Hughenden Manor facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hughenden Manor |
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| Type | House |
| Location | High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire |
| Built | 18th and 19th centuries |
| Architect | Edward Buckton Lamb |
| Architectural style(s) | Jacobethan |
| Owner | National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty |
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Listed Building – Grade I
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| Official name: Hughenden Manor | |
| Designated | 21 June 1955 |
| Reference no. | 1125785 |
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Listed Building – Grade II
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| Official name: Stable Block and Attached Garden Walls at Hughenden Manor | |
| Designated | 4 July 1985 |
| Reference no. | 1332071 |
| Official name: Hughenden Manor Park and Garden | |
| Designated | 30 July 1987 |
| Reference no. | 1000318 |
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Hughenden Manor is a historic house located in Hughenden, Buckinghamshire, England. It is a large Victorian-style mansion, though parts of it are even older. This grand house was once the country home of Benjamin Disraeli, who was a famous Prime Minister of Britain.
Today, Hughenden Manor is cared for by the National Trust, a charity that protects important places. It is open to the public, so people can visit and explore its history. The house sits on a hill west of the main road that connects Hughenden to High Wycombe.
Contents
A Look Back: Hughenden Manor's History
The history of Hughenden Manor goes back a very long time. The first records of the manor are from 1086. At that time, it was part of the lands belonging to Queen Edith. Later, the land was given to Geoffrey de Clinton, a royal official.
Over many centuries, the manor changed hands several times. In 1539, the Crown gave the manor to Sir Robert Dormer. It stayed in his family until 1737.
Disraeli's Home
In 1847, Isaac D'Israeli, the father of Benjamin Disraeli, bought Hughenden Manor. Benjamin Disraeli was a very important politician who later became the Prime Minister. He needed to own land to represent a county in Parliament.
Benjamin Disraeli took ownership of the manor in 1848 after his father passed away. He and his wife, Mary Anne Disraeli, loved Hughenden. They would spend time there and also at their homes in London.
Mary Anne Disraeli passed away in 1872, and Benjamin Disraeli died in 1881. Both were buried in a vault near St Michael and All Angels Church, which is downhill from the house. Queen Victoria herself put up a memorial to Disraeli in the church. This is very special, as it's rare for a reigning monarch to create a memorial for a subject.
Disraeli did not have any children. He left Hughenden to his nephew, Coningsby Disraeli. Since Coningsby was only 14, the house was rented out until he was old enough to take over in 1888.
Hughenden During Wartime
During the Second World War, Hughenden Manor played a secret role. Its basement was used as a hidden intelligence base, code-named "Hillside." Staff from the UK Air Ministry worked there. They studied aerial photographs of Germany and made maps for bombing missions. This included maps for the famous "Dambusters" raid.
Becoming a National Trust Property
In 1947, the Abbey family and the Disraelian Society gave Hughenden Manor to the National Trust. This means the house and its grounds are now protected for everyone to enjoy. In 1955, it was given a special status as a Grade I listed building, recognizing its great importance.
Today, the house is decorated to look much like it did when Disraeli lived there. You can see family portraits, Disraeli's own furniture, and his large library. This library includes his own novels and even a book signed by Queen Victoria!
The Manor's Design and Gardens
The house we see today was mostly built in the late 1700s. However, in 1862, Benjamin Disraeli and his wife had the house completely redesigned. They hired an architect named Edward Buckton Lamb.
Lamb gave the house a dramatic new look. He removed its older, simpler features. Instead, he used a style that looked like an old castle, with exposed brickwork and pointed battlements. The windows on the garden side were given unusual shapes.
Disraeli loved the new design, calling it the "romance he had been many years realising." He even imagined it looked like it did before the English Civil War, even though the house was built much later!
The house has three floors. The main rooms are on the ground floor. Many of these rooms have large windows that look out onto a beautiful terrace and the Hughenden Valley.
A part of the house, the west wing, was added in 1910. This was long after Disraeli had passed away, when his nephew Coningsby owned the house.
The Gardens and Park
The park and woodlands around Hughenden Manor cover a large area, almost 1,500 acres (600 hectares). The formal garden, which was designed by Mary Anne Disraeli (who became a Viscountess in 1868), has been carefully restored. It now looks much like it did when the Disraelis lived there.
Along the back of the house, there is a long terrace decorated with beautiful Florentine vases. You can also see a monument on a nearby hill from the house. Mary Anne had this monument built in 1862 to honor Disraeli's father.
See also
In Spanish: Hughenden Manor para niños
