Northington Grange
Encyclopedia
Northington Grange is a mansion near New Alresford
, Hampshire
, England
. It is owned by Lord Ashburton
's family and is under the guardianship of English Heritage
. The exterior of the building is open to the public and the village of Northington
is nearby. Grange Park Opera
stage a festival at The Grange during June and July each year.
Visitors have included George IV
, Lord Tennyson and Thomas Carlyle
.
Set in a landscaped park with an ornamental lake, it was originally built in 1670 by architect William Samwell
for Sir Robert Henley, to replace the existing modest house known as The Grange. William Samwell
's design was a four storey red brick residence. In 1804, the current owner, Henry Drummond, commissioned William Wilkins
to remodel the house in a Greek revival
style, which involved rendering the house in Roman cement
, and building a podium which turned the original ground floor rooms into basement rooms. William Wilkins
also built a portico of Greek Doric
columns, six in width and two deep, based on a temple in Athens known as the Theseion, and adapted another monument, the Choragic Monument of Thrasyllus, for the side elevation.
Henry Drummond sold Northington Grange in 1817 to the Baring family, before the works were completed. In 1820, a single storey west wing was built by Robert Smirke
, and in 1823 Charles Robert Cockerell
built an Orangery in the form of another Greek revival
temple. The Orangery made advanced use of iron and glass with rainwater collected from the roof channelled through internal columns into a reservoir to supply the Orangery itself. Frederick Pepys Cockerell
added a second storey to Smirke's west wing in 1852 and these works were followed in 1868 by further extensions and modernisation of the interiors by John Cox.
In 1890 the Orangery was converted into a picture gallery and ballroom, and The Grange and 600 acres of the park were sold in 1934 to Charles Wallach, whose fortune had been made from the medicinal uses of paraffin.
In 1964 The Grange was bought by John Baring, 7th Baron Ashburton
, who placed it into the guardianship of English Heritage
in 1975.
In 1998, Grange Park Opera
staged their first summer festival at The Grange. In 2002 a new theatre was built inside the old Orangery by Studio E Architects, which won the RIBA Award 2004, RIBA Conservation Commendation 2004, Georgian Group Award for Best New Building in a Georgian Context 2004 and was shortlisted for the Crown Estate Conservation Award 2004.
New Alresford
New Alresford or simply Alresford is a small town and civil parish in the City of Winchester district of Hampshire, England. It is situated some 12 km north-east of the city of Winchester and 20 km south-west of the town of Alton...
, 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...
, 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 is owned by Lord Ashburton
John Baring, 7th Baron Ashburton
John Francis Harcourt Baring, 7th Baron Ashburton, is a British merchant banker and former chairman of British Petroleum...
's family and is under the guardianship of English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
. The exterior of the building is open to the public and the village of Northington
Northington
Northington is a village in the City of Winchester district of Hampshire, England. It lies half a mile from the neighbouring village, Swarraton. Its nearest railway station is at New Alresford, on the Mid-Hants railway line.-See also:...
is nearby. Grange Park Opera
Grange Park Opera
Grange Park Opera is a professional opera company whose base is The Grange in Hampshire, England. The company was founded in 1998 by Wasfi Kani OBE and Michael Moody...
stage a festival at The Grange during June and July each year.
Visitors have included George IV
George IV of the United Kingdom
George IV was the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and also of Hanover from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later...
, Lord Tennyson and Thomas Carlyle
Thomas Carlyle
Thomas Carlyle was a Scottish satirical writer, essayist, historian and teacher during the Victorian era.He called economics "the dismal science", wrote articles for the Edinburgh Encyclopedia, and became a controversial social commentator.Coming from a strict Calvinist family, Carlyle was...
.
Set in a landscaped park with an ornamental lake, it was originally built in 1670 by architect William Samwell
William Samwell (architect)
William Samwell was an English architect. He was born in Dean's Yard, Westminster, to Anthony Samwell, son of Sir William Samwell, Auditor of the Exchequer to Queen Elizabeth I....
for Sir Robert Henley, to replace the existing modest house known as The Grange. William Samwell
William Samwell (architect)
William Samwell was an English architect. He was born in Dean's Yard, Westminster, to Anthony Samwell, son of Sir William Samwell, Auditor of the Exchequer to Queen Elizabeth I....
