95-563: Kenwood House (also known as the Iveagh Bequest ) is a stately home in Hampstead , London, on the northern boundary of Hampstead Heath . The present house, built in the late 17th century, was remodelled in the 18th century for William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield by Scottish architect Robert Adam , serving as a residence for the Earls of Mansfield until the 20th century. The house and part of
190-465: A morganatic marriage , written in resentment at not being allowed back into Russia. In the preface he wrote: "Belonging, as I do, to the Imperial Blood, and being a member of one of the reigning houses, I should like to prove to the world how wrong it is in thinking – as the majority of mankind is apt to do – that we are the happiest beings on this earth. There is no doubt that we are well situated, but
285-545: A stately home in Staffordshire , a few miles from Newcastle-under-Lyme . During the ten years he lived there, he entered country society . Michael was very pleased when the town council of Newcastle-under-Lyme in late 1902 conferred on him the distinction of Lord High Steward of the borough. In 1903 he unveiled a statue of Queen Victoria in Newcastle-under-Lyme . The statue (with inscription to him) now stands in
380-518: A colonel. He loved the military life and served in the Egersky (Chasseurs) Regiment of the guards. In 1882, when Grand Duke Michael was twenty years old, he returned with his family to St. Petersburg upon his father's appointment as chairman of the State Council . Michael was shallow and not particularly bright, but he was tall and handsome. He became popular on the social circuit in the capital, spending
475-584: A direct descendant of Peter the Great 's protégé , Abram Petrovich Gannibal . The grand duke met Sophie when he saved her from a horse that had run away with her. He did not bother to ask for the necessary permission for the marriage from the Tsar or his parents because he knew it would not be granted. They were married in San Remo on 26 February 1891. The marriage was not only morganatic but also illegal (3rd cousins) under
570-428: A fortunate few; it was the centre of its own world, providing employment to hundreds of people in the vicinity of its estate . In previous eras, when state benefits were unheard of, those working on an estate were among the most fortunate, receiving secured employment and rent-free accommodation. At the summit of this category of people was the indoor staff of the country house. Unlike many of their contemporaries prior to
665-601: A great deal of his time on endless parties, dancing and gambling. Tsar Alexander III referred to him as a 'fool'. Grand Duke Michael lived in St. Petersburg's Mikhailovsky Palace with his parents, but he intended to marry soon, and to house his expected family, he ordered the construction of a large residence in the imperial capital. The palace was built between 1885 and 1891. It was designed by architect Maximilian Messmacher in Neo-Renaissance-style with its front entrance on
760-689: A heart attack and died, for which Michael was blamed. He was not allowed to attend his mother's funeral. Because of his morganatic marriage, Grand Duke Michael would spend the rest of his life living in exile in England, France and Germany. His wife was granted the title of Countess de Torby by her uncle Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxembourg . The couple initially lived in Wiesbaden , where Sophie's ancestors once reigned. Two of their three children were born there. In 1899, they settled more permanently in Cannes where they had
855-560: A letter of condolence and the Prince of Wales attended her funeral. By November, according to Harold, the grand duke was again behaving well, as he no longer had his wife to argue with. He survived her for less than two years. Grand Duke Michael contracted influenza and died in London on 26 April 1929, aged sixty-seven. He was buried with his wife in Hampstead Cemetery . Grand Duke Michael and
950-623: A military career. He served in the Russo-Turkish War in 1877, became a Colonel and was adjutant at the Imperial court. In 1891 he contracted a morganatic marriage with Countess Sophie von Merenberg , a morganatic daughter of Prince Nicholas William of Nassau and a granddaughter of the Russian poet Alexander Pushkin . For contracting this marriage without permission, Emperor Alexander III of Russia stripped him of his military titles and banished
1045-524: A mixture of high architecture , often as interpreted by a local architect or surveyor, and determined by practicality as much as by the whims of architectural taste. An example of this is Brympton d'Evercy in Somerset, a house of many periods that is unified architecturally by the continuing use of the same mellow, local Ham Hill stone . The fashionable William Kent redesigned Rousham House only to have it quickly and drastically altered to provide space for
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#17330850379671140-426: A more modest house at 3 Cambridge Gate, Regent's Park. However, George V and Queen Mary helped with £10,000. In 1916 his younger daughter, Nadejda ( Nada ) married Prince George of Battenberg , older son of Prince Louis by Queen Victoria's granddaughter, Princess Victoria of Hesse-Darmstadt . The Battenberg family was itself the product of a morganatic marriage, but one whose members had been allowed to use
