Bramham Park facts for kids
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Bramham Park is a beautiful old country house from the 1700s. It's located in Bramham, a village between the cities of Leeds and Wetherby in West Yorkshire, England. This grand house is made of special stone called magnesian limestone and has stone roofs. It's built in a classical style, with a main building connected by walkways to smaller buildings on each side.
The house is surrounded by a huge park, about 500 acres, which is like a giant garden with interesting structures and tree-lined paths. This park is famous for hosting the annual Leeds Festival, a big music event.
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History of Bramham Park
This impressive house was started in 1698 for a man named Robert Benson. He later became the first Baron Bingley. The house was finished in 1710 and has stayed in his family ever since. Robert Benson didn't have any sons, so his title of Baron Bingley ended when he died.
The estate then went to his son-in-law, George Fox-Lane. He was given the title Baron Bingley again in 1763. However, his son died before him, so the title ended a second time when George passed away in 1773. The estate was then inherited by his daughter, Mary, and later by his nephew, James Fox-Lane, who made many improvements to the property.
Challenges and Restoration
The estate later went to James's son, George Lane-Fox, who was known as "The Gambler." In 1828, a big fire damaged Bramham Park. Because of the fire, George had to move to another house nearby. Bramham Park was left empty and damaged for 80 years!
It was finally restored around 1908 by George Lane-Fox, a grandson of "The Gambler." An architect named Detmar Blow helped with the restoration. This George also became Baron Bingley in 1933, but he had four daughters and no sons, so the title ended for a third time when he died.
His oldest daughter, Marcia, inherited the house. Her husband, Joe Ward-Jackson, took on the Lane-Fox family name. Their son, George Lane Fox (who lived from 1931 to 2012), moved into the house after serving in the army. He helped make the estate financially strong again. In 1974, he started the annual Bramham Horse Trials, a famous equestrian event.
Today, Bramham Park is still a private home, owned by George's son, Nick. The park continues to host the Horse Trials and the Leeds Festival, which moved there in 2003. You can visit parts of the grounds, which are open as a tourist attraction. You can also tour the house if you arrange it beforehand.
Bramham Park was also used as a filming location for the TV show The Syndicate in 2014.
Horse Racing and Hunting History
In the 1700s, horse races called the "York Races" were held at Bramham Moor. These races later moved to another location, but races continued at Bramham until the late 1800s. The Bramham Moor Hunt, a group that hunted with horses and hounds, was very popular for a long time. It still exists today as the Badsworth and Bramham Moor Hunt. Even Princess Mary (a member of the Royal Family) took part in the Bramham Moor Hunt and its related races.
Architecture of the House
Bramham Park was inspired by Robert Benson's "Grand Tour" of Europe in 1697. While in Italy, he imagined building a new house in the "Palladian" style, which was popular for its balanced and classical look. He also wanted a grand park, similar to the famous gardens designed by Le Nôtre in France.
The person who designed Bramham Park is not fully known. Some people think it might have been Robert Benson himself, working with a local builder. The design of the house seems to be inspired by the "Baroque" style, which was popular in France at the time, similar to the grand Palace of Versailles.
The house has a main block with two lower wings that stick out. These wings are connected to the main house by short walkways called colonnades. The south wing used to hold the kitchen, and the north wing had a chapel. This design was meant to balance both everyday needs and spiritual ones.
Inside Bramham Park
The inside of Bramham Park was completely fixed up in the early 1900s. It had been mostly empty and damaged after the big fire in 1828. The main Great Hall, which is two stories tall and has a strong Baroque design, still shows some smoke stains on its stone walls from the fire.
Gardens and Structures
The park around Bramham Park has many beautiful and old structures. Some of these are listed as Grade I, meaning they are very important historical buildings.
- The Chapel
The Chapel is located behind the main house. It was built around 1760 by James Paine. It's made of the same local stone as the house and has a classical style with four tall columns at the front. It was first built as a temple, then used as a greenhouse, and later as a summerhouse. It became a chapel around 1906.
- The Gothic Temple
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South of the house is the Gothic Temple, also built in the 1700s. It has a Gothic style, with eight sides and strong supports at each corner. In 1907, it was turned into a water tower to bring spring water to the house. It was used for this purpose until after World War II.
- The Open Temple
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The Open Temple was likely built in the early 1700s. It's made of stone and has a classical design with a triangular top supported by three sections. This temple was also known as the "Lead Lads Temple" because it used to have lead statues on its roof, but these were stolen.
- The Ionic Temple or Rotunda
This temple stands in an area called Black Fen, about a mile from the house. It was probably built in the mid-1700s. It's a round temple with 16 columns around it. From this temple, six straight paths lead to other interesting spots on the estate.
Legacy and Filming
Bramham Island in British Columbia, Canada, was named after Bramham Park. Other nearby places, like Slingsby Channel and the Fox Islands, were also named in connection with the park's history.
As mentioned before, Bramham Park was used as the fictional Hazelwood manor in the third series of the TV show The Syndicate in 2014.
See also
- Grade I listed buildings in West Yorkshire
- Listed buildings in Bramham cum Oglethorpe
- Listed buildings in Barwick in Elmet and Scholes
