| Salthrop House | |
|---|---|
|
Location within Wiltshire
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| General information | |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| Town or city | Wroughton, Wiltshire |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | |
| Completed | 1795 |
| Technical details | |
| Structural system | Brick |
| Design and construction | |
| Client | Thomas Calley |
| Architect | James Wyatt |
Salthrop House is a Grade II listed building on the Listed Buildings Register near the village of Wroughton, Wiltshire, in England.[1] The building was costructed on the site of a previous house built in the 17th century. The current house was built to the style of James Wyatt in 1795, with an entrance front to the west compromising of three bays with a central bow, whilst the north and east fronts are of four and five bays constructed in a Georgian style. The house has a principal room at each corner and a curved central staircase below an oval skylight. Most of the original fittings from the Georgian period have survived despite the numerous owners of the house. In the late 19th century a grey-brick service wing was added to the north of the house.[2]
Salthrop is situated in the 'Basset Down Estate' and today is known for its golf course.
In 1066 Salthrop belonged to Ulwin. In 1086 the estate passed to Humphrey Lisle and later passed with the rest of Humphrey's fief, which included Castle Combe, to the Dunstanville family. In 1242–3 Walter de Dunstanville held ownership until he died in 1269. The manor of Salthrop descended with the barony of Castle Combe and was given in 1309 by William de Montfort, (son of Parnel de Dunstanville and Robert de Montfort), to Bartholomew of Badlesmere, Lord Badlesmere. The Castle Combe estates passed after the execution of Badlesmere in 1322 to the Despensers. Salthrop and Castle Combe were reclaimed after the death of Hugh le Despenser in 1326, and restored by Badlesmere's widow Margaret in 1331. The estate passed to Margaret's son Giles, Lord Badlesmere for a short time until he died in 1338, then to his sister Margaret who died in 1344. Margaret was the wife of Lord John Tybotot, who died in 1367. The last known overlordship occurs in 1370 when it was held by Lord Robert Tybotot who died in 1372.[3]
As part of the barony of Castle Combe and Salthrop, a single fee, was held in 1242–3 by Geoffrey Bluet. In 1275 the fee was said to be divided between Robert Bluet and the abbot of Stanley, most of whose land, lay in the neighbouring parish of Lydiard Tregoze. In 1281 Salthrop was singley owned by Peter Bluet and his wife Lucy. In 1311 it was settled on Peter and Lucy for life with remainder to William Everard and his wife Beatrice. Peter had died by 1329 but Lucy lived until 1337 and she was succeeded by William Everard who died in 1343. William's son, Sir Edmund Everard inherited and maintained ownership jointly with his wife Felice until he died in 1370.
Upon his death, his sisters, Elizabeth, who was married to Robert of London, and Margaret, widow of Thomas of Ramsbury, jointly inherited the estate. Margaret left no heir, so upon her death in 1380 Salthrop was settled on Robert and Elizabeth who also left no heir and their estates were divided. Some of their manors passed via Robert's sister to the Calston family and then to the Darells of Littlecote in Ramsbury, but others including Salthrop, passed to the Lovel family.
Salthrop was held by Lord John Lovel and his wife Maud at the time of his death in 1408 which it then descended with Elcombe manor and the Charterhouse in the early 17th century.
In 1739 Thomas Bennet, whose ancestors from 1616 had lesed Salthrop, exchanged the manor with the governors of the Charterhouse for his manor of Costow. Bennet's heir was his daughter Martha who married Peter Legh of Lyme. Martha owned Salthrop and later inherited Lyme Park upon the death of Peter in 1754, until her own death in 1787. Their daughter Elizabeth Legh married Anthony James Keck, and secondly William Bathhurst Pye who later adopted the name Bennet. Elizabeth's daughter Elizabeth Keck married Thomas Calley of Burderop in Chiseldon, bringing Salthrop into the Calley family. Thomas's son, John James Calley, sold the manor to Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, whose son Arthur, Duke of Wellington, inherited Salthrop in 1852 upon his father's death. He later sold it in 1861 to M. H. N. Story-Maskelyne who lived there until his death in 1911. In 1976, Salthrop was owned by Mr. N. M. Arnold-Forster, a direct descendant of Story-Maskelyne.[4]