Ven House
Encyclopedia
Ven House in Milborne Port
, Somerset
, England is an English manor house
A hamlet of Ven or Fenn existed in the mid-thirteenth century (Victoria County History, Somerset, 1999. By the sixteenth century the manor belonged to the Carent family, who sold it to Sir Edward Carteret in 1679. When Sir Edward died, his son, Sir Charles Carteret, mortgaged the property to the Londoner Thomas Medlycott and subsequently sold it to Thomas' brother, James. that has been designated as a Grade I listed building.
Construction of the smaller William and Mary
style house, was completed in 1698–1700; the house was enlarged around 1725–30ca 1725 is the date given in Howard Colvin, A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects, 1600-1840, 3rd ed. (Yale University Press) 1995, s.v. "Ireson, Nathaniel". for James MedlycottThe baronetcy of Medleycoot, of Ven House
, was created in 1808. by Nathaniel Ireson
, who retained the west front of the earlier house. It stands on an artificially raised terrace, and is surrounded by grounds that were laid out at the time by Richard Grange. It was altered and extended by Thomas Cubitt
and Decimus Burton
in 1835-36.
The house passed through the Medlycot family through the 18th and 19th centuries, until they sold much of the estate between 1918 and 1925. The house itself was let to a succession of tenants until Sir Hubert Mervyn Medlycot sold it in 1957. The house has changed hands four times since 1993, and, in 2006, had a guide price of £8.5m. In 2009 the house was and is still owned by Jasper Conran
who complained about plans to extend a slurry
pit and install polytunnel
s close to the land.
pilasters, placed to suggest a central block of three bays. The roof is hipped with Welsh slate behind balustraded
parapet
s. Attached to the house and in matching style were north west and north east pavilions. Along the south side of the house is a terrace balustraded to match the house.
When the house was first built the main entrance gateway was some 400 metres (1,312.3 ft) to the north of the house and linked East Street and The Old Road (Dorset), In the 19th century this was superseded by London Road, which split much of the parkland from the house, and the Ham stone gate piers and wrought iron gate were relocated to their current position 35 metres (114.8 ft) north west of the house.
The 1836 building work by Decimus Burton, which provided a new drawing-room for Sir W. MedleycottDrawings by Burton at Ven House, seen in 1967 by Howard Colvin
, noted in Colvin, A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects, 1660-1840 3rd ed. (Yale University Press) 1995, s.v. "Burton, Decimus". included the construction of the corridor linking Ven House and the Orangery
, and the Orangery itself. Also constructed around 1836 were the Stabling and several other outbuildings, which are attached to east side of the house.
.
To the south east of the house is Walled garden
which was a kitchen garden
or plant nursery, but is now largely ornamental. It is surrounded by red brick walls approximately 4 metres (13.1 ft) high.
The remnants of the early 18th-century formal gardens and formal park landscape have been designated Grade II in the South Somerset Register of Historic Parks and Gardens.
Milborne Port
Milborne Port is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, east of Sherborne, and in the South Somerset district. It has a population of 2,735...
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, England is an English 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...
A hamlet of Ven or Fenn existed in the mid-thirteenth century (Victoria County History, Somerset, 1999. By the sixteenth century the manor belonged to the Carent family, who sold it to Sir Edward Carteret in 1679. When Sir Edward died, his son, Sir Charles Carteret, mortgaged the property to the Londoner Thomas Medlycott and subsequently sold it to Thomas' brother, James. that has been designated as a Grade I listed building.
Construction of the smaller William and Mary
William and Mary
The phrase William and Mary usually refers to the coregency over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland, of King William III & II and Queen Mary II...
style house, was completed in 1698–1700; the house was enlarged around 1725–30ca 1725 is the date given in Howard Colvin, A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects, 1600-1840, 3rd ed. (Yale University Press) 1995, s.v. "Ireson, Nathaniel". for James MedlycottThe baronetcy of Medleycoot, of Ven House
Medlycott Baronets
The Medlycott Baronetcy, of Ven House in the County of Somerset, is a title in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 3 October 1808 for William Medlycott, Member of Parliament for Milborne Port from 1790 to 1791. The family descended from James Medlycott, of Ven House, who...
, was created in 1808. by Nathaniel Ireson
Nathaniel Ireson
Nathaniel Ireson was a potter, architect and mason from Wincanton working in Somerset, England.He rebuilt much of the centre of Wincanton following a fire in 1707....
