Bolehyde Manor

Bolehyde Manor is a 14th century manor house at Allington, near Chippenham, Wiltshire. It is a Grade II listed building within the Allington conservation area.[1]

Contents

History

The house takes its name from Thomas de Bolehyde who was a tenant,[2] however, it is said to have been built with "money embezzled from the monks"[3] and thought to have been in the possession of Glastonbury Abbey.[4]

It later came into the possession of the Snell family of Kington St. Michael, probably in the 16th century, and was sold by Sir Charles Snell to John Cole in 1635, remaining in the possession of that family until the late 19th century.[2]

Andrew and Camilla Parker Bowles moved there in 1973, and its vegetable garden is reputed, falsely, to be the location of Prince Charles' proposal of marriage to Lady Diana Spencer.[5][6] It is now occupied by the Earl and Countess Cairns.[5]

Architecture

The house itself is a large 17th century stone-tiled rubble stone building. Parts are possibly 16th century and it contains a Tudor-arched fireplace. Outside there is a mid 17th century dovecote and two summer houses. The frontage includes a two storey porch topped by a balustrade having Georgian busts at its front corners. It has been said that a skirmish between Cornish troops of King Charles and the Roundheads took place in the locality.[2]

Modern times

The gardens of the house are open to the public on one day each year through the National Gardens Scheme.[7]

References