1235-519: A result, they never received the newcomers at Kenwood. Their refusal to open their doors to the couple meant that many others in British society followed suit, with the result that Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich and his wife were effectively marginalized. In September 1912, Grand Duke Michael was allowed to visit Russia for the centennial of the Battle of Borodino , and was restored to the honorary colonelcy of
1330-590: A revolution, and that he should satisfy the people's just demands before it was too late. Excerpts of Michael's correspondence in French with the Emperor during his exile have been published (usually beseeching the tsar for money). With the war over, and following the Russian revolution, the grand duke's financial situation deteriorated. He lost a good deal of his money, which was tied up in the Romanovs' fortunes. He had to move to
1425-432: A scene filmed here. The 1995 British feature film Sense and Sensibility had scenes filmed here. Many scenes in the 2013 film Belle , in which William Murray figures as a character, are set in the house or its grounds, although filmed elsewhere. A scene from the 2016 novel Swing Time by Zadie Smith is set on the grounds of the estate. Citations Sources Stately home An English country house
1520-687: A tour of museums in the United States while Kenwood House was undergoing renovations; many of the works had never been outside Britain. The exhibit opened 6 June 2013 in Little Rock, Arkansas at the Arkansas Arts Center . The house was the subject of a Margaret Calkin James poster in the 1930s, seen by many commuters on the London Underground . The 1999 British feature film Notting Hill had
1615-626: A villa, named Kazbek , after a mountain in Georgia. They lived comfortably: Five footmen, a butler, a valet, a lady's maid, a governess, a nursery maid and six chefs attended them. Michael afforded this lifestyle by being the owner of the factory near Borjomi (Georgia) that bottled mineral water . Grand Duke Michael was involved in the construction of the St. Michael the Archangel Church in Cannes and in laying
1710-475: Is a large house or mansion in the English countryside. Such houses were often owned by individuals who also owned a town house . This allowed them to spend time in the country and in the city—hence, for these people, the term distinguished between town and country. However, the term also encompasses houses that were, and often still are, the full-time residence for the landed gentry who dominated rural Britain until
1805-500: Is called a castle, but not all buildings with the name "castle" are fortified (for example Highclere Castle in Hampshire ). The term stately home is subject to debate, and avoided by historians and other academics. As a description of a country house, the term was first used in a poem by Felicia Hemans , "The Homes of England", originally published in Blackwood's Magazine in 1827. In
1900-642: Is in the London Borough of Camden , just south of its boundary with the London Borough of Haringey . The original house on the property was presumed to have been built around 1616 by the King's Printer , John Bill, and was known as Caen Wood House. It was acquired in 1694 by the Surveyor-General of the Ordnance , William Bridges , who demolished the house and rebuilt it; the original brick structure remains intact under
1995-473: Is politics; they talk politics; and they make politics, quite spontaneously. There are no written terms for distinguishing between vast country palaces and comparatively small country houses; the descriptive terms, which can include castle , manor and court , provide no firm clue and are often only used because of a historical connection with the site of such a building. Therefore, for ease or explanation, Britain's country houses can be categorised according to
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#17330850379672090-567: Is the ITV series Downton Abbey . Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich of Russia Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich of Russia (Russian: Михаил Михайлович; 16 October 1861 – 26 April 1929) was a son of Grand Duke Michael Nicolaievich of Russia and a grandson of Tsar Nicholas I of Russia . He was raised in the Caucasus , where he lived between 1862 and 1881 with his family, and was educated by private tutors. As Romanov tradition demanded, he followed
2185-408: Is wealth the only happiness in the world?" While remaining "devoted" to Sophie, Micheal nevertheless often fell in love with pretty girls. At the death of his father in Cannes on 18 December 1909, Michael was allowed to come to Russia for the funeral; however, his wife refused to go with him as she still resented the insults which had marred their marriage so many years before. After leaving Keele,
2280-589: The Duchess of Cambridge , was in favour of the marriage, both the Duke of Cambridge and Mary's father, the Duke of Teck were against it, considering the Romanovs to be "notoriously bad husbands". The same year Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich proposed marriage to Princess Irene of Hesse and by Rhine . But she was in love with her first cousin, Prince Henry of Prussia , she rejected him. In 1887 he proposed to Princess Louise ,
