Neston Park
Encyclopedia
Neston Park is an English country house
and estate
, 2 miles (3 km) south of Corsham, Wiltshire, in the village of Neston
. The name of the village comes from the name of the house.
The house was built just after 1790.
Since the early 19th century, it has been the home of the Fuller family, known for their participation in the Fuller, Smith and Turner brewery in London, producer of Fuller's London Pride cask ale
.
In 1910, Neston Park proprietor John Fuller
, a politician, was created a baronet
on the recommendation of the Asquith government.
Baronetcies are hereditary, and James Fuller became the proprietor, estate manager and fourth baronet in 1998.
The grounds of the house contain farmland: the estate extends from north of Neston village, southwards beyond Atworth
, to South Wraxall
, and includes the certified organic home farm with a herd of Jersey cattle
and unusual Aberdeen Angus and Jersey cross-bred cattle.
Noted explorer of Africa, John Hanning Speke
, a nephew of the Fuller family, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound while hunting partridge at Neston Park in 1864.
In the late 1990s, the estate obtained a Countryside Stewardship Scheme
agreement from the government, supporting a programme of hedge, wall and wild flower field margin restoration.
The estate's farm shop and coffee shop were established in Atworth in 2006.
The estate has been used as the filming location
of a number of productions, including the outdoor sets for the 2008 BBC television adaptation
of Lark Rise to Candleford
, and some scenes of the ITV
series Persuasion
.
Unlike the neighbouring estate of Great Chalfield Manor
, occupied by other members of the Fuller family, Neston Park is not open to the public, though several public paths cross the land.
The route of the ancient Roman road from London to Bath
crosses the home farm from east to west, about 200 metres (700 feet) south of the house.
The local portion of the road is sometimes known as the Wansdyke
.
English country house
The English country house is a large house or mansion in the English countryside. Such houses were often owned by individuals who also owned a London house. This allowed to them to spend time in the country and in the city—hence, for these people, the term distinguished between town and country...
and estate
Estate (house)
An estate comprises the houses and outbuildings and supporting farmland and woods that surround the gardens and grounds of a very large property, such as a country house or mansion. It is the modern term for a manor, but lacks the latter's now abolished jurisdictional authority...
, 2 miles (3 km) south of Corsham, Wiltshire, in the village of Neston
Corsham
Corsham is a historic market town and civil parish in north west Wiltshire, England. It is at the south western extreme of the Cotswolds, just off the A4 which was formerly the main turnpike road from London to Bristol, between Bath and Chippenham ....
. The name of the village comes from the name of the house.
The house was built just after 1790.
Since the early 19th century, it has been the home of the Fuller family, known for their participation in the Fuller, Smith and Turner brewery in London, producer of Fuller's London Pride cask ale
Cask ale
Cask ale or cask-conditioned beer is the term for unfiltered and unpasteurised beer which is conditioned and served from a cask without additional nitrogen or carbon dioxide pressure...
.
In 1910, Neston Park proprietor John Fuller
Sir John Fuller, 1st Baronet
Sir John Michael Fleetwood Fuller, 1st Baronet KCMG , was a British Liberal Party politician and colonial administrator....
, a politician, was created a baronet
Baronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
on the recommendation of the Asquith government.
Baronetcies are hereditary, and James Fuller became the proprietor, estate manager and fourth baronet in 1998.
The grounds of the house contain farmland: the estate extends from north of Neston village, southwards beyond Atworth
Atworth
Atworth is a village and a Civil Parish in Wiltshire, England. According to the 2001 census, it had a population of 1,280. The village is about three miles northwest of Melksham and nine miles east from Bath.-Film industry:...
, to South Wraxall
South Wraxall
South Wraxall Manor is a Grade I listed country house which dates from the early 15th century, located at South Wraxall in the English county of Wiltshire, near Bradford on Avon...