, who retained the west front of the earlier house. It stands on an artificially raised terrace, and is surrounded by grounds that were laid out at the time by Richard Grange. It was altered and extended by Thomas Cubitt
Thomas Cubitt
Thomas Cubitt , born Buxton, Norfolk, was the leading master builder in London in the second quarter of the 19th century, and also carried out several projects in other parts of England.-Background:...
and Decimus Burton
Decimus Burton
Decimus Burton was a prolific English architect and garden designer, He is particularly associated with projects in the classical style in London parks, including buildings at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and London Zoo, and with the layout and architecture of the seaside towns of Fleetwood and...
in 1835-36.
The house passed through the Medlycot family through the 18th and 19th centuries, until they sold much of the estate between 1918 and 1925. The house itself was let to a succession of tenants until Sir Hubert Mervyn Medlycot sold it in 1957. The house has changed hands four times since 1993, and, in 2006, had a guide price of £8.5m. In 2009 the house was and is still owned by Jasper Conran
Jasper Conran
Jasper Alexander Thirlby Conran OBE is an English fashion designer. He is the son of the designer Sir Terence Conran and the author Shirley Conran.-Education:He was educated at Port Regis School and Bryanston School in the 1970s...
who complained about plans to extend a slurry
Slurry
A slurry is, in general, a thick suspension of solids in a liquid.-Examples of slurries:Examples of slurries include:* Lahars* A mixture of water and cement to form concrete* A mixture of water, gelling agent, and oxidizers used as an explosive...
pit and install polytunnel
Polytunnel
A polytunnel is a tunnel made of polyethylene used to grow plants that require a higher temperature and/or humidity than that which is available in the environment....
s close to the land.
Architecture
The house, which has a rectangular plan of 7 bays by 5 bays, is built of red brick in Flemish bond, with local Ham stone dressings. The north and south fronts are divided by two giant CorinthianCorinthian order
The Corinthian order is one of the three principal classical orders of ancient Greek and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric and Ionic. When classical architecture was revived during the Renaissance, two more orders were added to the canon, the Tuscan order and the Composite order...
pilasters, placed to suggest a central block of three bays. The roof is hipped with Welsh slate behind balustraded
Baluster
A baluster is a moulded shaft, square or of lathe-turned form, one of various forms of spindle in woodwork, made of stone or wood and sometimes of metal, standing on a unifying footing, and supporting the coping of a parapet or the handrail of a staircase. Multiplied in this way, they form a...
parapet
Parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
s. Attached to the house and in matching style were north west and north east pavilions. Along the south side of the house is a terrace balustraded to match the house.
When the house was first built the main entrance gateway was some 400 metres (1,312.3 ft) to the north of the house and linked East Street and The Old Road (Dorset), In the 19th century this was superseded by London Road, which split much of the parkland from the house, and the Ham stone gate piers and wrought iron gate were relocated to their current position 35 metres (114.8 ft) north west of the house.
The 1836 building work by Decimus Burton, which provided a new drawing-room for Sir W. MedleycottDrawings by Burton at Ven House, seen in 1967 by Howard Colvin
Howard Colvin
Sir Howard Montagu Colvin, CVO, CBE , was a British architectural historian who produced two of the most outstanding works of scholarship in his field.-Life and works:...
, noted in Colvin, A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects, 1660-1840 3rd ed. (Yale University Press) 1995, s.v. "Burton, Decimus". included the construction of the corridor linking Ven House and the Orangery
Orangery
An orangery was a building in the grounds of fashionable residences from the 17th to the 19th centuries and given a classicising architectural form. The orangery was similar to a greenhouse or conservatory...
, and the Orangery itself. Also constructed around 1836 were the Stabling and several other outbuildings, which are attached to east side of the house.
Gardens and Park
The house originally had around 70 hectares (173 acre) of land including 6 hectares (14.8 acre) of formal gardens and pleasure grounds, and around 64 hectares (158.1 acre) of parkland. The house still has almost 14 hectares (34.6 acre) of gardens and grounds, including a stream which forms part of the River YeoRiver Yeo (South Somerset)
The River Yeo, also known as the River Ivel or River Gascoigne, is a tributary of the River Parrett in north Dorset and south Somerset, England....
.
To the south east of the house is Walled garden
Walled garden
A walled garden is specifically a garden enclosed by high walls for horticultural rather than security purposes, though traditionally all gardens have been hedged about or walled for protection from animal or human intruders...
which was a kitchen garden
Kitchen garden
The traditional kitchen garden, also known as a potager, is a space separate from the rest of the residential garden - the ornamental plants and lawn areas...
or plant nursery, but is now largely ornamental. It is surrounded by red brick walls approximately 4 metres (13.1 ft) high.
The remnants of the early 18th-century formal gardens and formal park landscape have been designated Grade II in the South Somerset Register of Historic Parks and Gardens.