Stratfield Saye House

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Stratfield Saye House is a large stately home at Stratfield Saye in the north-east of the English county of Hampshire. It has been the home of the Dukes of Wellington since 1817.

The main part of the house was built around 1630 by Sir William Pitt, Comptroller of the Household to King James I.

Extensive alterations were carried out to the house and park in the 18th century, by George Pitt, 1st Baron Rivers.

The house became the property of the Wellesley family in 1817, when it was purchased by Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington. He originally planned to demolish it, and replace it with a more prestigious home, to be known as Waterloo Palace. The Duke abandoned these plans in 1821 when they proved to be too expensive, and subsequently made numerous additions and improvements to the existing building.

The stables building now contains the Wellington Exhibition, which depicts the life and times of the 1st Duke. It houses a large collection of military mementoes, and the Duke's magnificent, cast bronze funeral carriage, made from melted-down French cannons captured at the Battle of Waterloo.

Strathfield, in New South Wales, Australia, was named after this house.