Gosfield Hall
Encyclopedia
Gosfield Hall near Braintree
in Essex
, England
was built in 1545 by Sir John Wentworth
, a member of Cardinal Wolsey’s household, and hosted Royal visits by Queen Elizabeth I and her grand retinue throughout the middle of the 16th century.
Sir Thomas Millington
was in residence by 1691. He reconstructed The Grand Salon which remained the state banqueting hall for a long time. During the same period he had guest rooms built above The Salon. His crest - a double-headed eagle - may be seen above the central doors on the courtyard side.
The mansion was built round a central courtyard and the west front still has a fine Tudor facade. The east front was remodelled by John Knight after he came into possession in 1715 and again later in the 18th century for Earl Nugent
who also remodelled the south front and created the mile long lake. The magnificent Ballroom was added and the deer park landscaped to become a family home for the Marquis of Buckingham.
Later during the French Revolution
, Gosfield Hall became the home of King Louis XVIII and his Queen Marie-Josephine-Louise of Savoy
who had fled France and the guillotine
to live in grand style with more than 350 courtiers and staff in attendance from 1807 to 1809.
Much restoration work was done by Samuel Courtauld
who owned the house between 1854 and 1881. In the early 20th century the house was virtually abandoned but did good service as a base for troops stationed in Essex during the Second World War.
More recently, the Hall was owned by the Country Houses Association
until it went into liquidation in 2003. It is now run by Country House Weddings Ltd.
It is a Grade I listed building.
Braintree, Essex
Braintree is a town of about 42,000 people and the principal settlement of the Braintree district of Essex in the East of England. It is northeast of Chelmsford and west of Colchester on the River Blackwater, A120 road and a branch of the Great Eastern Main Line.Braintree has grown contiguous...
in Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, 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...
was built in 1545 by Sir John Wentworth
John Wentworth
John Wentworth may refer to:*John Wentworth , lieutenant governor of New Hampshire from 1717-1730*John Wentworth , jurist and revolutionary leader in New Hampshire...
, a member of Cardinal Wolsey’s household, and hosted Royal visits by Queen Elizabeth I and her grand retinue throughout the middle of the 16th century.
Sir Thomas Millington
Sir Thomas Millington
Sir Thomas Millington FRS , the son of Thomas Millington, was an English physician. Greatly respected in his day, he was eulogised by Samuel Garth under the name of Machaon in his poem 'The Dispensary' while Thomas Sydenham held him in high regard...
was in residence by 1691. He reconstructed The Grand Salon which remained the state banqueting hall for a long time. During the same period he had guest rooms built above The Salon. His crest - a double-headed eagle - may be seen above the central doors on the courtyard side.
The mansion was built round a central courtyard and the west front still has a fine Tudor facade. The east front was remodelled by John Knight after he came into possession in 1715 and again later in the 18th century for Earl Nugent
Earl Nugent
Earl Nugent was a title the Peerage of Ireland. It was created on 21 July 1776 for Robert Craggs-Nugent, 1st Viscount Clare, with remainder, failing heirs male of his body, to his son-in-law George Grenville and the heirs male of his body...
who also remodelled the south front and created the mile long lake. The magnificent Ballroom was added and the deer park landscaped to become a family home for the Marquis of Buckingham.
Later during the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
, Gosfield Hall became the home of King Louis XVIII and his Queen Marie-Josephine-Louise of Savoy
Marie Josephine Louise of Savoy
Marie Joséphine of Savoy was the wife of the future King Louis XVIII of France...
who had fled France and the guillotine
Guillotine
The guillotine is a device used for carrying out :executions by decapitation. It consists of a tall upright frame from which an angled blade is suspended. This blade is raised with a rope and then allowed to drop, severing the head from the body...
to live in grand style with more than 350 courtiers and staff in attendance from 1807 to 1809.
Much restoration work was done by Samuel Courtauld
Samuel Courtauld
Samuel Courtauld may refer to:*Samuel Courtauld , American-born British industrialist*Samuel Courtauld , businessman and art collector; great-nephew of the above...
who owned the house between 1854 and 1881. In the early 20th century the house was virtually abandoned but did good service as a base for troops stationed in Essex during the Second World War.
More recently, the Hall was owned by the Country Houses Association
Country Houses Association
The Country Houses Association was a British charity that converted country houses into retirement flats and maintained them from 1955 until its liquidation in 2004.- History :...
until it went into liquidation in 2003. It is now run by Country House Weddings Ltd.
It is a Grade I listed building.