West Wycombe Park facts for kids
West Wycombe Park is a large country house built between 1740 and 1800. It is located near the village of West Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, England. The house was designed as a fun place for Sir Francis Dashwood, 2nd Baronet. He was a wealthy person who enjoyed art and travel in the 1700s.
The house is a long rectangle with four sides. Each side has columns and a triangular top part called a pediment. Three of these sides look very dramatic. West Wycombe Park shows how British architecture changed during the 1700s. It combines older Palladian styles with newer Neoclassical designs. This mix makes its design truly special. The house is surrounded by a large park from the 1700s. This park has many small temples and interesting structures called follies. These smaller buildings seem to orbit the main house, which is like a grand temple itself.
West Wycombe Park is a Grade I listed building, meaning it is very important historically. It was given to the National Trust in 1943 by Sir John Dashwood, 10th Baronet. Even though the National Trust owns the building, the Dashwood family still lives there today. The house is open to the public in summer. It is also used for weddings and events, which helps pay for its care.
Contents
Discovering West Wycombe's Architecture
The Idea Behind the Design
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West Wycombe Park was inspired by grand villas in Italy from the Renaissance period. It might not be the biggest or most famous country house in England. However, it is very important for understanding 18th-century English history. During this time, many young, wealthy men went on a "Grand Tour" of Europe. They bought art and learned about culture. When they returned, they often built country houses to show off their new collections and knowledge.
The West Wycombe land was bought by Sir Francis Dashwood, 1st Baronet, and his brother in 1698. The first Sir Francis tore down the old house. He built a new mansion on higher ground. This new mansion is the main part of the house you see today. Early pictures show it was a red-brick house with a sloped roof, typical of the Queen Anne style. In 1724, this house was left to his 16-year-old son, also named Francis. This younger Francis later became the 2nd Baronet. Between 1726 and 1741, he went on several Grand Tours. His travels greatly influenced him. He decided to transform his father's simple house into the grand classical building it is now.
West Wycombe has been called "one of the most dramatic and Italian-style buildings" from the mid-1700s in England. Its outside walls look like the classical villas of Italy. They also look like ancient temples. The west side of the house has Greek-style columns. This is one of the earliest examples of Greek Revival architecture in Britain.
The way English country houses were designed inside changed in the late 1700s. Before, the main floor had large bedrooms for important guests. Later, smaller, more private bedrooms were moved upstairs. The main floor became a series of reception rooms. Each room had a special purpose, like a drawing room, dining room, or music room.
Outside Views of the House
Sir Francis Dashwood, the 2nd Baronet, hired at least three architects and two landscape designers. He also had his own ideas. He had seen Italian villas during his Grand Tour and wanted to copy them.
Work on the house began around 1735 and continued until Sir Francis died in 1781. The old house was completely changed inside and out. The long building time explains why the design has different styles. When building started, Palladian style was popular. By the time it finished, Neoclassical style was in fashion. So, the house combines both.
Many famous architects of the time sent plans to transform the house. Robert Adam suggested a design for the west side, but it was not used. Architect Nicholas Revett designed the west portico. Today, this west side is the first part of the house you see when you arrive. It looks like a Greek temple. Its eight columns were finished by 1770. This is thought to be the earliest example of Greek Revival architecture in Britain. The east side of the house, designed by Roger Morris, was finished around 1755. It also looks like a temple, inspired by the Villa Rotunda in Italy. So, the two opposite sides, east and west, show two different architectural styles from the late 1700s. One is Roman-inspired Palladian, and the other is Greek-inspired Neoclassical.
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The main side of the house is the large south front. It has two layers of columns, one on top of the other, with a triangular top part in the middle. The columns are made of wood covered in a special plaster called stucco. This design might have been inspired by a church in Paris. The architect for this part of the house was John Donowell.
This side of the house looks similar to the main front of Palladio's Palazzo Chiericati from 1550. It was originally the main entrance. The front door is still in the middle of the ground floor. This was unusual for English Palladian houses. Usually, the main entrance and important rooms would be on the first floor, reached by an outside staircase. This would give the main rooms better views. But since West Wycombe was a rebuild, not a new house, this change was not possible.
The north side is simpler. It has eleven sections. The ends of this side have a rough, textured stone look at the ground level. The center has columns supporting a triangular top part. This side is thought to be from around 1750–51. Its curved windows suggest it was one of the first improvements made by the 2nd Baronet. The design is believed to be by Isaac Ware.
Inside the Mansion
The main reception rooms are on the ground floor. They have large windows that open right into the gardens. This was very different from the grand villas in Italy. The mansion has many rooms from the 1700s. They are decorated with colorful marble floors and painted ceilings. These ceilings show scenes from Greek and Roman mythology. The entrance hall is especially notable. It looks like a Roman courtyard with marble columns and a painted ceiling copied from ancient ruins.
Many ceilings in the reception rooms are copies from Italian palaces. The largest room is the Music Room, which opens onto the east side. The painting on its ceiling shows a "Banquet of the Gods." The Saloon, in the center of the north side, has many marble statues, including ones of the four seasons. Its ceiling painting, "The Council of the Gods," is also a copy from an Italian villa.
The Dining Room walls are painted to look like a type of stone called jasper. They have paintings of Sir Francis Dashwood and his friends. The room also has a painted ceiling.
The Blue Drawing Room has a detailed painted ceiling showing "The Triumph of Bacchus and Ariadne." This room has a statue of the Venus de' Medici, showing the 2nd Baronet's interest in the goddess of love. The walls are covered in blue fabric. The Red Drawing Room is lined with red silk and has fancy wooden chests.