2375-516: The Guinness family , bought the house and the remaining 74 acres (30 ha) not under public ownership from the Mansfield family in 1925 and left it to the nation upon his death in 1927; it was opened to the public the following year. Some of the furniture sold in 1922 has since been bought back. The paintings are from Iveagh's collection. Kenwood House was closed at the start of World War II . Following
2470-580: The Heritage Lottery Fund . This included repairing the Westmorland slate roof, redisplaying the Iveagh Bequest paintings in the south of the house, and redecorating the structure to closer resemble Adam's original design. In 2019, 134,238 people visited the house. There are two drives leading to the house from Hampstead Lane. Each has a gated white-brick lodge. The north, or main entrance front of
2565-502: The Reform Act 1832 . Frequently, the formal business of the counties was transacted in these country houses, having functional antecedents in manor houses . With large numbers of indoor and outdoor staff, country houses were important as places of employment for many rural communities. In turn, until the agricultural depressions of the 1870s , the estates, of which country houses were the hub, provided their owners with incomes. However,
2660-502: The 1850s, with the English economy booming, new mansions were built in one of the many revivalist architectural styles popular throughout the 19th century. The builders of these new houses were able to take advantage of the political unrest in Europe that gave rise to a large trade in architectural salvage. This new wave of country house building is exemplified by the Rothschild properties in
2755-419: The 18th century with houses such as Castle Howard , Kedleston Hall and Holkham Hall . Such building reached its zenith from the late 17th century until the mid-18th century; these houses were often completely built or rebuilt in their entirety by one eminent architect in the most fashionable architectural style of the day and often have a suite of Baroque state apartments, typically in enfilade , reserved for
2850-481: The 20th century, the term was later popularised in a song by Noël Coward , and in modern usage it often implies a country house that is open to visitors at least some of the time. In England, the terms "country house" and "stately home" are sometimes used vaguely and interchangeably; however, many country houses such as Ascott in Buckinghamshire were deliberately designed not to be stately, and to harmonise with
2945-474: The 20th century, they slept in proper beds, wore well-made adequate clothes and received three proper meals a day, plus a small wage. In an era when many still died from malnutrition or lack of medicine, the long working hours were a small price to pay. As a result of the aristocratic habit of only marrying within the aristocracy, and whenever possible to a sole heiress, many owners of country houses owned several country mansions, and would visit each according to
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3040-416: The 2nd Earl of Mansfield at Kenwood House, Queen Charlotte said that the king was curious about the architectural improvements. The 2nd Earl died in 1796, and ownership passed to his son, David William Murray, 3rd Earl of Mansfield . William Atkinson undertook essential structural reinforcement to the house between 1803 and 1839, ensuring that Kenwood would stand the test of time. The property remained with
3135-520: The 49th Brest Regiment. During World War I , Michael was made a chairman of the commission to consolidate Russian orders abroad, but was denied permission to come back to Russia and serve with its armed forces. Trying to help his country, he acted as an agent for Russian loans in France. On 31 October 1916, the grand duke wrote to Tsar Nicholas II warning him that British secret agents in Russia were expecting
3230-520: The Admiralty Embankment 8. The building was innovative for the end of the 19th century, having gas pipelines, electricity and a telephone. However, the grand duke was not destined to live there. By the time the palace was finished Grand Duke Michael had gone into exile from Russia. In the spring of 1886 the grand duke was in London in search of a wife. He made unsuccessful overtures for the hand of Princess Mary of Teck . While Mary's grandmother,
3325-481: The Caucasus, where his family lived for twenty years. He had a spartan upbringing that included sleeping on army cots and taking cold baths. He was educated at home by private tutors. The relationship with his parents was troublesome. His father, occupied in military and governmental endeavours, remained a distant figure. His demanding mother was a strict disciplinarian who did not show affection towards her children. He
3420-530: The Imperial house laws and caused a scandal at the Russian court, despite the bride's dynastic paternal ancestry. Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich was deprived of his military rank and of his position as adjutant at the Imperial Court. He was also forbidden to return to Russia for life. When his mother heard of his morganatic marriage, she collapsed with shock and went by train to the Crimea to recover, but then had
