Bramham Park facts for kids
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Bramham Park is a beautiful country house from the 1700s. It is located in Bramham, between the cities of Leeds and Wetherby, in West Yorkshire, England.
The house is built from light-colored stone and has a classic style. It has a main building connected by fancy walkways to two smaller buildings on the sides. The main part of the house has three floors. The house is surrounded by a huge park, about 500 acres (200 hectares) big. This park has many interesting small buildings and long tree-lined paths. Beyond the park, there are 1235 acres (500 hectares) of farmland. Every year, Bramham Park is also home to the famous Leeds Festival.
Contents
History of Bramham Park
This grand house was built starting in 1698 for a man named Robert Benson, 1st Baron Bingley. It was finished in 1710. The house has stayed in his family ever since. Robert Benson had no sons, so his daughter's husband, George Fox-Lane, inherited the estate. He was later given the special title of Baron Bingley in 1763.
After some changes in ownership within the family, the estate came to George Lane-Fox, who was known as "The Gambler." A big fire in 1828 badly damaged Bramham Park. The house was left empty and ruined for 80 years!
Around 1908, George Lane-Fox's grandson, also named George Lane-Fox, had the house completely restored. An architect named Detmar Blow helped with this big project. This George also received the Baron Bingley title in 1933.
Today, Bramham Park is still a private home. It belongs to Nick Lane Fox, who is a descendant of the original owners. The park is famous for hosting the annual Bramham Horse Trials, which started in 1974. It also hosts the Leeds Festival, which moved there in 2003.
Some parts of the grounds are open to visitors as gardens. You can also tour the house if you arrange it beforehand. The house was even used as a filming location for a TV show called The Syndicate.
Horse Racing and Hunting at Bramham
Horse races, known as the "York Races," were held at Bramham Moor from the early 1700s. Later, these races moved to another location, but races continued at Bramham into the late 1800s. The "Bramham Moor Hunt" was also very popular for a long time. Even Princess Mary enjoyed taking part in the hunt and its related horse races.
Architecture of the House
The design of Bramham Park was inspired by its first owner, Robert Benson's, travels. He went on a "Grand Tour" of Europe in 1697. While in Italy, he imagined building a new mansion in the Palladian style. He also wanted a beautiful park, like the ones popular in France, designed by people like André le Nôtre.
We don't know for sure who the architect of Bramham was. Some people think Giacomo Leoni might have been involved, but he arrived in England after the house was finished. Other names like James Gibbs or Thomas Archer have been suggested. It's known that James Paine designed the stables next to the main house.
Many believe that Robert Benson himself designed the house, possibly with help from a local artist. He might have been inspired by drawings from old books about architecture. The design of Bramham seems to be influenced by the Baroque style that was popular in France at the time, similar to parts of the Palace of Versailles. Some even think that Versailles' landscape designer, André le Nôtre, might have helped with Bramham's park.
The architect William Talman has also been suggested. He was working on Chatsworth House, another large house, not too far from Bramham. However, Bramham has two smaller buildings on its sides, connected to the main house by short walkways. These side buildings held the kitchen in the south and a chapel in the north. This design meant that both everyday needs and spiritual needs were equally important.
Inside the House
The inside of Bramham Park was fully restored in the early 1900s. It had been mostly empty after the big fire in 1828. The main Great Hall, which is two stories tall and has a simple Baroque design, still shows smoke stains on its stone walls from the fire.
Gardens and Other Buildings
The park around the house has several important and beautiful old structures.
- The Chapel
This building is behind the house. It was built around 1760 by James Paine. It has a classical style with two floors and a porch with four tall columns. It was first built as a fancy temple, then used as a greenhouse, and later as a summerhouse. Around 1906, it became a chapel.
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- The Gothic Temple
South of the house, you'll find the Gothic Temple. It was built in the 1700s in a Gothic style. It has two floors and an eight-sided shape with strong supports at each corner. In 1907, it was changed into a water tower to bring spring water to the house. It was used for this purpose until after World War II.
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- The Open Temple
The Open Temple was likely built in the early 1700s. It has a classical style with a three-part front and a triangular roof section. This temple was also known as the "Lead Lads Temple" because it used to have lead statues on its roof. Sadly, these statues 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 by James Paine. It is a round temple with 16 columns supporting a decorative top section. From this temple, six straight paths lead to other interesting spots on the estate.
Legacy of Bramham Park
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.
As mentioned, Bramham Park was used as the setting for the third series of the TV show The Syndicate in 2014. It was called "Hazelwood Manor" in the show.
See also
- Grade I listed buildings in West Yorkshire
- Listed buildings in Bramham cum Oglethorpe
- Listed buildings in Barwick in Elmet and Scholes
