Chavenage House facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chavenage House
"The ideal sixteenth-century Cotswold stone manor house"
Type	House
Location	Tetbury, Gloucestershire
Built	16th century
Architectural style(s)	Elizabethan
Governing body	Privately owned
Listed Building – Grade I
Official name: Chavenage House and Chapel
Designated	16 March 1987
Reference no.	1152854
Listed Building – Grade II
Official name: Pair of gatepiers at Chavenage House and adjoining quadrant walls
Designated	16 March 1987
Reference no.	1089754
Listed Building – Grade II
Official name: Folly at Chavenage House
Designated	16 March 1987
Reference no.	1152873
Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).

Chavenage House is a beautiful old country house. It is located near Tetbury in Gloucestershire, England. This house is a very important historical building. It is known as a Grade I listed building. Many people describe it as a perfect example of a 16th-century Cotswold stone manor house.

History of Chavenage House

Early Owners and Building the House

The land where Chavenage House stands was sold in 1564. It was bought by Edward Stephens from Eastington, Gloucestershire. He built the house in the Elizabethan style. This was a popular building style at the time. He added large windows to the south side of the house. Much of the glass came from old religious buildings. These buildings were no longer used after the Dissolution of the Monasteries.

The Civil War and Nathaniel Stephens

When Edward died in 1587, his son Richard Stephens took over the estate. Then, in 1599, Richard's son Nathaniel Stephens inherited it. Nathaniel was only ten years old at the time.

Later, in the 1640s, England was in a big conflict. This was called the English Civil War. Nathaniel Stephens and Chavenage House supported the Parliament. They were known as Roundheads. They were on the side of Oliver Cromwell. Nathaniel even raised troops to join Cromwell's army.

Cromwell visited Chavenage House during this time. Nathaniel supported the plan to remove King Charles I from power. Even though Nathaniel did not sign the document to remove the King, people say he felt very sad about it afterwards. It is also said that on the day Nathaniel died, his ghost was seen. The ghost was leaving the house in a coach. A headless coachman, dressed like the King, was driving it. Because of this story, Chavenage House is thought to be one of the most haunted homes in the country.

Changes and New Owners

In 1801, Henry Hannes Willis inherited the house. He changed his name to Stephens to keep the family name. Henry added a billiard room to the house. He also added beautiful wood panels and carvings to many rooms.

Since 1891, the Lowsley-Williams family has owned Chavenage House. They hired an architect named John Thomas Micklethwaite. He added a new east wing to the house. This wing includes a ballroom with oak panels.

Chavenage House During World War II

In 1944, during World War II, the house was used by American soldiers. They stayed there before they went to France for the Normandy landings.

Opening to the Public

In 1958, David Lowsley-Williams (1934-2023) received the house. This was for his marriage to Rona McCorquodale. At that time, many old country houses were being torn down. Others were given to organizations like English Heritage. But the Lowsley-Williams family decided to keep Chavenage House privately owned. They opened it to the public for special events. For example, it became a place for weddings and a location for filming movies and TV shows.

In 2024, James "Hank" Lowsley-Williams took over the house. He is a former professional cyclist. He also presents on Global Cycling Network. James has started a YouTube channel called Life at the Manor. On his channel, he shares his journey. He shows how he is updating the house and making it more successful.

Exploring Chavenage House

Architecture and Design

Chavenage House is an Elizabethan style house. It is a Grade I listed building. Edward Stephens first built it in 1576. The house has an E-shape design. The main entrance is in the middle of the east side. It is built from rough stone with a stone roof. It has two main floors and attic rooms.

The house was made bigger in the 17th century. It was extended again in the 18th century. Then, more additions were made in the early 20th century. These new parts were built to match the original style. So, the whole building looks like one consistent house. It is hard to tell where the new parts begin. Experts describe Chavenage as "the ideal 16th-century Cotswold stone manor house."

Inside the House

The inside of the house once had a large open great hall. Now, a ceiling has been added. There is also an altered minstrels' gallery above a screen. These parts are from the 16th century. The dining room has a Renaissance-style fireplace. It also has wood panels and a Gothic fireplace.

Other interesting parts of the house include two tapestry rooms. These are called Cromwell's Room and Ireton's Room. The Great Hall has beautiful stained glass windows. The Oak Room has very detailed wood panels from 1590. There is also an Edwardian wing. This part has a ballroom with a special floor for dancing.

The Chapel and Folly

Near the house is the family chapel. This chapel is also part of the Grade I listing. It has a tower that was built in the 17th century. This tower is a "folly," meaning it was built for decoration. It has two levels and strong corner supports. It also has a decorative top like a castle. The main part of the chapel was built in the 18th century. It has a covered walkway that connects it to the house.

Chavenage House as a Filming Location

Chavenage House has been a popular place for filming. Many movies and TV shows have used it.

• Barry Lyndon
• The Ghost of Greville Lodge
• The Mysterious Affair of Styles (a Hercule Poirot story)
• Noel's House Party
• The Barchester Chronicles
• Berkeley Square
• Cider with Rosie
• Grace & Favour
• The House of Eliott
• Casualty
• Dracula

From 2008, the house was featured as Candleford Manor. This was in the BBC series Lark Rise to Candleford. Other productions filmed here include:

• Bonekickers
• Tess of the D'Urbervilles (starring Eddie Redmayne)
• In Love with Barbara

More recent projects include:

• Rosamunde Pilcher's The Four Seasons
• The 2024 drama "Rivals"
• BBC's Nightwatch
• Am I being unreasonable
• CBBC's series Sparticles

In 2013, two more productions were filmed at Chavenage. These were The Unknown Heart, based on an idea by Rosamunde Pilcher. Also, the historical drama New Worlds (Channel 4), starring Jamie Dornan. Chavenage is also known as Trenwith House. This is in the TV show Poldark (2015 TV series), starring Aidan Turner.