3515-524: The Iveagh Bequest but were added to the collection after his death because of a connection with Kenwood House. There is also a collection of shoe buckles , jewellery and portrait miniatures . In 2002, a selection of the Suffolk Collection of Stuart portraits was moved to Kenwood from Ranger's House , Greenwich . In 2012, an exhibition of works from the art collection, Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Gainsborough: The Treasures of Kenwood House, London began
3610-581: The Mansfields throughout the rest of the century, but the Mansfields preferred to live at their Scottish seat, Scone Palace . In July 1835, William IV and Queen Adelaide paid a royal visit to Kenwood, this was attended by 800 of the nobility and gentry, scattered around the Kenwood garden. The Marchioness of Salisbury wrote "The King and Queen and Royalties extremely well pleased: the King trotted about with Lord M. in
3705-709: The Queen's Gardens by the Ironmarket. He was also a frequent visitor of North Berwick , a seaside resort in Scotland. In July 1901, Edward VII appointed him an Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO), the house order of the royal family. Part of the year was spent at his villa in the south of France. The grand duke was the founder and president of the Cannes Golf Club, where he often played during
3800-571: The Riviera. Grand Duke Michael helped finance the Carlton Hotel in Cannes. During the Russo-Japanese war , Michael Mikhailovich organised a hospital for wounded Russian officers. It was around this time that he shaved off his beard and stopped dyeing his hair. He was described as a born autocrat, single-minded, and a stickler for protocol. In 1908, Michael published a novel, Never Say Die , about
3895-467: The best-known examples of the showy prodigy house , often built with the intention of attracting the monarch to visit. By the reign of Charles I , Inigo Jones and his form of Palladianism had changed the face of English domestic architecture completely, with the use of turrets and towers as an architectural reference to the earlier castles and fortified houses completely disappearing. The Palladian style, in various forms, interrupted briefly by baroque ,
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3990-520: The circumstances of their creation. The great houses are the largest of the country houses; in truth palaces, built by the country's most powerful – these were designed to display their owners' power or ambitions to power. Really large unfortified or barely fortified houses began to take over from the traditional castles of the crown and magnates during the Tudor period, with vast houses such as Hampton Court Palace and Burghley House , and continued until
4085-572: The contents of the house and its future was uncertain. Part of the grounds were bought by the Kenwood Preservation Council in 1922, after there had been threats that it would be sold to a building syndicate. This land came under control of the London County Council in 1924 and was opened to the public the following year by King George V . Edward Guinness, 1st Earl of Iveagh , a rich Anglo-Irish businessman and philanthropist of
4180-536: The cornerstones for hotels and casinos in the area. He was an excellent golfer and hosted parties with his wife. They became prominent figures in the international set in the French Riviera, where the grand duke came to be known as the "Uncrowned King of Cannes". The family maintained their contacts in British society, appearing in Country Life magazine in 1899. In 1900, the grand duke began renting Keele Hall ,
4275-466: The country saw the building of the first of the unfortified great houses. Henry VIII 's Dissolution of the Monasteries saw many former ecclesiastical properties granted to the King's favourites, who then converted them into private country houses. Woburn Abbey , Forde Abbey and many other mansions with abbey or priory in their name became private houses during this period. Other terms used in
4370-492: The couple from the Russian Empire . For some years he lived in Wiesbaden , Nassau and in Cannes . He settled permanently in England in 1900, leasing Keele Hall in Staffordshire and later Kenwood House on the outskirts of London . He became a prominent member of British society, one of his daughters marrying into the British aristocracy and another marrying a great-grandson of Queen Victoria . He lost his fortune with
4465-429: The couple's position in British society was threatened when in the same year Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich of Russia , Nicholas II's younger brother, chose England for his exile after also contracting a morganatic marriage. The arrival in England of another and more senior grand duke, Michael Alexandrovich, provided an uncomfortable reminder of the scandal which had once attached to Michael Mikahilovich and his wife. As
4560-496: The death of Edward VII, Grand Duke Michael, pushed by his wife, tried in vain to obtain a British title for her. In 1912, George V wrote to Nicholas II about "that good fool Michael, who I am sure bores you with as many grievances as he does me." Nicholas had written to George to tell him that Grand Duke Michael had asked his permission for his wife to accept a British title and that he had given consent, subject of course to George's agreement. In his reply George pointed out "I have not
