Weston Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Weston Park |
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The South (garden) frontage
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| Type | House |
| Location | Weston-under-Lizard, Staffordshire |
| Built | c. 1670 |
| Architect | attributed to Elizabeth Wilbraham |
| Architectural style(s) | Carolean |
| Governing body | Private |
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Listed Building – Grade I
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| Official name: Weston Hall and service wings to north and east | |
| Designated | 16 May 1953 |
| Reference no. | 1039264 |
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Listed Building – Grade II
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| Official name: Orangery and attached link to house, 25 m west of Weston Hall | |
| Designated | 16 May 1953 |
| Reference no. | 1374071 |
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Listed Building – Grade II
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| Official name: Gateway attached to south west of Stable Block of Weston Hall | |
| Designated | 4 July 1985 |
| Reference no. | 1374073 |
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Listed Building – Grade II
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| Official name: Stable Block, 60 m to north east of entrance front of Weston Hall | |
| Designated | 16 May 1953 |
| Reference no. | 1188130 |
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Listed Building – Grade II
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| Official name: Stables and Granary at Weston Hall | |
| Designated | 16 May 1953 |
| Reference no. | 1188133 |
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Weston Park is a beautiful country house located in Weston-under-Lizard, Staffordshire, England. It sits within a huge park, over 1,000 acres (about 400 hectares) big. This park was designed by a very famous landscape artist named Capability Brown.
The park is about 10 miles (16 km) north-west of Wolverhampton and 8 miles (13 km) east of Telford. The main house was built in the 1600s and is a very important historic building. It is called a Grade I listed building, which means it's protected. Other parts of the estate, like the Orangery and the old Stable block, are also protected as Grade II listed buildings.
In 1986, the 7th Earl of Bradford gave Weston Park House and its parkland to the nation. This was done with help from the National Heritage Memorial Fund. Today, the Weston Park Foundation looks after it. The house still has its amazing art collection, with more than 30,000 items. You can visit Weston Park and explore its history and beauty.
Contents
A Look into Weston Park's Past
Early Days of Weston Park
Weston Park has a long history. It was first mentioned in the Domesday Book, a famous survey from 1086. Back then, it was owned by a Norman sheriff named Rainald de Bailleuil. The large park you see today is what's left of a medieval deer park and forest.
The land originally belonged to the de Weston family. Later, it passed to a branch of the Mytton family when Elizabeth Mytton married Sir Thomas Wilbraham. Eventually, the land came into the hands of the Earls of Bradford. This happened when Mary Wilbraham married Richard Newport, who became the 2nd Earl of Bradford.
Building the Great House
The main house at Weston Park was built in 1671 for Lady Elizabeth Wilbraham. Some people believe she designed the house herself. However, there isn't clear proof of this. It's more likely that William Taylor was the architect who built it. He was known to be at Weston Park in 1674.
Lady Wilbraham was very interested in architecture. She had a copy of a famous book by Palladio, an Italian architect. Her copy of the book has many notes written by her!
The south side of the house, which has three floors and twelve sections, was once the main entrance. But later, in the late 1800s, changes were made. The main entrance was moved to the east side. The original U-shaped courtyard was also covered over on the ground floor.
Changes by the Bridgeman Family
In the 1700s, Weston Park was inherited by Sir Henry Bridgeman. His mother, Lady Anne Bridgeman, was Lady Wilbraham's granddaughter. The Bridgeman family already owned a lot of land. But they decided to make Weston Park their main home.
Sir Henry Bridgeman hired Capability Brown to design the park's landscape. He also hired an architect named James Paine in the 1760s. Paine made changes to the house. He also added a beautiful Roman Bridge and a Temple of Diana in the park.
Discovering Weston Park's Art
Weston Park is home to an amazing art collection. It includes many portraits from the 1600s to the 1900s. You can see rare paintings, like two portraits of Wilbraham family ladies by John Michael Wright. There are also two early paintings by John Constable. And two portraits of what seems to be the same child by Sofonisba Anguissola.
Most major English portrait artists from the 1700s are shown here. There are also several portraits by Anthony van Dyck and his team. The portrait of Sir Thomas Hanmer is especially good. You can also find a painting of horses by George Stubbs. And two coastal scenes by Claude Joseph Vernet, one showing a calm sea and one a storm.
One very special item is a silver toilet service from 1679. It's one of only 12 early English-made sets left in the country. The house also has beautiful furniture. Many pieces were made especially for Weston Park by Thomas Chippendale. There's even a room with tapestries from the Gobelins Manufactory. These were made for Weston in the 1760s.
You can also see the fancy embroidered ceremonial purse of Sir Orlando Bridgeman. He was the Lord Keeper of the Great Seal from 1667 to 1672. It's displayed next to a portrait of him holding it.
Exploring Beyond the House
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Right next to the main house is the estate church. It is called St Andrew's Church. It was built around 1700-1701.
The orangery, the stable block, and the granary are all near the house. They are also protected as Grade II listed buildings. The Granary building, built in 1767, was restored in 2009.
Weston Park has beautiful gardens and a very large park. Inside the park, you'll find a lake and even a miniature railway. The Roman Bridge is a Grade I listed building. It crosses the Temple Pool with a single stone arch.
The Temple of Diana is also a Grade I listed building. It's actually an orangery and a garden house. It's made of stone with three sections and Ionic columns at the front. Inside, the walls are decorated with paintings by Giovanni Battista Innocenzo Colombo. These paintings show scenes from the life of the goddess Diana. James Paine, the architect, called it "my greenhouse at Weston." Some people think Weston Hall and its gardens inspired Blandings Castle in the stories by P.G. Wodehouse.
Visits and Fun Events
Weston Park has hosted many important visitors and events. King George V's daughter, Mary, the Princess Royal, spent part of her honeymoon here. In 1998, the G8 Summit Retreat was held at the house. Leaders like US President Bill Clinton and Russian President Boris Yeltsin were present.
From 1999 to 2017, the grounds of Weston Park were one of the locations for the annual V Festival. This was a big music festival sponsored by Virgin Group. The other location was Hylands Park in Chelmsford.
The park also hosts the annual Midland Game Fair. This event takes place on the third weekend of September. It features traditional British country activities. These include working dog trials, fishing, and animal care. The fair attracts up to 50,000 visitors from Britain and Ireland.
In 2023, Weston Park was also the home of Camp Bestival Shropshire, another popular festival.
Gallery
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Lady Elizabeth Wilbraham, who may have designed Weston, by Sir Peter Lely
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Mary Wilbraham by John Michael Wright
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Grace Wilbraham by John Michael Wright
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Main entrance
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Stable block
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Temple of Diana
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Ceremonial purse of Sir Orlando Bridgeman, Lord Keeper of the Great Seal, 1667–72
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The 1679 toilet service
See also
In Spanish: Weston Park para niños
