History Clandon_Park_House




1 history

1.1 acquisition national trust
1.2 1968 – 2014
1.3 2015 fire





history

the estate , elizabethan house, temple court farm @ merrow, purchased in 1641 sir richard weston of nearby sutton place, sir richard onslow, mp surrey in long parliament , great-grandfather of thomas onslow, 2nd baron onslow, rebuilt it. many members of onslow family followed political careers; 3 of them, including arthur onslow, speakers of house of commons. portraits later hang in speaker s parlour @ clandon house.



engraving of house, showing west front , deer park, c. 1824


the house built, or perhaps thoroughly rebuilt, in 1730–33 (the latter date on rainwater heads) thomas onslow, 2nd baron onslow design of venetian architect giacomo leoni. rectangular building of red brick , stone dressings. clandon house interiors, completed in 1740s, featured two-storey marble hall, containing marble chimney pieces flemish sculptor michael rysbrack, , rococo plasterwork ceiling italian-swiss artists giuseppe artari , bagutti.


clandon park landscaped lancelot capability brown in 1776–81, replacing french garden , transforming part of disused canal ornamental lake. porte-cochère added principal facade in 1876. sunken dutch garden created frances, countess of onslow @ north front of house in late 19th century. in 1895, house investigated paranormal activity marquess of bute , ada goodrich freer on behalf of society psychical research. during world war i, onslow family created , managed hospital in clandon house war injured.


acquisition national trust

in 1945, ownership of clandon house passed in trust william onslow, 6th earl of onslow on death of father, had offered clandon house used public record office protect government documents destruction bombs in war. family moved out facilitate this. in 1956, earl decided wished donate clandon house nation. house not donated directly onslows, earl arranged aunt, gwendolen, countess iveagh, daughter of william hillier, 4th earl of onslow , former mp herself, purchase clandon house onslows £1. national trust accept house if received substantial monetary endowment. arranged, , clandon house 7 acres of land – including hinemihi – donated national trust.


historian james lees-milne described house in 1942 dirty , in decay , , merlin waterson, former director of historic properties @ national trust, said depleted when came trust . state rooms empty, many paintings , items of furniture belonging onslow family, house contained 18th-century porcelain, textiles , furniture donated hannah gubbay, member of sassoon family.


1968 – 2014

it extensively restored , redecorated between 1968 , 1970 interior designer john fowler, set out capture spirit of rooms , period rather replicate exact historical detail . other pieces acquired national trust s extensive collections, , notable antiques had long-standing association property bought display in house. many historians have criticised fowler s design choices @ clandon house. merlin waterson admits not given clear enough guidance on historically appropriate . however, neil cossons, historian , museum director, has noted [fowler] ever anxious avoid dead hand of restorer . in these interiors nothing jarred , in keeping romantc taste of period . in 1978, parterre designed john fowler , paul miles laid out on south front, replacing 20th-century flower beds.


by 2000s, house contained, among other things, ivo forde meissen collection of italian comedy figures, mortlake tapestries, , other rich textiles , carpets. due extensive costs of upkeep, national trust gained marriage licence property, , had become popular local wedding venue. in part or whole rented out media various productions, including 2008 s duchess starring keira knightley.


in 2012 @ risk register, english heritage described park still owned earl of onslow highly vulnerable, extensive significant problems, , unsympathetically managed affecting overall integrity of design , setting of house . discussions development of proposed business park ongoing.


2015 fire

house on fire in april 2015


on afternoon of 29 april 2015, fire started in house s basement , spread roof. @ 16:09, surrey fire , rescue service received emergency call, , fire subsequently attended total of 16 fire engines , more 80 personnel. while fire fighters tackled blaze, national trust volunteers joined conservators in salvaging furniture , works of art. items first stored on lawns placed in bubble wrap , sent local storage unit. fire , rescue service remained @ property until fire had been extinguished , began investigation cause of fire.


a significant number of items salvaged, house left shell according dame helen ghosh, director general of national trust, roof, ceilings , floors having fallen basement, leaving 1 room intact. @ least 6 victoria crosses , 1 of footballs kicked across no-man’s land on first day of battle of somme in 1916 among thousands of historic items destroyed. although paintings , furniture rescued staff, many tapestries , items of porcelain heavily damaged. large portrait of richard onslow, 1st baron onslow speaker of house of commons in 18th century, saved after being cut frame. official investigation concluded fire caused fault on electrical distribution board in basement.








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