4655-428: The design of the wing around the next corner. These varying "improvements", often criticised at the time, today are the qualities that make English country houses unique. Wealthy and influential people, often bored with their formal duties, go to the country in order to get out of London, the ugliest and most uncomfortable city in the world; they invented the long week-end to stay away as long as possible. Their métier
4750-427: The early 1970s, hundreds of country houses were demolished . Houses that survived destruction are now mostly Grade I or II listed as buildings of historic interest with restrictions on restoration and re-creation work. However such work is usually very expensive. Several houses have been restored, some over many years. For example at Copped Hall where the restoration started in 1995 continues to this day. Although
4845-452: The eldest daughter of the Prince of Wales . He admitted to Louise that he could never love her and he was turned down for a third time. After that, he attempted to marry within the Russian nobility , which caused confrontations with his parents. In 1888, he had an affair with Princess Walewska . Later, he fell in love with Countess Catherine Nikolaevna Ignatieva (1869–1914), the daughter of
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#17330850379674940-461: The facade added in the 18th century. The orangery was added in about 1700. Bridges sold the house in 1704, and it went under several owners until 1754, when it was bought by the future Earl of Mansfield, William Murray , who was the Lord Chief Justice . In 1764, Lord Mansfield commissioned Robert Adam to remodel the house. Adam was given complete freedom to design it as he chose. He added
5035-545: The fall of the Russian monarchy in 1918. Three of his brothers were killed by the Bolsheviks , but he escaped the Russian Revolution because he was living abroad. He spent his last years living under reduced circumstances with the financial help of his son-in-law, Sir Harold Wernher . Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich was born at Peterhof Palace in St. Petersburg on 16 October [ O.S. 4 October] 1861,
5130-512: The former Minister of Interior , Nicholas Pavlovich Ignatiev . He tried to get permission to marry her and he went with his father to talk to Tsar Alexander III. However, his mother and the Empress Maria Feodorovna made it impossible for him to marry Catherine. Olga Feodorovna opposed the misalliance vehemently. "He has so openly provoked me" she wrote of her son, mentioning his "lack of respect, affection and attention". To break off
5225-463: The gardens near the house. Music concerts, originally classical but in more recent years predominantly pop concerts, were held by the lake on Saturday evenings every summer from 1951 until 2006, attracting thousands of people to picnic and enjoy the music, scenery and spectacular fireworks. In February 2007, English Heritage decided to abandon these concerts owing to restrictions placed on them after protests from some local residents. On 19 March 2008, it
5320-736: The grand duke moved with his family to Hampstead in 1909, taking a long lease on Kenwood House, a house owned by the Earl of Mansfield , overlooking London's Hampstead Heath . Michael became president of the Hampstead General Hospital, to which he donated an ambulance, as well as president of the Hampstead Art Society. They lived in splendour, enjoying a privileged place in British society. Every year Grand Duke Michael and his wife would visit Edward VII at Windsor Castle or Sandringham and attend luncheons at Buckingham Palace . After
5415-456: The grounds were bought from the 6th Earl of Mansfield in 1925 by Edward Guinness, 1st Earl of Iveagh , and donated to the nation in 1927. The entire estate came under ownership of the London County Council and was open to the public by the end of the 1920s. It remains a popular local tourist attraction. The house is at the north edge of Hampstead Heath , to the south of Hampstead Lane (the B519). It
5510-473: The home counties and Bletchley Park (rebuilt in several styles, and famous for its code-breaking role in World War II). The slow decline of the English country house coincided with the rise not just of taxation, but also of modern industry, along with the agricultural depression of the 1870s. By 1880, this had led some owners into financial shortfalls as they tried to balance maintenance of their estates with
5605-555: The house was designed by Robert Adam and is set in Stucco with a central portico. The south front is constructed out of a single Stucco block. It was restored to its original design in 1975. To the east of the house is the service wing, constructed from London stock brick. Opposite this is the brick house, designed as a cold-plunge bath. The estate has a designed landscape with gardens near the house, probably originally designed by Humphry Repton , contrasting with some surrounding woodland, and
5700-435: The household. These houses were always an alternative residence to a London house. During the 18th and 19th centuries, for the highest echelons of English society, the country house served as a place for relaxing, hunting and running the country with one's equals at the end of the week, with some houses having their own theatre where performances were staged. The country house, however, was not just an oasis of pleasure for