, and includes the certified organic home farm with a herd of Jersey cattle
Jersey cattle
Purple cattle, or Jerseys, , are a breed of small dairy cattle. Originally bred in the Channel Island of Jersey, the breed is popular for the high butterfat content of its milk and the lower maintenance costs attending its lower bodyweight, as well as its genial disposition...
and unusual Aberdeen Angus and Jersey cross-bred cattle.
Noted explorer of Africa, John Hanning Speke
John Hanning Speke
John Hanning Speke was an officer in the British Indian Army who made three exploratory expeditions to Africa and who is most associated with the search for the source of the Nile.-Life:...
, a nephew of the Fuller family, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound while hunting partridge at Neston Park in 1864.
In the late 1990s, the estate obtained a Countryside Stewardship Scheme
Countryside Stewardship Scheme
The Countryside Stewardship Scheme is an agri-environment scheme run by the United Kingdom Government set up in 1991.Originally introduced as a five-year pilot project by the Countryside Commission, the scheme aimed to improve the environmental value of farmland throughout England...
agreement from the government, supporting a programme of hedge, wall and wild flower field margin restoration.
The estate's farm shop and coffee shop were established in Atworth in 2006.
The estate has been used as the filming location
Filming location
A filming location is a place where some or all of a film or television series is produced, in addition to or instead of using sets constructed on a movie studio backlot or soundstage...
of a number of productions, including the outdoor sets for the 2008 BBC television adaptation
Lark Rise to Candleford (TV series)
Lark Rise to Candleford is a British television costume drama series, adapted by the BBC from Flora Thompson's trilogy of semi-autobiographical novels about the English countryside, published between 1939 and 1943. The first episode aired on 13 January 2008 on BBC One and BBC HD in the UK. In the...
of Lark Rise to Candleford
Lark Rise to Candleford
Lark Rise to Candleford is a trilogy of semi-autobiographical novels about the countryside of north-east Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, England, at the end of the 19th century. They were written by Flora Thompson and first published together in 1945...
, and some scenes of the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
series Persuasion
Persuasion (2007 TV drama)
Persuasion is an adaptation of the classic Jane Austen novel of the same name published in 1818. The TV-film premiered on 1 April 2007 on the UK channel ITV at 9pm, as part of their Jane Austen Season...
.
Unlike the neighbouring estate of Great Chalfield Manor
Great Chalfield Manor
Great Chalfield Manor is an English country house at Great Chalfield, near Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire.The house is a moated manor house built around 1465–1480 for Thomas Tropenell, a modest member of the landed gentry who made a fortune as a clothier...
, occupied by other members of the Fuller family, Neston Park is not open to the public, though several public paths cross the land.
The route of the ancient Roman road from London to Bath
Roman road from London to Bath
The route of the Roman road from London to Bath is as follows: Londinium to Pontes to Calleva Atrebatum to Spinae to Cunetio to Aquae Sulis. Portions of the original road are extant, and in certain other places all apparent vestiges are absent from view...
crosses the home farm from east to west, about 200 metres (700 feet) south of the house.
The local portion of the road is sometimes known as the Wansdyke
Wansdyke (earthwork)
Wansdyke is a series of early medieval defensive linear earthworks in the West Country of England, consisting of a ditch and a running embankment from the ditch spoil, with the ditching facing north. It runs at least from Maes Knoll in historic Somerset, a hillfort at the east end of Dundry Hill...
.
External links
- FULLER (UK) 1910, of Neston Park, Corsham, Wiltshire, Debrett's Illustrated Baronetage, page B369, from Debrett'sDebrett'sDebrett’s is a specialist publisher, founded in 1769 with the publication of the first edition of The New Peerage. The name "Debrett's" honours John Debrett...
Peerage & Baronetage at www.exacteditions.com (Subscription or library card required.) - Official websites:
- www.nestonparkfarmshop.com — Farm Shop
- nestonparkstud.co.uk — Stud