| St Catherine's Court | |
|---|---|
St Catherine's Court north front. |
|
| General information | |
| Town or city | St Catherine |
| Country | England |
| Completed | 16th century |
| Design and construction | |
| Client | William Blanchard |
St Catherine's Court is a grade I listed Tudor manor house in a secluded valley north of Bath, England.[1]
The manor of St Catherine belonged to the Prior of Bath in medieval times. It takes its name from the church of St Catherine[2] beside the manor house.[3]
The oldest part of the house is Elizabethan. It was remodelled by William Blanchard, who bought St Catherine's Court and its estate in 1594. His initials appear in the plasterwork frieze of a bedroom. In the Victorian period Richard Strutt extended the house and added an orangery.[3]
In 1984, actress Jane Seymour bought the house with her then husband David Flynn for £350,000.[4] After spending £3 million on refurbishments,[5] Seymour spent summers at the house. After her divorce from Flynn and marriage to American film producer James Keach, Seymour rented the manor as a film set, recording studio and latterly country house estate/hotel for corporate events and weddings. The English band The Cure recorded their album Wild Mood Swings there in 1996; and the rock band Radiohead recorded most of their 1997 album OK Computer there. English Rock/Electronic Band New Order also recorded part of their 2005 album Waiting for the Sirens' Call there, And the Home was also Rented by Robbie Williams as seen in the first episode of MTV Cribs.
In May 2007, Seymour was granted a 24-hour alcohol and entertainment licence under new UK regulations, by Bath and North East Somerset council. Neighbours complained the access lane was too narrow and the noise excessive.[6] Seymour won the court battle, but sold the house in November 2007 to an unknown buyer.[4]