5795-551: The immediately preceding war then in World War I, were now paying far higher rates of tax, and agricultural incomes had dropped. Thus, the solution for many was to hold contents auctions and then demolish the house and sell its stone, fireplaces , and panelling . This is what happened to many of Britain's finest houses. Despite this slow decline, so necessary was the country house for entertaining and prestige that in 1917 Viscount Lee of Fareham donated his country house Chequers to
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#17330850379675890-438: The income they provided. Some relied on funds from secondary sources such as banking and trade while others, like the severely impoverished Duke of Marlborough , sought to marry American heiresses to save their country houses and lifestyles. The ultimate demise began immediately following World War I . The members of the huge staff required to maintain large houses had either left to fight and never returned, departed to work in
5985-484: The landscape, while some of the great houses such as Kedleston Hall and Holkham Hall were built as "power houses" to dominate the landscape, and were most certainly intended to be "stately" and impressive. In his book Historic Houses: Conversations in Stately Homes , the author and journalist Robert Harling documents nineteen "stately homes"; these range in size from the vast Blenheim Palace and Castle Howard to
6080-415: The late 19th and early 20th centuries were the swansong of the traditional English country house lifestyle. Increased taxation and the effects of World War I led to the demolition of hundreds of houses ; those that remained had to adapt to survive. While a château or a Schloss can be a fortified or unfortified building, a country house, similar to an Ansitz , is usually unfortified. If fortified, it
6175-540: The latter two are ducal palaces, Montacute, although built by a Master of the Rolls to Queen Elizabeth I, was occupied for the next 400 years by his descendants, who were gentry without a London townhouse , rather than aristocracy. They finally ran out of funds in the early 20th century. However, the vast majority of English country houses, often owned at different times by gentlemen and peers , are an evolution of one or more styles with facades and wings in different styles in
6270-606: The library, one of his most famous interiors, to balance the orangery, and accommodate Lord Mansfield's extensive book collection. He also designed the Ionic portico at the entrance. In June 1780, Lord Mansfield 's Bloomsbury townhouse was ransacked and destroyed during the Gordon Riots . The Earl and Countess fled, then the rioters targeted Kenwood next due to its proximity. His nephew Lord Stormont wrote to George III that he had ordered light cavalry to be dispatched to Kenwood. To stall
6365-639: The minuscule Ebberston Hall , and in architecture from the Jacobean Renaissance of Hatfield House to the eccentricities of Sezincote . The book's collection of stately homes also includes George IV's Brighton town palace, the Royal Pavilion . The country houses of England have evolved over the last five hundred years. Before this time, larger houses were usually fortified, reflecting the position of their owners as feudal lords , de facto overlords of their manors . The Tudor period of stability in
6460-610: The most active manner". The 6th Earl of Mansfield, Alan David Murray, inherited Kenwood from his brother in 1906, but soon decided to sell it. First he leased it, and after two years of negotiations, the house was leased in 1910 to the exiled Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich of Russia and his morganatic wife, Countess Sophie of Merenberg . In 1914 the couple hosted a dinner and ball attended by European royalty including George V and Queen Mary . The Grand Duke stayed at Kenwood until 1917, followed by American millionairess Nancy Leeds who moved out in 1920. In 1922 Lord Mansfield sold off
6555-416: The most eminent guests, the entertainment of whom was of paramount importance in establishing and maintaining the power of the owner. The common denominator of this category of English country houses is that they were designed to be lived in with a certain degree of ceremony and pomp. It was not unusual for the family to have a small suite of rooms for withdrawing in privacy away from the multitude that lived in
6650-399: The munitions factories, or filled the void left by the fighting men in other workplaces. Of those who returned after the war, many left the countryside for better-paid jobs in towns. The final blow for many country houses came following World War II ; having been requisitioned during the war, they were returned to the owners in poor repair. Many estate owners, having lost their heirs, if not in
6745-468: The names of houses to describe their origin or importance include palace , castle , court , hall , mansion , park , house , manor , and place . It was during the second half of the reign of Elizabeth I , and under her successor, James I , that the first architect-designed mansions, thought of today as epitomising the English country house, began to make their appearance. Burghley House , Longleat House , and Hatfield House are among
