Clopton House facts for kids
Clopton House is a large, old country house near Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire, England. It was built in the 1600s and has a long history. Today, this beautiful building has been turned into apartments where people live. It is also a special Grade II* listed building, which means it's an important historic place.
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The History of Clopton House
Early Owners of Clopton
The Clopton family first received the land for Clopton in the 1200s. By 1492, Hugh Clopton, who was once the Lord Mayor of London, owned it. Later, in the late 1500s, Joyce Clopton inherited the estate and married Sir George Carew. They did not have children, so the estate went to their nephew, Sir John Clopton. After that, the manor passed to other families through marriage, including the Partheriche, Boothby, and Ingram families. The Boothby and Ingram families even changed their names to Clopton to keep the family name connected to the house.
How the House Was Built
There was a manor house on this spot as early as 1450, owned by John Clopton. This house was rebuilt in the 1500s. The house you see today was mostly built in the 1600s by Sir John Clopton. He built it around the older 1500s manor. Later, in the 1800s, more parts were added and improved.
The oldest part of the house, on the north side, was largely rebuilt in the 1840s. The south and east parts of the house were built between 1665 and 1670. The south side has two main floors with attic rooms and windows. It has seven sections, with the middle three sticking out slightly and having a triangular top part called a pediment. This pediment above the main entrance shows the Clopton family's special crest. The east side is similar but does not have the triangular top.
Later Owners and New Buildings
Changes in Ownership
The Clopton family sold the estate in 1824 to the Meynell family. The Meynells then sold it again in 1870 to George Lloyd, who owned Welcombe House. His nephew, Charles Thomas Warde, who was a High Sheriff of Warwickshire in 1846, made many important additions to the house in the 1840s. He also built the coachhouse and Clopton Tower. The coachhouse and Clopton Tower are also special Grade II listed buildings. Clopton Tower is a belvedere, which is a building designed to offer beautiful views.
In 1872, Sir Arthur Hodgson bought the estate. He was also a High Sheriff in 1881. After his son, Rev Francis H Hodgson, passed away in 1930, the large estate was divided and sold off in smaller pieces.
A Famous Resident
In 1605, a man named Ambrose Rookwood lived in Clopton House. He was involved in the Gunpowder Plot, a famous plan to blow up the Houses of Parliament in London.
