Barrington Court facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Barrington Court |
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| Location | Barrington, Somerset, England |
| Built | 1550s |
| Architectural style(s) | Tudor |
| Owner | National Trust |
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Listed Building – Grade I
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| Official name: Barrington Court | |
| Designated | 17 April 1959 |
| Reference no. | 1345920 |
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Listed Building – Grade II*
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| Official name: Wing to Barrington Court | |
| Designated | 17 April 1959 |
| Reference no. | 1056932 |
| Official name: Barrington Court | |
| Type | Grade II* |
| Designated | 20 September 1988 |
| Reference no. | 1000505 |
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Listed Building – Grade II
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| Official name: Gateway to west of forecourt area | |
| Designated | 20 September 1988 |
| Reference no. | 1056934 |
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Listed Building – Grade II
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| Official name: Motor House | |
| Designated | 20 September 1988 |
| Reference no. | 1264739 |
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Barrington Court is a grand old Tudor manor house in Barrington, England. It was started around 1538 and finished in the late 1550s. It also has a stable area from 1675.
Over the years, many families owned the house. By 1745, it was not well cared for and became a farm. An architect named Alfred Hoare Powell helped fix it up. In 1907, the National Trust bought it. The National Trust is a charity that protects historic places and natural beauty in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
In the 1920s, Colonel Lyle and his wife, 'Ronnie', helped renovate the house. They agreed to rent it for 99 years and fix it up. The old stable block became a home. New buildings, gardens, and gates were also added.
The house was once surrounded by a medieval deer park. In the 17th century, a fancy garden was built. This garden later disappeared. A new garden was designed by garden designer Gertrude Jekyll. It is in the Arts and Crafts-style. Today, it has walled kitchen gardens, fruit orchards, and beautiful flower gardens.
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History of Barrington Court
The land where Barrington Court stands has been lived on since the 11th century. By the 14th century, there was a large house to the north-east of the current building. You can still see signs of a moat there. In 1446, the owner, Giles Daubeney, 6th Baron Daubeney, passed away at Barrington. He left it to his son, Giles Daubeney, 1st Baron Daubeney. This Giles was an important person who worked for Kings Edward IV and Henry VII.
In 1514, Henry Daubeney inherited the manor. He was made an Earl of Bridgewater by Henry VIII. Henry Daubeney spent a lot of time in France and little time in Somerset. He might have started building the new house, but he ran out of money. It is not likely that much of the current building was his work.
The house was taken by the Crown. Then, it had different owners. One owner was Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk. In 1552, he sold it to William Clifton. William Clifton was a merchant from London. He was buying land in Somerset. It is believed that William Clifton or his son, John Clifton, built most of Barrington Court. They might have copied ideas from other large houses.
The house stayed in the Clifton family for some time. In 1605, Gervase Clifton sold it to Sir Thomas Phelips. Sir Thomas lived at Montacute House. The house was later used as a loan security. In 1625, it was sold to Colonel William Strode, Jr. The Strode family owned the house and land from 1625 until 1745. After that, it was bought by several different people. It was not kept up well and became known as Court Farm.
The inside of the house was damaged when it was used as a farm. There was also a fire in the early 1800s. It was almost falling apart before Alfred Hoare Powell helped fix it. The National Trust bought Barrington Court in 1907. In the 1920s, Colonel Abram Arthur Lyle, from Tate & Lyle, rented it. Abram Lyle and his wife, Elsie Ronalds Lyle (known as 'Ronnie'), brought the house back to life. They fixed up the main house and renovated Strode House. Strode House was built by Colonel Strode's son, William III, in 1674. It was originally a stable and coach block. At this time, the Lyles hired Gertrude Jekyll to design the three formal gardens. These gardens are still cared for today.
Barrington Court was one of the first big properties the National Trust bought. They did not realize how much it would cost to fix and maintain. Even 30 years later, it was used as an example of why the Trust should be careful about taking on other large country houses.
From 1986 to 2008, a company called Stuart Interiors rented Barrington Court. They sold old-style furniture. Stuart Interiors left in December 2008. The building does not have furniture now, but visitors can still explore it.
In 2014, the BBC filmed parts of their TV show Wolf Hall here. This show was about the Tudor period. In May 2015, the BBC program Antiques Roadshow also visited the house.
Architecture of Barrington Court
Many Elizabethan mansions, like Barrington Court, are shaped like an 'E'. They have large parts sticking out that hold staircases. The house is not perfectly even. For example, the main hall has two windows, but the buttery (a room for food and drink) has only one. The south side has seven pointed roofs called gables. These are supported by eight-sided pillars. They are decorated with twisted finials and English Crockets.
The main entrance leads into a passage. On the left is the main hall. On the right, there is a passage to the kitchen wing. This was a new idea for the time. A very long room called a long gallery runs across the entire upper floor of the house.
Strode House
The stables were built in 1674 by William Strode III. Around 1920, they were turned into a separate house. An architect named J.E. Forbes drew the plans. A new front was added to the building. This two-story brick building has Hamstone decorations and a hipped tile roof. A "fountain court" is right in front of the building.
Other Buildings
In the 1920s, a "motorhouse" was built. It was made in the Tudor style to match the other buildings. It has one main floor and an attic. The front of the building is decorated with lion statues.
The agent's house, called Beechams, was also built in the 1920s. It has two stories. There are also six small thatched cottages in Tudor style. A farmhouse and a barn from the same time period are also on the property.
Gates and Walls
There are many gates and walls around the estate and leading to the house. The gate to the west of the front yard was rebuilt in the 1920s. It has tall pillars and decorated tops. This allows a clear view of the house's balanced front. The gates to the east of the front yard and to the east of the south lawn have wrought iron gates. The wall around the front yard was also built around the same time. It has rectangular lily ponds at its base.
Gardens of Barrington Court
In the 16th century, the house was surrounded by a deer park. In the 1550s, William Clifton took legal action against local hunters. They were hunting deer in the park while he was away.
Parts of the original gardens still remain. These include a raised, rectangular area called a parterre. It is about 70 metres (230 ft) by 50 metres (160 ft). There is also a long pond or canal, about 12 metres (39 ft) by 110 metres (360 ft). We also have evidence that another formal garden from the 17th century existed.
Barrington Court is famous for its Arts and Crafts-style gardens. The famous garden designer Gertrude Jekyll created the planting plans. The gardens were designed in 1917 by J. E. Forbes for Lieut-Col. A. Arthur Lyle. There are several walled garden areas. These include a white garden, a rose and iris garden, and a lily garden. The original plans are being used to bring the gardens back to life. However, the types of plants have been changed. They now follow the design created by Mrs Lyle in the 1960s.
The walls of the kitchen garden were built in the 1920s. They have two gates with neoclassical designs. The gravel paths are laid out in a square shape. A fountain in the center has paths crossing it. This garden grows many fruit trees, vegetables, and soft fruits. There are also wide openings with wrought-iron gates for carriages.
The kitchen garden provides fresh food for the restaurant at Strode House. It grows many kinds of fruits and vegetables. The local St Mary & St Peter's Primary School also has a vegetable plot here. The children plant, care for, and cook the food they grow. Apple, pear, and plum trees grow along the walls. A squash court is also next to the garden.
About 20 metres (66 ft) south-west of the house is a very unusual sundial. It has many faces. It is made of stone and bronze and sits on a stone column. It is shaped like a dodecahedron (a shape with 12 flat faces). A lion statue sits on top. Colonel Lyle brought this sundial from California in 1920.
The gardens are listed as Grade II* on the National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens. This means they are very important historic gardens.
See also
- List of National Trust properties in Somerset
