Lainston House
| Lainston House, an Exclusive Hotel | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General information | |
| Location |
Woodman Lane, Sparsholt, Winchester, Hampshire, SO21 2LT, United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 51°4′56″N 1°22′9″W / 51.08222°N 1.36917°W |
| Opening | 1981 |
| Owner | Exclusive Hotels and Venues |
| Design and construction | |
| Developer | Christopher Wren |
| Other information | |
| Number of rooms | 50 |
| Parking | Helipad and standard parking |
| Website | |
| Lainstonhouse.com | |
Lainston House, an Exclusive Hotel, is a 17th-century country house hotel in Winchester, Hampshire in the south of England.[1][2] It is a Grade II* listed building. [3]
History
Lainston House is noteworthy for several reasons throughout history. Commissioned by Charles II to build a palace at Winchester, renowned English architect Sir Christopher Wren started work on the site in 1683 by building on the grounds of an earlier medieval dwelling. It became known as the dwelling place of Charles and his mistress Louise de Keroualle before he died in 1685.[4]
Half a century later, Lainston House became the scene of a major societal scandal. Lainston House's private chapel became the location of the secret late-night marriage between Elizabeth Chudleigh and Augustus Hervey, in August 1744. Maintaining privacy about the ceremony lest their employment be endangered, their union did not last long and Elizabeth went on to marry Evelyn Pierrepont, 2nd Duke of Kingston-upon-Hull. The validity of the ceremony held at Lainston House's chapel became the focal point of bigamy charges and legal proceedings against Elizabeth which pursued her until her death in 1788.[5][6]
Lainston House's tree-lined grounds also contain the longest line of limes in England (9/10ths of a mile), some dating back to 1716.[7] The trees which were planted across the grounds after the influence of gardener and diarist Sir John Evelyn.[8]
Lainston House and its parkland was sold off from private ownership in the 1980s, and currently operates as a luxury 5 star hotel.
Location
Lainston House is located in Sparsholt, Winchester, Hampshire. The nearest airports are London Heathrow and Southampton Airport. The nearest railway station is Winchester.
References
- ↑ Davies, Gareth Huw (1 June 2009). "Six things you must do in...Winchester". Daily Mail (London, United Kingdom). Retrieved 18 January 2010.
- ↑ Butler, Sophie (23 September 2003). "The Sophie Butler report: The great outdoors". Daily Telegraph (London, United Kingdom). Retrieved 18 January 2010.
- ↑ "Name: LAINSTON HOUSE List entry Number: 1095761". Historic England. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
- ↑ "History of the Hotel". Retrieved 18 January 2010.
- ↑ "History of the Hotel". Retrieved 18 January 2010.
- ↑ "Chudleigh, Elizabeth, Countess of Bristol". Retrieved 18 January 2010.
- ↑ "20 things you may not know about Winchester". Retrieved 18 January 2010.
- ↑ "History of the Hotel". Retrieved 18 January 2010.