's design was a four storey red brick residence. In 1804, the current owner, Henry Drummond, commissioned William Wilkins
William Wilkins (architect)
William Wilkins RA was an English architect, classical scholar and archaeologist. He designed the National Gallery and University College in London, and buildings for several Cambridge colleges.-Life:...
to remodel the house in a Greek revival
Greek Revival architecture
The Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in Northern Europe and the United States. A product of Hellenism, it may be looked upon as the last phase in the development of Neoclassical architecture...
style, which involved rendering the house in Roman cement
Roman cement
For the architectural material actually used by the ancient Romans, see Roman concrete."Roman cement" is a substance developed by James Parker in the 1780s, and finally patented in 1796...
, and building a podium which turned the original ground floor rooms into basement rooms. William Wilkins
William Wilkins (architect)
William Wilkins RA was an English architect, classical scholar and archaeologist. He designed the National Gallery and University College in London, and buildings for several Cambridge colleges.-Life:...
also built a portico of Greek Doric
Doric order
The Doric order was one of the three orders or organizational systems of ancient Greek or classical architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic and the Corinthian.-History:...
columns, six in width and two deep, based on a temple in Athens known as the Theseion, and adapted another monument, the Choragic Monument of Thrasyllus, for the side elevation.
Henry Drummond sold Northington Grange in 1817 to the Baring family, before the works were completed. In 1820, a single storey west wing was built by Robert Smirke
Robert Smirke (architect)
Sir Robert Smirke was an English architect, one of the leaders of Greek Revival architecture his best known building in that style is the British Museum, though he also designed using other architectural styles...
, and in 1823 Charles Robert Cockerell
Charles Robert Cockerell
Charles Robert Cockerell was an English architect, archaeologist, and writer.-Life:Charles Robert Cockerell was educated at Westminster School from 1802. From the age of sixteen, he trained in the architectural practice of his father, Samuel Pepys Cockerell...
built an Orangery in the form of another Greek revival
Greek Revival architecture
The Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in Northern Europe and the United States. A product of Hellenism, it may be looked upon as the last phase in the development of Neoclassical architecture...
temple. The Orangery made advanced use of iron and glass with rainwater collected from the roof channelled through internal columns into a reservoir to supply the Orangery itself. Frederick Pepys Cockerell
Frederick Pepys Cockerell
Frederick Pepys Cockerell was a British architect. He was the second son of Charles Robert Cockerell, also an architect, whose favour for French architecture and sculpture in architecture was a major influence on Frederick.-Life:He studied at Winchester College and at King's College London, and...
added a second storey to Smirke's west wing in 1852 and these works were followed in 1868 by further extensions and modernisation of the interiors by John Cox.
In 1890 the Orangery was converted into a picture gallery and ballroom, and The Grange and 600 acres of the park were sold in 1934 to Charles Wallach, whose fortune had been made from the medicinal uses of paraffin.
In 1964 The Grange was bought by John Baring, 7th Baron Ashburton
John Baring, 7th Baron Ashburton
John Francis Harcourt Baring, 7th Baron Ashburton, is a British merchant banker and former chairman of British Petroleum...
, who placed it into the guardianship of English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
in 1975.
In 1998, Grange Park Opera
Grange Park Opera
Grange Park Opera is a professional opera company whose base is The Grange in Hampshire, England. The company was founded in 1998 by Wasfi Kani OBE and Michael Moody...
staged their first summer festival at The Grange. In 2002 a new theatre was built inside the old Orangery by Studio E Architects, which won the RIBA Award 2004, RIBA Conservation Commendation 2004, Georgian Group Award for Best New Building in a Georgian Context 2004 and was shortlisted for the Crown Estate Conservation Award 2004.