Kirby Hall facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kirby Hall
Kirby Hall in 2016
General information
Type	Country house
Location	Gretton, Northamptonshire
Coordinates	52°31′27″N 0°38′14″W / 52.52417°N 0.63722°W / 52.52417; -0.63722
Completed	17th century
Owner	Earl of Winchilsea, English Heritage

Kirby Hall is a very old and grand country house in Northamptonshire, England. It's a special building from the Elizabethan era, which was when Queen Elizabeth I ruled England. This amazing house was started in 1570 for Sir Humphrey Stafford.

A few years later, in 1575, Sir Christopher Hatton bought Kirby Hall. He was a very important person, serving as the Lord Chancellor to Queen Elizabeth I. Kirby Hall is a great example of a "prodigy house." These were huge, fancy homes built to impress important visitors, especially the Queen herself!

The house was built using ideas from French design books. It was made even grander over many years. Today, some parts of Kirby Hall are like beautiful ruins, without roofs. But the main hall and important rooms are still in good shape. The gardens around the house have also been brought back to life. They have cool designs, statues, and big decorative pots.

History of Kirby Hall

Early Days and Royal Visits

In 1599, a woman named Elizabeth Vaux rented Kirby Hall. She was a Catholic and wanted to set up a college for priests there. But the King's special council, called the Privy Council, found out about her plan. They raided Kirby Hall to try and catch the priests. Most of them got away, but one was caught. After this, Elizabeth Vaux gave up on her plans for Kirby Hall.

Many important people visited Kirby Hall. Queen Anne of Denmark, who was married to King James I, stayed there on August 9, 1605. King James I himself visited Kirby Hall nine times between 1608 and 1624. One of his visits in August 1616 lasted for three days.

Sadly, during a royal visit in 1624, a nobleman named Esmé Stewart, the 3rd Duke of Lennox, passed away at Kirby Hall. He died from a sickness called "spotted ague" on July 30, 1624.

Changes and Decline

Over time, Kirby Hall was passed down through different families. Eventually, it was inherited by Edward Finch. His family later became the Earls of Winchilsea.

In the 1780s, George Finch-Hatton, who later became the 10th Earl of Winchilsea, started to change the inside of the house. He wanted to make it look more modern for his time. He removed the old wooden wall panels and put up wallpaper instead.

However, the family built a new, very grand house called Eastwell Park. Once it was finished, they moved there completely. This meant Kirby Hall was no longer their main home.

By the late 1880s, Kirby Hall was mostly empty and falling apart. The 12th Earl of Winchilsea dreamed of fixing it up and making it grand again. But he was never able to do it. He passed away in 1898.

Kirby Hall Today

Today, Kirby Hall and its gardens are still owned by the Earl of Winchilsea. The site was officially recognized as a special historical monument in 1927. This means it is protected and important to England's history.

Kirby Hall has been used as a location for filming movies and TV shows. For example, it appeared in a TV series called Civilisation. It was also used in the 1999 movie Mansfield Park, which was based on a famous book. Another movie filmed there was A Christmas Carol in 1999. In 2014, the popular TV show Antiques Roadshow also visited Kirby Hall.

Images for kids

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  This picture shows a special design called the "giant order." You can see a statue of Apollo above the balcony.

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  Kirby Hall in 1829, showing the gate courtyard.

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  The north outer courtyard gate. It used to have a clock and a bell tower.

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  Another view of the giant order design in the courtyard.

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  The raised terrace at Kirby Hall.

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  Sir Christopher Hatton, who bought Kirby Hall, dressed as Lord Chancellor.

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  A view of the side and back of Kirby Hall.

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  A painting of Christopher Hatton with his dog, by Nicholas Hilliard (1588-1591).

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  The Great Hall inside Kirby Hall.

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  The Great Hall around 1833.

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  A room renovated as a library by George Finch Hatton.

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  This room was used as a ballroom by George Finch Hatton and Lady Elizabeth. It is now in disrepair.

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  The Billiard room at Kirby Hall.