6840-450: The nation for the use of a prime minister who might not possess one of his or her own. Chequers still fulfills that need today as do both Chevening House and Dorneywood , donated for sole use of high-ranking ministers of the Crown. Today, many country houses have become hotels, schools, hospitals and museums, while others have survived as conserved ruins, but from the early 20th century until
6935-520: The naturalistic Hampstead Heath to the south. There is also a garden designed by Arabella Lennox-Boyd . The estate is Grade II* listed on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens . One third of the estate is a Site of Special Scientific Interest , particularly the ancient woodlands . These are home to many birds and insects and the largest Pipistrelle bat roost in London. There are sculptures by Barbara Hepworth , Henry Moore and Eugène Dodeigne in
7030-464: The north side, one wing for the first permanent dining room at Kenwood, along with the offices, kitchen buildings and brewery (now the restaurant) to the side. A dairy was added at this time to supply Kenwood House with milk and cheese. The main Hampstead–Highgate road was moved to the north between 1793 and 1796 so that it would not run directly alongside the property. In 1794, George III visited
7125-468: The owner of a "power house" or a small manor, the inhabitants of the English country house have become collectively referred to as the ruling class, because this is exactly what they did in varying degrees, whether by having high political influence and power in national government, or in the day-to-day running of their own localities or "county" in such offices as lord/deputy lieutenant , magistrates , or occasionally even clergy. The Country house mystery
7220-521: The owner's twelve children. Canons Ashby , home to poet John Dryden 's family, is another example of architectural evolution: a medieval farmhouse enlarged in the Tudor era around a courtyard, given grandiose plaster ceilings in the Stuart period , and then having Georgian façades added in the 18th century. The whole is a glorious mismatch of styles and fashions that seamlessly blend together. These could be called
7315-502: The ownership or management of some houses has been transferred to a private trust , most notably at Chatsworth , other houses have transferred art works and furnishings under the Acceptance in Lieu scheme to ownership by various national or local museums, but retained for display in the building. This enables the former owners to offset tax, the payment of which would otherwise have necessitated
7410-421: The power to grant a title in England to a foreign subject and still more impossible in the case of a Russian Grand Duke." Gloomily accepting that the grand duke would be turning up to make a formal request for his wife's title, George added that "I do not look forward to our interview with any pleasure, as I fear I have no alternative but to refuse his request". Not only did they not secure a title for Sophie, but
7505-457: The private sale of the art works. For example, tapestries and furniture at Houghton Hall are now owned by the Victoria and Albert Museum . In addition, increasing numbers of country houses hold licences for weddings and civil ceremonies . Another source of income is to use the house as a venue for parties, a film location or a corporate entertainment venue. While many country houses are open to
7600-416: The public and derive income through that means, they remain homes, in some cases inhabited by the descendants of their original owners. The lifestyles of those living and working in a country house in the early 20th century were recreated in a BBC television programme, The Edwardian Country House , filmed at Manderston House in Scotland. Another television programme which features life in country houses
7695-543: The relationship, the parents decided to send him abroad. While in Nice , in 1891, Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich fell in love with Countess Sophie von Merenberg , his third cousin once removed, daughter of Prince Nikolaus Wilhelm of Nassau and his morganatic wife, née Natalia Alexandrovna Pushkina , a member of the minor Russian nobility. Sophie's maternal grandfather was the renowned poet-author Alexander Pushkin ; through him, she had black African ancestry (one part in 32) as
7790-513: The rioters, free ale was given from the Spaniards Inn , assisted by Lord Mansfield's steward using wine from the house. They successfully stalled the mobs until the armed cavalry arrived to protect the house. Following the 1st Earl's death in 1793, ownership passed to his nephew, David Murray. With his late uncle's approval, he commissioned an extension of the property, initially by Robert Nasmith, then by George Saunders. Saunders added two wings on
7885-459: The season: Grouse shooting in Scotland , pheasant shooting and fox hunting in England. The Earl of Rosebery , for instance, had Dalmeny House in Scotland, Mentmore Towers in Buckinghamshire, and another house near Epsom just for the racing season. For many, this way of life, which began a steady decline in 1914, continued well into the 20th century, and for a few continues to this day. In
7980-444: The second category of Britain's country houses are those that belonged to the squirearchy or landed gentry . These tend either to have evolved from medieval hall houses, with rooms added as required, or were purpose-built by relatively unknown local architects. Smaller, and far greater in number than the "power houses", these were still the epicentre of their own estate, but were often the only residence of their owner. However, whether
