Cliveden Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Cliveden House
View looking north from the Ring in the Parterre showing Terrace Pavilion and Clock Tower to the left with Lower Terrace and Borghese Balustrade below
Hotel chain	Iconic Luxury Hotels
General information
Coordinates	51°33′29″N 0°41′18″W / 51.558168°N 0.688258°W / 51.558168; -0.688258
Owner	National Trust
Design and construction
Architect	Charles Barry
Other information
Number of rooms	47 (including Spring Cottage)
Number of suites	15
Number of restaurants	2
Number of bars	1 (The Library Bar)
Facilities	Spa, Tennis, Gym, 376 Acres of National Trust Managed Ground, Maze, Two Boats, Meeting Space

Cliveden is a huge and famous house located near London, England, in a place called Buckinghamshire. It sits in a large garden and woodland that covers 375 acres. The gardens are filled with beautiful statues, fountains, and colorful flowers. Cliveden is also very close to the River Thames.

The name "Cliveden" means "valley among cliffs." This refers to a valley that cuts through part of the estate, just east of the house.

There have been three main houses on this spot over time. The first house was built in 1666 but was destroyed by a fire in 1795. A new house was built, but it also burned down in 1849. The house you see today was built in 1851 by a famous architect named Sir Charles Barry. Today, Cliveden House is used as a fancy hotel.

The House Today
Cliveden in Movies and TV
Images for kids
See also

The House Today

The north front of Cliveden House

The Cliveden House you see now mixes two styles: English Palladian and Roman Cinquecento (a style from the 1500s). This three-story mansion sits on a tall brick terrace that was built way back in the mid-1600s.

The outside of the house is covered in a special type of plaster called Roman cement, with extra decorations made from terracotta. The roof of the mansion is flat, so you can actually walk on it! From up there, you get amazing views of the countryside, including Windsor Castle in the distance.

Clock Tower

A tall, 100-foot (30-meter) clock tower was added in 1861. This tower is not just for telling time; it's also a working water tower that still provides water for the house today. It's covered in the same Roman cement as the main house and has four clock faces.

The Maze

Cliveden has a fun maze that was first created in 1894. For many years, it was overgrown and couldn't be used. But it was completely rebuilt in 2011 with 1,100 tall yew trees. The maze covers a large area, about one-third of an acre (1.2 hectares), and is now open for everyone to enjoy.

Octagon Temple

The Octagon Temple is a special building located high up, about 200 feet above the River Thames. It was first designed as a gazebo (a small building with open sides) and a grotto (a cave-like structure). Later, the first Lord Astor changed it into a family chapel. The chapel also became a special place where the Astor family members are remembered. Inside, its walls and dome are decorated with colorful mosaics that show religious scenes.

The Pagoda

In the water garden, you'll find a beautiful pagoda. This unique building was originally made for a big world's fair in Paris in 1867, called the Paris Exposition Universelle. The first Lord Astor bought it and brought it to Cliveden.

Famous Residents

Many important and famous people have lived at Cliveden throughout history. Some of them include:

The second Duke of Buckingham
Frederick, Prince of Wales
Nancy Astor, who made history as the first woman to become a Member of Parliament in the UK in 1919.

Cliveden in Movies and TV

Cliveden has been used as a filming location or has inspired scenes in many films and TV shows.

Cinderella (2015): Cliveden's clock tower and shell fountain inspired the ones in the movie.
Sherlock Holmes (2009): The French Dining Room was used as a Parisian hotel bedroom.
Thunderbirds (2004): Cliveden was the model for Lady Penelope's house, "Creighton-Ward Mansion."
Help! (1965): The house stood in for Buckingham Palace in this film.

Images for kids

The Hall showing the fireplace and portrait of Nancy Astor
The French Dining Room
George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham by Sir Peter Lely
The 1666 house. Only the arcaded terrace remains today. From Colen Campbell's Vitruvius Britannicus, c.1717.
Frederick, Prince of Wales with his sisters, c. 1733, by Philippe Mercier
A 19th-century engraving of the 1851 house from the parterre
Nancy, Lady Astor by John Singer Sargent. The painting hangs at Cliveden.
Cliveden War Cemetery in the Cliveden grounds
The Pavilion Spa. The outdoor pool was a key location in the Profumo affair.
The parterre seen from the terrace, looking south, with the restored 19th-century style planting
Giacomo Leoni's 1735 "Octagon Temple"
Thomas Waldo Story's Fountain of Love inscribed 'Waldo Story Roma 1897'
The west front of Spring Cottage across the River Thames with the Cliveden beechwoods behind.
The house from the Parterre showing the restored 19th-century planting scheme
The Tortoise Fountain and view over the River Thames
The North front with Clock Tower
The dovecote behind the west-facing herbaceous border
The 19th-century boathouse designed by George Devey
Sir Bertram MacKennal's figure representing Canada in the War Memorial Garden.
Topiary spiral in the Long Garden.
A 19th-century Thames-side cottage designed by George Devey
The circular Rose Garden with temporary herbaceous planting.
The fountain in the Water garden
Wooden bear sculpture in the woods
Topiary and summer planting in the Long Garden
Gilded surrounds of the clock faces on the tower
Yew Tree Walk with its 172 cliff-side steps down to the Thames
Wounded Amazon statue purchased by W.W. Astor in the Rose Garden.
The avenue leading up to the house
The Pagoda in the Water Garden
The 19th-century flint folly in the woods
Planting in the Parterre viewed from the terrace.
18th-century Blenheim Pavilion - one of the oldest garden buildings at Cliveden.
Jets of water around the Fountain of Love.
Concrete tree-trunk folly (an old chimney) near the estate offices.
Seats in the Borghese Balustrade above the Parterre.
Granite Baboon statues in the Long Garden.

Cliveden facts for kids

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