Chesworth House facts for kids
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Chesworth House is a historic country home located about one mile south of Horsham in West Sussex, England. It is a beautiful example of Tudor architecture, which was popular during the time of King Henry VIII. This special house is recognized as a Grade II* listed building because of its interesting design and its connections to three English queens.
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History of Chesworth House
Chesworth House has a long and fascinating past. It started as a manor, which is a large country estate with a main house.
Early Beginnings
The land where Chesworth House stands was first owned by an English family. They likely lost it after the famous Battle of Hastings in 1066. After that, the powerful de Braose family took ownership. Records show that King Edward II might have visited Chesworth in 1324.
Royal Connections
Later, the manor was owned by the Mowbray and Howard families, who were important Dukes of Norfolk. The second and third Howard Dukes made the house much bigger and grander in the late 1400s and early 1500s. It became so large that King Henry VIII and his many helpers stayed there on July 24, 1519, during one of his summer trips.
Queens Who Lived Here
One of Henry VIII's queens, Catherine Howard, spent her childhood at Chesworth. She lived there with her grandmother, Agnes, the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk. Later, Catherine went to the royal court and caught the King's eye. Chesworth House was even searched as part of an investigation into her actions before she became queen.
Another important event happened at Chesworth. Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk, was arrested at the house. He was later executed in 1572 for serious crimes against the country. After this, the King took control of the estate.
Chesworth House continued to be home to important people. Queen Henrietta Maria, who was the wife of King Charles I, lived there from 1660 to 1661. Later, Queen Catherine of Braganza, wife of King Charles II, lived at Chesworth from 1674 until 1699.
Later Owners and Changes
After the royal connections, the Eversfield family owned the manor. In 1928, a man named Captain C. R. Cook bought the house. He made some additions to the building and redesigned the beautiful gardens, which even included part of the River Arun. Later owners included Laurence Evans, a well-known theatrical agent, and Eben Hamilton, a lawyer.
Chesworth House has been offered for sale in recent years. In 2012, it was listed for over £7 million, and in 2018, it was offered again for £6 million. The house's interesting Tudor history and its links to the Howard family were recently featured in an article in the Sixteenth Century Journal.
