Petworth House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Petworth House |
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Petworth House, west facade
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| Type | Country house, Baroque |
| Location | Petworth, West Sussex |
| OS grid reference | SU975218 |
| Built | 1688 |
| Owner | National Trust |
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Listed Building – Grade I
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| Designated | 1 June 1984 |
| Reference no. | 1000162 |
Petworth House is a grand country house in Petworth, West Sussex, England. It was built in 1688 by Charles Seymour, 6th Duke of Somerset. The house is famous for its amazing wood carvings by Grinling Gibbons. For many centuries, Petworth was the southern home of the Percy family, who were powerful earls from Northumberland.
Petworth House is also known for its huge art collection. This collection was put together by the Northumberland, Seymour, and Somerset families. George Wyndham, 3rd Earl of Egremont (1751–1837) added many works by his friend, the famous artist J. M. W. Turner. The house also has a large deer park designed by Capability Brown. You can still see a big herd of fallow deer there today.
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History of Petworth House
Who Lived at Petworth?
The land of Petworth first belonged to the Percy family. This happened when King Henry I's widow, Adeliza of Louvain, gave it to her brother, Joscelin of Louvain. He later married a Percy family member and took their name. His family became the Earls of Northumberland. They were one of the most powerful families in northern England. Their main home was Alnwick Castle. Petworth was meant to be a place they visited sometimes.
The first house on this spot was a strong manor house. It was built around 1308 by Henry de Percy, 1st Baron Percy. Parts of this old house, like the chapel, are still part of the building you see today.
Challenges for the Percy Family
In the 1500s, the Percy family faced problems with the English kings and queens. They were Catholic, which caused issues during the English Reformation. King Henry VIII took Petworth from them for a short time. Queen Mary I gave it back. But later, Queen Elizabeth I watched the family closely.
Thomas Percy, 7th Earl of Northumberland, joined forces with Mary, Queen of Scots. He led a rebellion in 1569 to try and remove Elizabeth from the throne. This failed, and he was executed. His younger brother, Henry Percy, 8th Earl of Northumberland, got his title back. But he had to stay at Petworth so the Queen could keep an eye on him. Because of this, Petworth became the family's main home. They added grand stables and beautiful gardens.
Building the Grand Baroque House
In 1670, Josceline Percy, the 11th Earl, died without a son. His daughter, Lady Elizabeth Percy, inherited his huge wealth and estates. These included Petworth House and other grand homes. In 1682, when she was 16, she married Charles Seymour, 6th Duke of Somerset. They became one of the richest couples in England.
The 6th Duke, known as 'the Proud Duke', and his wife rebuilt the house between 1688 and 1702. They chose the Baroque style, which is known for being grand and orderly. They were inspired by famous European palaces like the Palace of Versailles. They wanted Petworth to be just as impressive.
The land around the house was also changed. Formal gardens were planted, including rows of lime trees. There were also canal gardens, fishponds, and beautiful flowerbeds.
New Owners and a Famous Gardener
Since 1750, the Wyndham family has owned Petworth House. They are related to the Percy family through marriage. The 7th Duke of Somerset, Algernon Seymour, decided how the family's lands would be divided. Petworth House went to his nephew, Charles Wyndham, 2nd Earl of Egremont. The northern Percy estates, like Alnwick Castle, went to another branch of the family.
The 2nd Earl of Egremont added many Rococo mirrors and old statues to the house. He also hired Capability Brown, a very famous landscape designer. Brown worked on the parkland in the 1750s and 1760s. He removed the old formal gardens and made the park look more natural. He also smoothed out hills and filled in old quarries.
A House Full of Art
George Wyndham, 3rd Earl of Egremont (1751–1837) made Petworth famous for its art. He inherited the house in 1763. He started what people call a 'Golden Age' for Petworth. He collected many modern artworks and changed the house to show them off. He added the North Gallery in 1824–25 just for his paintings. He supported many artists, including J. M. W. Turner and John Constable. These artists often stayed at Petworth and painted the house and its park. Their paintings have even helped with recent repairs to the house and park.
The 3rd Earl gave Petworth to his son, George Wyndham, 1st Baron Leconfield. However, his son could not inherit the title of Earl of Egremont because he was born outside of marriage. So, Queen Victoria made him Baron Leconfield in 1859.
Petworth House Today: Open to Everyone
In 1947, Edward Wyndham, 5th Baron Leconfield, gave the house and deer park to the nation. Now, the National Trust looks after Petworth House & Park. The Wyndham family still owns much of the land around Petworth. They also continue to live in a part of Petworth House.
John Wyndham, 1st Baron Egremont, helped arrange for the house's art collection to also become part of the National Trust. This included many paintings and sculptures. Today, Max Egremont and his family live in the south wing of the house. This means most of the house can be open for everyone to visit. Lady Egremont has also worked to restore the gardens.
Petworth House has a very important collection of art. This includes 19 oil paintings by J. M. W. Turner, who visited often. There are also paintings by Van Dyck and Joshua Reynolds. You can see carvings by Grinling Gibbons and classical sculptures. There is even a very rare globe from 1592 by Emery Molyneux.
Petworth Park: A Natural Beauty
Petworth Park is a huge, beautiful park that covers about 283 hectares (700 acres). It is home to a large herd of fallow deer. The park is famous because the artist J. M. W. Turner painted it many times. There is also a 12-hectare (30-acre) woodland garden called the Pleasure Ground.
The park and gardens of Petworth are considered very important. They are listed as Grade I on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens.
Petworth House also has a real tennis court. The park is also used for cricket by the Petworth Park Cricket Club.
Exploring the Area Around Petworth
Petworth House was built next to the local church, which was common for old manor houses. A village grew up around the church and house, which is now the town of Petworth. It's unusual for such a big country house to be so close to a town today. Often, these houses were rebuilt far away from villages for more privacy. But Petworth House and its park are right next to the town of Petworth, with its shops and restaurants.
To learn about how people used to live and work on the estate, you can visit the Petworth Cottage Museum. It's on High Street in Petworth and shows what a worker's home looked like around 1910.
Visiting Petworth House
Since Petworth House opened to the public, many visitors come each year. They come to see the art, explore the park, and enjoy the gardens. The National Trust has set up several places for visitors to use.
There are two car parks for visitors. One is close to the house and gardens, and another is for the wider deer park. You'll find a visitor reception near the main car park. Most of the visitor facilities are in the old service area of the house. This area has the main shop, a second-hand bookshop, and a cafe. The cafe is in the old Audit Room, which used to be a sculpture gallery. There are also toilets and a seasonal art gallery. You can even see some of the old kitchen rooms that have been kept for visitors.
The National Trust offers guidebooks about the house and its art. They also have a virtual guide and friendly volunteers to help you. In 2021, they opened another shop inside the house. It sells books about the art and art supplies.
Petworth House on Screen
Petworth House has been used as a filming location for many movies and TV shows. Some of these include:
- Barry Lyndon (1975)
- Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007)
- Maleficent (2014)
- Mr Turner (2014)
- Rebecca (2020)
- Bridgerton (2022)
- Napoleon (2023), starring Joaquin Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby, also filmed scenes at Petworth in March 2022.
Images for kids
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The Allied Sovereigns at Petworth by Thomas Phillips, 1817.
_-_The_Allied_Sovereigns_at_Petworth,_24_June_1814_(George,_1751%E2%80%931837,_3rd_Earl_of_Egremont,_with_His_C_-_486228_-_National_Trust.jpg)
