Ashburnham House facts for kids
Ashburnham House is a historic building in Westminster, London, United Kingdom. It's located on Little Dean's Yard and has been part of Westminster School since 1882. Sometimes, you can visit it to see its beautiful staircase and rooms.
The house got its current look after the English Restoration period. This was when Charles Ashburnham, a friend of King Charles II, leased it. It became a London home for his family, who later became the Earls of Ashburnham. For a long time, people thought famous architects like Inigo Jones designed the house. But now, many believe architect William Samwell was the main designer. The Ashburnham family lived there for less than 80 years. In 1730, John Ashburnham, 1st Earl of Ashburnham sold the lease to the Crown (the government).
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A Long History: Medieval Roots
There has been a building on this spot for a very long time, even since the 1000s! The Ashburnham House we see today includes parts of an old medieval building called the Prior's House. Its garden is where the monks' dining hall (called a refectory) used to be.
This refectory was also an early meeting place for the House of Commons. This is the main law-making body in the UK. For example, they met there to accuse Piers Gaveston of crimes during the time of Edward II. If you look closely at the ground floor, you can see old stone walls. These show how old the house truly is, dating back before the monastery was closed in the 1500s.
The Cotton Library and a Big Fire
Ashburnham House once held a very important collection of old books and papers. This was the Cotton library, started by Sir Robert Cotton. It contained many historic legal and government documents. Later, the Old Royal Library was added to this collection. The house also became the home of Dr. Richard Bentley, who looked after the King's libraries.
Today, these books and papers are a key part of the British Library's huge collection. But on October 23, 1731, a fire broke out in Ashburnham House. Many precious items were damaged. Records from that time say Dr. Bentley bravely jumped from a window, saving the priceless Codex Alexandrinus under his arm! One copy of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle was almost completely destroyed. The famous Beowulf manuscript also suffered damage, which was reported in The Gentleman's Magazine.
Ashburnham House and Westminster School
In 1739, the Dean and Chapter (the leaders of Westminster Abbey) bought the property back from the Crown. It then became the home of the sub-dean, who was like the prior's direct helper.
For 20 years, there was a big argument between the leaders of Westminster Abbey and Westminster School. A group called the Clarendon Commission said the Abbey should give the house to the school. This was supposed to happen after the current resident, Reverend Lord John Thynne, moved out. Lord John lived there with his wife and nine children! The Abbey leaders tried to avoid giving the house to the school. But after a debate in Parliament, their plan was stopped. Lord John lived there until 1881. He once surprised the headmaster, Dr. Gow, who was looking over his garden wall. Lord John leaned out a window and said, "Not dead yet, Dr. Gow!"
Ashburnham House was the first home for Westminster School's first day-house (a group for students who don't live at the school). This house was also called Ashburnham House. It stayed there until 1951, when it moved to 6 Dean's Yard. Day students continued to have lunch there until the 1970s. The old medieval ground floor is now used for meals and events. The beautiful 1600s drawing rooms on the first floor are now a wonderful library for the school.
During World War II
During the Second World War, Ashburnham House played a secret role. The library became a communications center for the Royal Air Force. It was also used as a top-secret meeting place for military leaders. To hide this, the ground floor was disguised as "The Churchill Club" for important American officers.
See also
- Ashburnham Place
