More information : [ST 80924298] Longleat House [G.T.] on site of St. Radegund's Priory [G.T.] (Augustinian Canons founded c. A.D. 1272) Chapel [G.T.] (1)
The foundation of the Augustinian Priory dedicated to St. Radegund, at Longleat, is obscure but accepted as c.1272. It was suppressed in 1529 and appropriated to Hinton (2) The estate was bought by Sir J.Thynne in 1541 who adapted the buildings to make a suitable home between 1546 and 1552. This was rebuilt and then partly destroyed by fire in 1567. The present building was begun in 1568 and re-fronted in 1572, and again altered between 1801 and 1811. (3) Behind the w. facade lay the chapel consecrated in 1684, now horizontally subdivided to create living rooms (4). (2-4)
Longleat House is of outstanding interest. (5)
I Longleat House
The site of the Augustinian Priory of St. Radegund founded in 1210 by Sir John Vernon. This was dissolved in 1529 and the land eventually sold to Sir John Horsey (see map No. 2) in 1539, who sold it immediately to Mr. John Thynne who was knighted in 1547 and commenced rebuilding in 1568. There is apparently no record of the original architect. There is a tradition that John of Padua was employed. Also possibly R. Smithson may have worked here, and though Longleat has something of the character of Ollaton in its elaborate symmetry, the detail appears too delicate and too classic to be by the same hand, or even by an English designer.
The Great Hall was completed by the second Sir John Thynne. The grand
staircase and garden terrace were carried out in 1670 from designs by
Sir C. Wren. The stair and a large part of the house were later altered for the 2nd Marquess of Bath by Sir Jeffrey Wyattville in 1808. The Great Hall was not altered. The landscape of the Park is among the finest of England, part of ancient planting, part of C17 (the main aproach avenue from Horningsham Lodge) and part, by Capability Brown, of mid C18. Most of the present gardens are probably of C19 and later date repeating perhaps the layout of the 17th century formal gardens to a small extent The house is well illustrated and described in various publications. Good photographs in Country Life October 1902 and May 1903.
The various farm buildings in the Park are mainly of C19 and unimportant. Payments to John of Padua in 1544 and 1549 are recorded at Longleat (. M. Simpson - History of Architectural Development Vol. III), too early,, if correct, for the rebuilding of the house. (6)
Longleat House. Grade I (7) |