Trafalgar House, also known as Trafalgar Park, is a country house located south of Salisbury

Salisbury

Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...

, in the county of Wiltshire

Wiltshire

Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...

, England. This country estate is a popular venue for events such as weddings, corporate meetings and charity fundraisers. In recent years, it has also been used as a set for film scenes.

The estate now known as Trafalgar Park, was formally called Standlynch Park. The first record of the estate was noted in the Domesday book

Domesday Book

Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...

, written in the year 1086. The Beauchamp family owned Standlynch Manor during the Tudor period

Tudor period

The Tudor period usually refers to the period between 1485 and 1603, specifically in relation to the history of England. This coincides with the rule of the Tudor dynasty in England whose first monarch was Henry VII...

, after which it was purchased by the Greene family. It remained within this family line throughout the Elizabethan era

Elizabethan era

The Elizabethan era was the epoch in English history of Queen Elizabeth I's reign . Historians often depict it as the golden age in English history...

, up until the 17th century, when it was acquired by the Buckland family.

During the Georgian period, Standlynch Manor was purchased by Sir Peter Vandeput in the year 1726. Three years later, Sir Peter Vandeput commissioned an architect, by the name of John James of Greenwich, to design what would eventually become the Trafalgar Park which can be seen today. After his death in the year 1748, Sir Peter bequeathed the estate to his son, Sir George Vandeput. Sir George’s ownership of the property was short lived, however; in 1752 he sold the estate to Sir William Young. Henry Dawkins then purchased the property from Sir William Young in 1765.

One year later in 1766 Henry Dawkins commissioned the architect John Wood to design pavilions to the North and South of the building. He also commissioned Nicholas Revett to add a stone portico and remodel the internal architecture of the North Wing. The Music room was redecorated by Cipriani. Dawkins died in 1814, and the estate was presented to the heirs of Nelson.

During the Battle of Trafalgar

Battle of Trafalgar

The Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars ....

 off the coast of Spain in 1805, Admiral Viscount Nelsonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earl_Nelson was shot and died on 21st October. Horatio Nelson’s closest male relative was the Rev William Nelson who was given the title Earl Nelson in 1806 along with other titles of Horatio’s. It was the first Earl Nelson who pushed for an estate to be made in Tribute to Admiral Nelson in honour of his final act of bravery and his great victory. Parliament

Parliament of the United Kingdom

The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...

 made the decision to purchase an estate which would become a permanent tribute to Nelson and his family. Standlynch Park was chosen in 1814 by Act of Parliament

Act of Parliament

An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...

 as a suitable property and was renamed Trafalgar Park, after William Nelson’s death his nephew, Thomas Boltonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Nelson,_2nd_Earl_Nelson inherited the property having changed his name to Nelson. When the second Earl Nelson passed away less than a year later, his 12 year old son inherited the estate in 1836. During his lifetime, Bolton’s son, Horatio, went to great lengths to ensure that the estate was well maintained; he commissioned a new garden to be created and the Standlynch Church to be renovated.

Trafalgar Park remained within this family line until the first half of the 20th century. In 1948 the estate was sold to the Duke of Leeds

Duke of Leeds

Duke of Leeds was a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1694 for the prominent statesman Thomas Osborne, 1st Marquess of Carmarthen...

 and the Duke’s son-in-law, Oliver Lyttleton, lived at the property whilst he pursued his political ambitions at the House of Commons. Eventually Lyttleton, by then Viscount Chandos, purchased the estate and lived there until 1971, when Jeremy Pinckney bought the house. Pinckney remained at the property for six years, after which the estate was sold once again. A series of others bought and sold Trafalgar Park over the following years. In 1995, Michael John Wade

Michael John Wade

Michael John Wade, born May 22, 1954 is a British executive with extensive experience in listed PLC organisations, most notably at Lloyd’s of London Lloyd's of London. Throughout his career Wade has worked within the Lloyd’s insurance market where he has been Chairman or CEO of many firms as well...

 purchased the house; however by this time, the property was in need of intense restoration.

The renovation of the estate began, after the required amount of parkland was transferred from the Longford Estate back to Trafalgar Park. New lodges are to be built and the South Stable has been converted into offices. There are also plans for the windows of Standlynch Church to be restored to their original standard.

Since Trafalgar Park was purchased in 1995, it has become a hive of activity; from films, to weddings and corporate events, the estate is rarely left empty. Some of the films which have been made at the estate include 28 Days Later

28 Days Later

28 Days Later is an acclaimed 2002 British horror film directed by Danny Boyle. The screenplay was written by Alex Garland, and the film stars Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris, Brendan Gleeson, Megan Burns, and Christopher Eccleston...

, Sense and Sensibilityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sense_and_Sensibility_%28film%29 and Amazing Gracehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazing_Grace_%282006_film%29. Conferences and day-away Board meetings are held here throughout the year, as are charity fundraisers. Over the years the Park has been host to associations such as the National Trust

National Trust

National Trust most commonly refers to an organization dedicated to preserving the cultural or environmental treasures of a particular geographic region. They generally operate as private non-profit organizations, although some receive considerable support from their national government...

, The Civic Trust and the Salisbury Hospice, to name just a few. Tour Groups are sometimes arranged here although the house is not open to the public.

Due to the expansive and lavishly decorated house and grounds, Trafalgar Park is often chosen as a venue for Weddings and Civil Ceremonies. Approximately 15 to 20 wedding receptions are held here each year. Ceremonies usually take place in the Baroque Hall, the Saloon, or the Cipriani room, with each space having a capacity of 120, 50 and 15 people, respectively.

External links

• Trafalgar Park - official site