Claydon House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Claydon House |
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| General information | |
| Status | Complete |
| Type | country house |
| Location | Aylesbury Vale, Buckinghamshire, England |
| Coordinates | 51°55′19″N 0°57′20″W / 51.92194°N 0.95556°W |
| Construction started | 1751 |
| Owner | National Trust |
Claydon House is a beautiful old country house located in Buckinghamshire, England. It was built a long time ago, between 1757 and 1771. Today, this amazing house is looked after by the National Trust, a charity that protects historic places.
This house is so special that it's listed as a Grade I building, which means it's very important for England's history. Its gardens are also protected, listed as Grade II on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens.
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History of Claydon House
Claydon House has been the home of the Verney family since 1620. Right next to the house is the All Saints church, which has many memorials to the Verney family. One famous family member was Sir Edmund Verney. He was the main standard bearer for King Charles I during the English Civil War. Sadly, Sir Edmund died in battle in 1642 while defending the King's flag. Some people say his ghost still haunts the house!
After the King returned to power, Sir Edmund's son, Sir Ralph Verney, was given a special honour called a baronetcy by King Charles II. This was to thank him and his father for their loyalty. Later, in 1703, another family member, John Verney, became Viscount Fermanagh. His son, Ralph Verney, was made Earl Verney in 1743.
Building the Grand House
People believe there has been a house on this spot since at least the 1400s. The Verney family bought the land in 1463. However, the first house recorded here was a Tudor-style manor house built by another family in 1539. The Verneys took full ownership in 1620, and it became their main country home.
The house was changed a bit in the 1600s. But the biggest changes happened starting in 1757, when Ralph, the 2nd Earl Verney, began to rebuild it almost completely. In 1759, he added a new west wing made of stone. This wing had fancy state apartments for important guests.
When Lord Verney became a Member of Parliament (MP) in 1768, he made the house even bigger. He planned a huge new central entrance hall with a round shape, called a rotunda, and a ballroom wing. He wanted Claydon House to be as grand as Stowe House, a massive mansion nearby.
However, Lord Verney ran into money problems before the house was finished. He even had to leave England for a while to avoid people he owed money to. After he died in 1791, his niece, Mary Verney, inherited the estate. She had to sell off a lot of the family's land and even sold parts of the unfinished house, brick by brick. This is why the house you see today is much smaller than what was originally planned.
Exterior of Claydon House
From the outside, Claydon House looks quite simple and grand. It has seven sections, called bays, spread across two floors. The middle three bays stick out a bit and have a triangular top part called a pediment. The windows are sash windows, which slide up and down. The large window in the middle on the ground floor is a special type called a Venetian window.
Inside Claydon House
While the outside is simple, the inside of Claydon House is incredibly fancy! It's a fantastic example of rococo architecture, which is a very decorative and playful style.
Grand Rooms
The main rooms are truly amazing. The North Hall is a huge room, about 50 feet long, 25 feet wide, and 25 feet high. Even though it might have lost a part that connected to a dome, it's still magnificent. The doorways have broken pediments and are covered in detailed carvings by Luke Lightfoot. He was one of the most talented wood carvers of his time, and his work can be seen all over the house, even on the ceilings and in the wall niches.
Next to the North Hall is the Saloon. It's a bit less decorated but still very ornate. The carvings continue on the lower wall panels and on the tall Corinthian columns that support a huge Venetian window. Another important room was made into a library in 1860, but its beautiful rococo plaster ceiling is still there.
Amazing Staircase
A special staircase made of inlaid ivory and marquetry (different coloured wood pieces) leads to the first floor. The walls around the staircase have carved medallions and flower garlands. The metal railing of the stairs is also unique, with iron ears of wheat that are said to rustle like real wheat as you walk up!
The Chinese Room
One of the most extraordinary rooms in the house is the Chinese Room. Here, the rococo style mixes with chinoiserie, which is a Chinese-inspired decorative style. The whole room is like a fantasy world! It's filled with carved pagodas, Chinese patterns, bells, and tiny temples. Swirling designs cover the walls and doors, leading up to a temple-like canopy. This canopy would have once been over a bed, but now it makes a divan (a type of sofa) look like a throne.
Florence Nightingale Museum
Also on the first floor, you'll find a small museum dedicated to Florence Nightingale. She was a famous nursing pioneer and the sister of Parthenope, Lady Verney, who lived at Claydon House. Florence Nightingale often stayed at the house in her later years.
Claydon House Today
The current Verney family are descendants of Sir Harry Calvert. He inherited the house in 1827 and took the name Verney. The house was given to the National Trust in 1956 by Sir Ralph Verney, 5th Baronet. His son, Sir Edmund Verney, 6th Baronet, lived there until 2019.
Every year, usually in late July, Claydon House hosts a fun hovercraft race meeting. It's part of a national hovercraft racing series!
Claydon House has also been used as a filming location for several movies:
- Emma (1996)
- Far from the Madding Crowd (2013)
- The Aeronauts (2018)
- Cinderella (2020)
See also
- The Blacknall Map at Claydon House
