Arundells facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Arundells
Front of Arundells from the Close
Location	59, The Close, Salisbury
OS grid reference	SU 14116 29644
Area	Wiltshire
Architectural style(s)	Queen Anne
Owner	Sir Edward Heath Charitable Foundation
Listed Building – Grade II*
Official name: Arundells
Designated	28 February 1952
Reference no.	1254399
Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).

Arundells is a special historic house located at 59 Cathedral Close in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England. It is a "Grade II* listed" building, which means it's very important and protected. This beautiful house was the home of Edward Heath, who was a former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, from 1985 until he passed away in 2005.

Today, Arundells and its large garden are open for everyone to visit. You can explore them five days a week from late March to late October each year.

Arundells: A Look at Its Past

Arundells started as a home for a church official, called a "canon," way back in the 1200s. The first person known to live there was Henry of Blunston, who was an Archdeacon. He lived there from 1291 to 1316. Many other canons lived in the house over the years.

One interesting resident was Leonard Bilson, who was put in prison in 1571. He was accused of practicing sorcery and magic. After that, the Cathedral Chapter, which managed the area, rented the house to other people.

How Arundells Got Its Name

In 1609, Sir Richard Mompesson rented the house and rebuilt a large part of it. Later, in 1718, John Wyndham took over the lease. Wyndham gave the house to his daughter. She married James Everard Arundel in 1752. He was the third son of the sixth Lord Arundel of Wardour. This is how the house got its current name, Arundells.

Schools and War Years

In the 1800s, Arundells was used as a school for girls called Godolphin School. It also housed a boarding school for boys at different times. Godolphin School, which is still in Salisbury today, moved out of Arundells after a serious outbreak of cholera in the city.

During the Second World War, Arundells was used by the Red Cross to store books and wool. After the war, the house became very run down. The Cathedral Chapter even thought about tearing it down.

Sir Edward Heath's Home

However, in 1964, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Hawkings bought the lease for a very small amount of money. They then fixed up the property. In 1985, when he was 69 years old, Sir Edward Heath bought Arundells. He liked it partly because it was close to the Solent, where he enjoyed sailing.

Sir Edward hired a famous interior designer, Derek Frost. Frost's job was to make the house modern while still respecting its old Queen Anne style. Frost designed special cabinets to show off Sir Edward's many trophies and awards. He also created custom furniture that is still in the house today. Arundells was the first home Sir Edward Heath ever owned. He had been Prime Minister from 1970 to 1974 and remained a Member of Parliament until 2001.

In 1993, Sir Edward bought the freehold of the house from Salisbury Cathedral. The Cathedral was raising money for its restoration work, and Sir Edward was a big supporter of their "Spire Appeal." After Sir Edward Heath passed away in July 2005, he left his estate to the Sir Edward Heath Charitable Foundation. This foundation was set up to make sure the house and its contents could be opened to the public as a place of historical interest.

Visiting Arundells: What You Can See

The ground-floor rooms at Arundells first opened to the public in 2008. Many people have visited since then. In spring 2014, the trustees opened some of the first-floor rooms for the first time. This included Heath's study, where he worked at a desk that once belonged to another Prime Minister, David Lloyd George.

Inside the House: Collections and Displays

On the first floor, you can now see political items and other special things. These include Heath's ministerial boxes and his personal banner from the Order of the Garter. The staircase is decorated with beautiful hand-painted Chinese wallpaper that shows classic legends.

Many important political figures have supported Arundells being open to the public. These include Tony Benn, who was a close friend of Heath, even though they had different political views. Other supporters included Douglas Hurd, Geoffrey Howe, David Hunt, and Kenneth Clarke.

A famous story is that Roy Jenkins, a lifelong friend of Heath, once looked out from a guest bedroom at Arundells. He said the view of Salisbury Cathedral was one of the ten best in the country. Heath famously replied, "Why, what are the other nine?"

Arundells is open to the public five days a week from late March to early November each year. It is closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Besides public visiting days, the house also hosts private events like music performances and talks.

Arundells' Amazing Collections

The house holds a unique collection of items that show Sir Edward Heath's life. They reflect his time in public service, his love for art, and his achievements in music and sailing. You can see many paintings, drawings, prints, and ceramics from Europe and Asia. There are also sailing items and political souvenirs.

• Art Collection: This includes paintings by famous artists like Churchill, Lowry, Sickert, and John. There is also a selection of Japanese woodblock prints.
• Asian Art: You can see an 8th-century Tang dynasty horse, a 16th-century Ming bowl, and a pair of vases from the Qianlong dynasty. These were given to Heath by Chairman Mao Zedong.
• Music: Heath's own Steinway piano is on display, along with other musical items.
• Sailing: You can explore Heath's yachting memorabilia. This includes nautical paintings, photographs, and models of his five Morning Cloud yachts. He raced these yachts during his lifetime.
• Political Cartoons: The house features original political cartoons by artists like Giles, Jak, and Low. These cartoons show Heath's political rivalries, such as with Harold Wilson and Margaret Thatcher. They also show events like Britain joining the European Community in 1973.

Among the many paintings, you can find Yachts at Sea by L. S. Lowry. There are also two paintings by Sir Winston Churchill, given to Heath by Churchill himself. You can also see works by John Piper, John Singer Sargent, Augustus John, and Walter Sickert. The collection also has Japanese woodblock prints by Utamaro and Hiroshi Yoshida.

The Sir Edward Heath Charitable Foundation

The Sir Edward Heath Charitable Foundation owns and manages Arundells. This charity was set up in Heath's will. Its current honorary chairman is John MacGregor, who worked for Heath in the 1960s. John Major, another former Prime Minister, is the president of the Foundation's fundraising campaign.

When Heath passed away in 2005, his estate was worth £5 million. The Foundation opened Arundells to the public in 2008. At first, it was hard for the property to make enough money to support itself. In 2010, the trustees thought about selling the house and its contents. They wanted to use the money for other charitable causes, especially music.

Keeping Arundells Open

However, local supporters, organized by the "Friends of Arundells," strongly opposed the sale. The Charity Commission then decided in 2011 that selling the house would be too soon. They asked the Foundation to try harder to meet Heath's wish for the house to be open to the public.

In December 2012, a group of Heath's former political advisers stepped in. Led by Peter Batey, they offered a plan to help fund the house. This plan would cover any money shortages in the short term. It also aimed to improve how the property was managed. They also worked to get permanent permission from Wiltshire Council for the house and garden to be open all the time.

The Cathedral Chapter had objected to the permanent opening. They worried it might change the area's character by making it too "commercial." However, Wiltshire Council overruled their objections. The Batey proposal was accepted in November 2013, ensuring Arundells would stay open permanently.

Since then, some of the first-floor rooms, including Heath's study, have opened to the public. The Foundation now holds lectures, seminars, and exhibitions at the house and in Salisbury. These events cover topics like British politics, Heath's music, sailing, and his military career. The house now has a permanent exhibition about Heath's time in the military. You can also learn about the house's history before he lived there.

The official Arundells website, run by the Foundation, has videos and audio about Heath's life. This includes a BBC documentary called 'Wilson versus Heath: The Ten-Year Duel'. This film looks at the political rivalry between Heath and Harold Wilson from 1965 to 1975.