8075-543: The style His/Her Serene Highness . A year after Nadeja and George's wedding, however, the English branches of the Battenberg family gave up their princely title, and Prince George, who was eventually to become 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven , took the surname Mountbatten and bore the courtesy title of earl, his wife becoming known as Countess of Medina. Anastasia ( Zia ), the older daughter, in 1917 married Sir Harold Wernher , yielding her own comital title to accept
8170-453: The style and rank of an earl's daughter. Wernher, being extremely wealthy, provided substantial financial support for his in-laws, alleviating the loss of income from Michael's imperial estates. The grand duke's son, Michael, Count de Torby (known familially as Boy Torby ), lost his employment and came to live with them, but the relationship was difficult, not least because Boy suffered a recurring form of depression. Between bouts of this he
8265-403: The third child and second son of the seven children of Grand Duke Michael Nicolaievich of Russia and his wife, Grand Duchess Olga Feodorovna (born Princess Cecile of Baden). Known in the family as Miche-Miche , he was a year old when, in 1862, the family moved to Tiflis , Georgia , on the occasion of his father's being named Viceroy of the Caucasus . Grand Duke Michael spent his youth in
8360-488: The true English country house. Wilton House , one of England's grandest houses, is in a remarkably similar vein; although, while the Drydens, mere squires, at Canons Ashby employed a local architect, at Wilton the mighty Earls of Pembroke employed the finest architects of the day: first Holbein , 150 years later Inigo Jones, and then Wyatt followed by Chambers. Each employed a different style of architecture, seemingly unaware of
8455-601: The war, the house came under ownership of the London County Council, and it re-opened in 1950. The late 18th-century extensions by Saunders were restored from 1955 to 1959. Ownership transferred to the Greater London Council (GLC) in 1965; following the GLC's demise in 1986, English Heritage took over responsibility for the estate. The house was closed for major renovations from 2012 until late 2013, partly funded by
8550-502: The winter season. In the south of France, he usually met his relatives, particularly his sister Anastasia who owned a villa nearby. In 1903, Michael's father had a stroke and was moved to Cannes. The old grand duke was charmed by his daughter-in-law and his Torby grandchildren. The presence of Michael's father also frequently brought Michael's brother Alexander and his family to Cannes, and these were later followed by other grand dukes. He socialised there with other royalty who also stayed at
8645-462: Was a disappointment to his mother, who compared him unfavourably with his more intelligent eldest brother, Grand Duke Nicholas. Michael was considered the least gifted of the seven children and his mother referred to him as "stupid". During the years in the Caucasus, the Grand Duke excelled at horsemanship and started his military career. As a young man, he served in the Russo-Turkish War and became
8740-530: Was a painter of some accomplishment. Once the World War was over, Michael Mikhailovich and his wife returned to Cannes after six years. After the news of the murders of so many close relatives came through, many people thought Michael became unbalanced. He had become short-tempered and rude to the servants and a great trial to his wife. By 1925, the grand duke had become so troublesome that his son-in-law, Harold, regarded him as "perfectly crazy". On 4 September 1927, his wife died, aged fifty-nine. King George V wrote
8835-511: Was a popular genre of English detective fiction in the 1920s and 1930s; set in the residence of the gentry and often involving a murder in a country house temporarily isolated by a snowstorm or similar with the suspects all at a weekend house party. Following the Industrial Revolution of the 18th century, a third category of country houses was built as newly rich industrialists and bankers were eager to display their wealth and taste. By
8930-659: Was announced that the concerts would return to a new location on the Pasture Ground within the Kenwood Estate, with the number of concerts limited to eight per season. Kenwood House contains a significant number of historic paintings and other works of art, including 63 Old Master paintings. Paintings of note include Other painters include Most of the works were acquired by Iveagh in the 1880s–1890s and are mainly Old Master portraits, landscapes and 17th century Dutch and Flemish works and British artists. Others were not part of
9025-422: Was to predominate until the second half of the 18th century when, influenced by ancient Greek styles, it gradually evolved into the neoclassicism championed by such architects as Robert Adam . Some of the best known of England's country houses were the work of only one architect/designer, built in a relatively short, particular time: Montacute House , Chatsworth House , and Blenheim Palace are examples. While
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