Bramshill House
Encyclopedia
Bramshill House is a Jacobean
mansion
standing on 269 acres (108.9 ha) of land in the civil parish
of Bramshill
in northeast Hampshire
in England
. It has been the location of the Police Staff College
since 1960.
times. In the 14th century it was the home of Thomas Foxley, who rebuilt Windsor Castle
for the Crown. He appears to have used masons from Windsor in erecting a small castle
or fortified manor house
at Bramshill in 1327. Their work can still be seen in the cellars of the present house.
In 1605 Edward Zouche, 11th Baron Zouche of Harringworth
, bought the property from Sir Stephen Thornhurst of Agnes Court, Kent
. He demolished a large part of the building and began to build the Bramshill house of today. This was completed in 1612. The building included both a chapel and priest’s hole.
In 1622, while hunting in the park, George Abbot
, Archbishop of Canterbury
accidentally shot and killed one of the keepers with his cross-bow. It almost caused his downfall.
In 1699 the property was purchased by Sir John Cope, whose descendants occupied the premises until 1935. The Cope family demolished the chapel during the 18th century. Later, the house was the residence of Lord Brocket.
After World War II
, the exiled King Michael
and Queen Ana of Romania
lived at Bramshill.
ground at the house was a venue for pre-county club Hampshire
. The ground hosted 4 first-class matches, the first of which was in 1823 when pre-county club Hampshire played England. The ground played host to 2 further first-class matches for pre-county club Hampshire in 1825. The following year it hosted its final first-class when a combined Hampshire and Surrey team played pre-county club Sussex. A cricket ground still exists on the site of the house today.
Jacobean architecture
The Jacobean style is the second phase of Renaissance architecture in England, following the Elizabethan style. It is named after King James I of England, with whose reign it is associated.-Characteristics:...
mansion
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
standing on 269 acres (108.9 ha) of land in the civil parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
of Bramshill
Bramshill
Bramshill is a civil parish in the English county of Hampshire. Its name has become synonymous with the Police Staff College, Bramshill located in Bramshill House. Bramshill forms part of the district of Hart...
in northeast Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It has been the location of the Police Staff College
Police Staff College, Bramshill
The Police Staff College, Bramshill, Bramshill House, Bramshill, Hook, Hampshire, England, is the principal police staff training establishment in the United Kingdom....
since 1960.
History
Reference to Bramshill (or Bromeselle) can be traced back to SaxonAnglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
times. In the 14th century it was the home of Thomas Foxley, who rebuilt Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is a medieval castle and royal residence in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, notable for its long association with the British royal family and its architecture. The original castle was built after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I it...
for the Crown. He appears to have used masons from Windsor in erecting a small castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
or fortified manor house
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
at Bramshill in 1327. Their work can still be seen in the cellars of the present house.
In 1605 Edward Zouche, 11th Baron Zouche of Harringworth
Edward la Zouche, 11th Baron Zouche
Edward la Zouche, 11th Baron Zouche, 12th Baron St Maur was an English diplomat.-Early Life:Zouche was the son of George la Zouche, 10th Baron Zouche and his wife Margaret, née Welby....
, bought the property from Sir Stephen Thornhurst of Agnes Court, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
. He demolished a large part of the building and began to build the Bramshill house of today. This was completed in 1612. The building included both a chapel and priest’s hole.
In 1622, while hunting in the park, George Abbot
George Abbot (Archbishop of Canterbury)
George Abbot was an English divine and Archbishop of Canterbury. He also served as the fourth Chancellor of Trinity College, Dublin, between 1612 and 1633....
, Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
accidentally shot and killed one of the keepers with his cross-bow. It almost caused his downfall.
In 1699 the property was purchased by Sir John Cope, whose descendants occupied the premises until 1935. The Cope family demolished the chapel during the 18th century. Later, the house was the residence of Lord Brocket.
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the exiled King Michael
Michael I of Romania
Michael was the last King of Romania. He reigned from 20 July 1927 to 8 June 1930, and again from 6 September 1940 until 30 December 1947 when he was forced, by the Communist Party of Romania , to abdicate to the Soviet armies of occupation...
and Queen Ana of Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
lived at Bramshill.
First-class cricket
The cricketCricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
ground at the house was a venue for pre-county club Hampshire
Hampshire county cricket teams
Hampshire county cricket teams have been traced back to the 18th century but the county's involvement in cricket goes back much further than that...
. The ground hosted 4 first-class matches, the first of which was in 1823 when pre-county club Hampshire played England. The ground played host to 2 further first-class matches for pre-county club Hampshire in 1825. The following year it hosted its final first-class when a combined Hampshire and Surrey team played pre-county club Sussex. A cricket ground still exists on the site of the house today.