Sezincote House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sezincote House |
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| General information | |
| Architectural style | Neo-Mughal |
| Town or city | Sezincote, Gloucestershire |
| Country | England |
| Completed | 1805 |
| Client | Charles Cockerell |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Samuel Pepys Cockerell |
Sezincote House (pronounced seas in coat) is a large house in the countryside of Gloucestershire, England. It was built in 1805. This special house was designed by Samuel Pepys Cockerell.
Sezincote House is famous for its unique style. It uses a design called Neo-Mughal architecture. This style brings back ideas from buildings in India from the 16th and 17th centuries. These older buildings were made by the Mughal Empire.
The house is mostly made of red sandstone. This color was very common in old Mughal buildings. But instead of a white marble dome, Sezincote has a dome covered in copper. The windows are very large and have a special arch shape at the top. This arch looks like a shell or a fan, showing its Indian influence. Inside, the house looks more like a typical European home.
The beautiful gardens around the house were designed by Humphry Repton. The garden mixes classic European styles with Hindu elements. You can see this mix in a special crescent-shaped bridge with columns.
Building Sezincote House
Sezincote House is located in the countryside. It is about 1.5 miles from the town of Moreton-in-Marsh. The house sits on high ground, protected by the Cotswolds hills.
In 1795, Colonel John Cockerell bought the land. He had just returned from Bengal, India. There, he worked for the East India Company (EIC). After he passed away in 1798, his younger brother, Sir Charles Cockerell, took over the property. Sir Charles then asked another brother, Samuel Pepys Cockerell, to build a house that looked Indian.
Samuel Pepys Cockerell was a surveyor for the East India Company. He also learned from a famous architect, Sir Robert Taylor. Even though he worked for the EIC, Samuel never actually went to India. He learned about Mughal architecture from drawings and pictures. Artists like Thomas Daniell created these images. Thomas Daniell also designed the gardens for Sir Charles Cockerell. He planned the temple, bridge, dairy, and farm buildings.
Cockerell had already tried out some Indian design ideas. He used them at Daylesford, Gloucestershire, another nearby house. That house was built for Warren Hastings. Hastings was the first governor-general of British India.
Mughal Style at Sezincote
The architecture of Sezincote House is a British version of classic Mughal designs. Mughal architecture was popular in India in the 16th century. It blended Persian, Indian, and other local styles. This created very detailed and beautiful buildings. Famous examples include the Taj Mahal.
Emperor Akbar, who ruled from 1556 to 1605, often mixed Islamic and Hindu styles in his buildings. He did this to help different cultures in his kingdom come together. Sezincote shows this mix. It has a green onion-shaped dome. It also features umbrella-shaped chhatris and overhanging chajjas. These are common Mughal elements.
The estate also has Mughal gardens. You can find serpent fountains, a Surya temple, and Shiva lingams. There are even Nandi bulls guarding the property.
How Sezincote Was Built
The house is made from stone. This stone came from a nearby quarry. It might have been colored artificially to get its red look. Traditional Mughal buildings often used red sandstone and white marble. But Sezincote uses copper for its dome.
Sezincote House is a very important historical building. It is listed as a Grade I listed building. This means it has special historical or architectural importance.
