Lamport Hall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lamport Hall |
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| Type | Country House |
| Location | Lamport |
| OS grid reference | SP 75883 74504 |
| Area | West Northamptonshire |
| Built | 1655–1741 |
| Rebuilt | 1842 |
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Listed Building – Grade I
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| Official name: Lamport Hall | |
| Designated | 2 November 1954 |
| Reference no. | 1054842 |
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Lamport Hall is a beautiful old house in Lamport, Northamptonshire, England. It's so special that it's a 'Grade I listed building', meaning it's very important historically. It started as a Tudor manor house, but now it looks more like a grand classical building.
Inside, you'll find amazing collections of old books, beautiful paintings, and antique furniture. It even has a special room called The High Room with a stunning ceiling made by William Smith. There's also a library with books from the 1500s and a cabinet room with special cabinets that have paintings of myths on glass. You can visit Lamport Hall and explore its history!
For over 400 years, from 1560 to 1976, Lamport Hall was the home of the Isham family. A famous member of this family was Sir Charles Isham, 10th Baronet. He is known for starting the trend of garden gnomes in the United Kingdom. In the 1840s, he brought some terracotta figures from Germany to his garden.
Contents
History of Lamport Hall
In 1568, a rich wool merchant named John Isham built a manor house on the Lamport Estate. His grandson, also named John, became the first baronet in 1627. This was during the time of King Charles I. He made the house much bigger. However, only a small part of his building, in the stable area, remains today.
The main part of the house you see now was built by Sir Justinian Isham. In 1655, he hired John Webb, a student of the famous architect Inigo Jones. Webb designed a large two-story home. More additions were made to the south-west and north sides, finishing in 1741. The grand gates on the main road were built in 1824, designed by Henry Hakewill.
In 1842, the south-east side of the house was rebuilt. Later, Sir Charles Isham asked for a new front with a porch on the north-west side. This is now the main entrance to the Hall and was finished in 1862. The tower was also built around this time.
By 1950, the house was in poor condition. The owner at the time, Sir Gyles Isham, did a lot of repair work. He opened the ground floor to the public in 1974. When he passed away in 1976, he left the house and its treasures to the Lamport Hall Preservation Trust. This trust takes care of the Hall and its beautiful gardens even today.
Sir Charles Isham and His Garden
Charles Isham became the owner of Lamport Hall in 1846, when he was about 26 years old. This happened after his older brother, Justinian, passed away. Sir Charles loved gardening very much. His garden was often written about in magazines of his time. Many journalists were especially interested in his unique rockery, which you can still see today.
In 1872, a magazine called Journal of Horticulture wrote about his rockery. They said it showed Sir Charles Isham's "fine taste and wonderful patience." They also mentioned that he built the entire rockery himself over 22 years.
In 1897, the Gardeners Chronicle magazine also praised his work. They said that Sir Charles placed "every stone" himself or was there to direct it. He also did all the planting. He even chiseled small holes in some stones to help plants grow through them. He preferred small, slow-growing plants for his rockery. He collected many dwarf conifers, some of which were over 70 years old but only grew about 3 feet tall!
This rockery was especially famous for the gnomes that lived there. A magazine called The Garden described them. It said there were "caves and recesses with the fairy miners." These tiny figures were only a few inches tall. They were shown in different poses, sometimes looking like miners on strike.
You can see photos of the rockery and gnomes in the gallery below. One of the original gnomes from this amazing rockery still exists today. It is on display at Lamport Hall. A picture of a replica of this gnome is also shown below.
The Library's Hidden Treasures
In 1867, a wonderful discovery was made in an attic at Lamport Hall. Many rare books of Elizabethan prose and poetry were found. A bookseller named Charles Edmond, who saw the discovery, said it would "warm the heart of the most cold-blooded bibliomaniac." This means it would excite even someone who wasn't usually passionate about books.
Among these treasures were first editions of famous works by John Milton. These included Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained, bound in sheepskin.
Image gallery: The rockery and gnomes in 1897
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The rockery in 1897 showing the miniature plants
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A group of gnomes who represent miners on strike in 1897
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Gnomes on the rockery who are engaged in mining activities in 1897
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Gnomes in the rockery in 1898 with accompanying story written by Sir Charles Isham
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Gnomes in the rockery in 1898 with accompanying story by Sir Charles Isham
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The rockery today, which can be seen at Lamport Hall
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A replica of Lampy the Lamport gnome, which is the only surviving gnome
See also
Isham baronets
