Chastleton House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chastleton House |
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Front elevation
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| Type | Country house |
| Location | Chastleton, Oxfordshire |
| Built | 1607–12 |
| Architect | attributed to Robert Smythson |
| Architectural style(s) | Jacobean |
| Owner | National Trust |
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Listed Building – Grade I
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| Official name: Chastleton House | |
| Designated | 15 December 1954 |
| Reference no. | 1197988 |
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Chastleton House is a beautiful old country house in Chastleton, Oxfordshire, England. It's a great example of a Jacobean house, which means it was built during the time of King James I (1603-1625). Since 1991, the house has been looked after by the National Trust, a charity that protects historic places. It's also a Grade I listed building, meaning it's a very important historic site.
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Discovering Chastleton House's Past
Chastleton House was built between 1607 and 1612. It was likely designed by Robert Smythson. The house was built for Walter Jones, who was a very successful lawyer. His family originally made their money as wool merchants in Wales. Walter bought the land in 1602 from Robert Catesby. The old building on the spot was taken down to make way for this new house. Chastleton House is made from local Cotswold stone. It is built around a small open area called the Dairy Court.
A Brave Escape During the English Civil War
Chastleton House is famous for an exciting story from the English Civil War. This war was fought between those who supported King Charles I (called Royalists) and those who supported Parliament (called Roundheads). Arthur Jones, Walter Jones's grandson, was a Royalist. He was fighting for King Charles II.
One day, Arthur was being chased by Oliver Cromwell's soldiers, who were Roundheads. He galloped back to Chastleton House. His loyal wife, Sarah, quickly hid him in a secret closet above the porch. Then, she cleverly tricked the soldiers. She even saddled one of their own horses for Arthur to use for his escape!
Mary Whitmore Jones: A Creative Heir
In 1874, Mary Whitmore Jones became the owner of Chastleton House. She was 51 years old when her brother, Willie, passed away. This made her the first woman in her family to inherit the estate. Mary was a talented writer. She also designed a special game board called the Chastleton Patience Board. This board was later made by a company called J. Jaques & Son.
Exploring the House: Outside and In
Chastleton House is special because it's different from many other grand houses of its time. It doesn't have a huge, fancy park leading up to it. Instead, it was built right within the village of Chastleton. The village provided many services for the house, like a laundry, a fishpond, and a place to bake bread.
Another unique thing is that the same family owned the house for almost 400 years. When the National Trust took over in 1991, they decided to care for the house in a special way. Instead of completely restoring it, they chose a method called 'controlled decay' or conservation. This means they try to keep the house as it was when they got it. This way, visitors can see it almost exactly as the family left it. Because of this approach, many rooms in the house are open for people to explore.
The Long Gallery and Great Chamber
One of the most impressive rooms is the Long Gallery. It has a beautiful barrel vaulted ceiling, which looks like the inside of a barrel. This gallery is about 72 feet long. It's an amazing feature that has survived from that time.
The Great Chamber is also very interesting. This room was designed for entertaining important guests and for playing music. Its design was inspired by the Renaissance period in Italy. The walls have special wooden panels. Around the top of the room, there are painted circles showing the twelve prophets from the Old Testament and twelve ancient prophetesses.
In the Great Chamber, you can also see some special Jacobite glasses. These glasses have engravings of roses, oak leaves, and a compass rose. These symbols show that the family supported the Jacobite cause in the 1700s. The Jacobites wanted to bring the Stuart family back to the throne of England.
Historic Treasures Within the House
Another important item in the house is the Juxon Bible. It is said that this Bible was used by William Juxon during the execution of King Charles I. William Juxon later became the Archbishop of Canterbury. His family lived nearby, and it's believed the Bible was given to the Jones family because they also had Jacobite sympathies.
In 1919, some important tapestries (large woven pictures) were found at the house. One of these tapestries is now on display in the Middle Chamber. Another is part of the permanent collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
The Historic Chastleton Garden
The garden at Chastleton is also very old and special. It's a Grade II listed garden. There's no proof that a garden existed here before the house was finished in 1612. The garden walls are from the 17th century. Evidence suggests the garden has been laid out in a similar way for 400 years.
The garden follows ideas from a book called The English Husbandman (1613) by Gervase Markham. This book suggested having a forecourt in front of the house. It also suggested a "bass court" on one side for stables and farm buildings. The other two sides of the house should have gardens. These gardens would include an orchard, a kitchen garden, and a "best" or pleasure garden with more decorative plants.
The Birthplace of Croquet
To the north of the house, there are terraces built on the sloping ground. Today, the middle terraces are home to two croquet lawns. These were first set up by Walter Whitmore-Jones in the 1860s. His version of the rules for croquet, published in The Field in 1865, became the standard. Because of this, Chastleton is considered the birthplace of croquet as a competitive sport! In the summer, visitors can even play a game of croquet here.
Chastleton House on Screen
Chastleton House has also been used as a filming location! It appeared in the 2015 BBC Two TV series Wolf Hall. In the show, it was used to represent 'Wolf Hall', the home of the Seymour family. The house also featured as Boot Magna Hall in the 1987 ITV film of Evelyn Waugh’s novel 'Scoop'.
