edit] Trivia
- Hylands House doubled as the US White House in the 2004 film Chasing Liberty.
- The park has hosted the annual V Festival since 1996.
- The 2nd European Scout Jamboree was held at Hylands Park from the 29th of July to the 10th of August 2005.
- The 21st World Scout Jamboree was held at Hylands Park from the 27th of July to the 8th of August 2007.