The small study contains plans for the house. One plan is thought to have been drawn by Sir Francis Dashwood himself. The Tapestry Room has tapestries from Brussels showing country scenes. Dashwood inherited them from his uncle.
Exploring the Gardens and Park
The gardens at West Wycombe Park are some of the most unique 18th-century gardens in England. The park uses classical architecture from both Greece and Italy. Nicholas Revett designed many of the decorative buildings in the park. The landscape designer Thomas Cook started creating the park. He made a nine-acre lake in the shape of a swan, using water from the nearby River Wye. The lake even had a small sailing ship for guests to enjoy.
Georgian English gardens, like West Wycombe, are designed for visitors to walk through. Each area has its own special feel. Trees, landscape shapes, follies, and water features create beautiful views. In the later 1700s, the grounds were made larger. Humphrey Repton finished the gardens, making them look much as they do today.
The park still has many follies and temples. The "Temple of Music" is on an island in the lake. It was inspired by a temple in Rome. It was used for parties and plays. Opposite the temple is a waterfall with statues of two water nymphs. An eight-sided tower called the "Temple of the Winds" is based on a tower in Athens.
Classical buildings continue along the path around the lake. There is the "Temple of Flora", a hidden summerhouse, and the "Temple of Daphne". Both look like small temples. Another hidden temple, the "Round Temple," has a curved porch. Closer to the house, hiding the service area, is a Roman arch called the "Temple of Apollo". It holds a copy of the famous Apollo Belvedere statue. Nearby is the "Temple of Diana" with a statue of the goddess. Another goddess is honored in the "Temple of Venus". Below this is a cave called Venus's Parlour. This area was rebuilt in the 1980s and now has a copy of the Venus de Milo.
Some later buildings in the park are not classical. These include a Gothic-style boathouse and a Gothic Chapel. A monument to Queen Elizabeth II was put up in 1986 for her 60th birthday. The gardens are listed as Grade I on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens.
The Dashwood Family at West Wycombe
Sir Francis Dashwood built West Wycombe for entertaining guests. He often dressed up in costumes for portraits. He loved costume parties at West Wycombe Park. After the west side of the house was dedicated to Bacchus in 1771, Sir Francis and his friends dressed in animal skins and vine leaves. They had parties by the lake. Sir Francis also spent time on political work and helping others. He had an active political career throughout his life. He died in 1781 and left West Wycombe to his half-brother, Sir John Dashwood-King, 3rd Baronet.
Dashwood-King did not spend much time at West Wycombe. When he died in 1793, his son, Sir John Dashwood-King, 4th Baronet, inherited the estate. This Sir John was a Member of Parliament. He also did not care much for West Wycombe. In 1800, he held a large sale of the house's furniture. In 1806, he was stopped from selling West Wycombe by his son's guardians. Later in life, he became very religious. He held parties in the gardens to support "Friends of Order and Sobriety." These parties were very different from his uncle's lively events.
Sir John was followed by his son, Sir George Dashwood, 5th Baronet. For the first time in many years, West Wycombe became a favorite home again. However, the estate had many debts. Sir George had to sell some parts of the estate. This allowed for the house to be fixed up. Sir George died without children in 1862. His wife, Elizabeth, was allowed to live in the house for the rest of her life. The ownership then passed to a nephew, Sir Edwin Dashwood, 7th Baronet. He was a sheep farmer in New Zealand. He could not live in the house until Lady Dashwood died in 1889. By then, the estate was neglected and falling apart.
The 7th Baronet's son, Sir Edwin Dashwood, 8th Baronet, came from New Zealand. He found that Lady Dashwood's heirs had sold the house's contents and family jewelry. So, Sir Edwin had to mortgage the house and estate in 1892. He died suddenly the next year. The estate, still in debt, went to his brother, Sir Robert Dashwood, 9th Baronet. Sir Robert had to sell many trees from the estate to raise money. When he died in 1908, his 13-year-old son, Sir John Dashwood, 10th Baronet, inherited the house. This Sir John sold many of the remaining original furnishings. In 1922, he tried to sell the house itself, but only got one low offer. He was forced to live in a house he did not like. The entire village of West Wycombe was sold to pay for renovations. Some of these changes were not good. For example, old painted ceilings were painted white.
Sir John's wife, Lady Dashwood, helped save West Wycombe. She loved to entertain and hosted many stylish parties at the house in the 1930s.
During World War II, West Wycombe Park was used to store art from the Wallace Collection. Two people even slept in the ballroom to protect the artworks. The house also served as a place for soldiers to recover. A group of gunners used the old service wing. The park was used to inflate large balloons that protected against air attacks. During this time, the Dashwoods moved to the upper floor. They took in lodgers to help pay bills. In 1943, Sir John gave the house and grounds to the National Trust. The agreement was that he and his family could continue to live there.
West Wycombe After 1943
In the second half of the 1900s, Sir Francis Dashwood, 11th Baronet, began to restore and improve the house. He added a huge horse statue as a main feature in a long view from the house. This statue is actually a fiberglass prop found at a film studio. Sir Francis bought it with 12 bottles of champagne! The local government was very upset but lost their lawsuit to remove it. Today, from a distance, it looks very real.
The current head of the Dashwood family is Sir Edward Dashwood (born 1964). He is married and has three children. The family still owns the contents of the house and runs the estate. The house can be rented for filming movies and TV shows. The park is also used for large public concerts and firework displays. The mansion is available for weddings and other events.
While the estate is still privately owned, the National Trust owns the house, gardens, park, the village of West Wycombe, and the hill where the Dashwood mausoleum sits. The hill was the first part of the property given to the Trust in 1925. The village was bought by the Royal Society of Arts in 1929 and given to the Trust five years later. The grounds are open to the public in the afternoons from April to August each year. The house is open from June to August.
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