The Wentworth Woodhouse Estate lies just a few miles from where I live in South Yorkshire and it is surely one of the finest examples of a Grand Country House and Estate in England. Sadly the House itself is privately owned and strictly out of bounds to the general public but the Grounds themselves are open and these offer superb views of the House, which at over 600 feet long this is actually the widest House in England.
THE HISTORY
Thomas Watson-Wentworth, who later became the Earl of Malton, and then the Marquis of Rockingham, had much of the present day House built. This work began around 1725 although there was a much older building that occupied this site. Initially the House comprised of what is known today as the West Front, but even before this was completed in 1734 Thomas had become either dissatisfied (or maybe envious) and he had already commissioned a well-known Architect of the day Henry Flitcroft to build something on a far greater scale.
So the House as it is today is actually two separate Houses, with the former House more or less completely obscured by its larger companion as we view it from the public thoroughfare. The smaller West Front, which boasts 150 Rooms of its own is not actually visible to the public and it is only the larger East Front that is seen.
One theory is that Thomas Watson-Wentworth commissioned the building of the East Front, which even today has a longer frontage than other House in England, in response to other Family members who had recently rebuilt the nearby WentworthCastle. There had been a long Family feud between the Stainborough branch of the Wentworth Family from the Castle, and Thomas's side of the Family. Today Wentworth Castle is clearly visible from the M1 Motorway, just West of Barnsley.
By 1782 the present occupiers must have needed even more space and an extra storey was added to each of the East Front wings, to give extra bedrooms. There were no further major structural changes to the House after this date, but it was around this same time
(the early 1780's) that a famous Landscape Architect called Humphrey Repton was brought in to redesign the Grounds, and create the Parkland that we see today. Apparently one of his tasks was to remove a Hill, which obscured the view from the House!
THE HOUSE ITSELF
Since the Wentworth-Woodhouse House is not open to the public it is not really known what the interior of the House actually looks like. A Historian called Sir Nikolaus Pevsner, who was privileged to have access to the House, last described it in a book published in 1959. Since the House is a Grade 1 listed building it is however unlikely that things will have changed very much since this date.
The main Reception Room for the House is called the Marble Saloon, which is accessed via the East Front. This is described as being accessed by a Grand Staircase. The Marble Room is over 60 foot square and the ceilings are over 40 feet high.
Pevsner describes three other Rooms in detail, two of these are named after Paintings which once hung in these Rooms. These are the Van Dyke Room and the Whistlejacket Room. The Whistlejacket is a Painting by George Stubbs from 1759 of a famous Racehorse of that name which was owned by the 2nd Marquis, this Painting is now in the National Gallery in London. The other Room that Pevsner describes is called the Long Gallery, which is over 130 feet long and as its name suggests is where most of the Paintings are to be found.
We know that the House contains well over 350 different Rooms and stands in private Grounds, which cover 150 acres. The public area of the Park covers a further 600 acres.
In 1999 the House went up for sale and was purchased for an undisclosed sum well in excess of £15 million, it was however estimated at that time that the cost of renovating the House was around a further £15 million.
THE EXTERNAL BUILDINGS AROUND THE HOUSE
Close to the House there are two other large buildings of significance, both of which are clearly visible from the public footpaths within the Grounds.
The first of these is the Stable Block. John Carr built this in 1768. Within the Centre of the Courtyard that surrounds this building there is a huge Fountain, which can be glimpsed through the Gates as you walk by. This Stable can accommodate over 100 Horses.
The other significant building around here is the Lady Mabel College. This was used as a Physical Education College between 1949 and 1974. It is named after Lady Mabel Smith, the sister of the 7th Earl Fitzwillian.
Strangely neither of these buildings have any modern day use and both are left unused and empty.
WENTWORTH PARK
Wentworth Park is the vast area of open Grassland and scattered Woodland that surrounds the House. There are several public rights of way that pass through the Park and these are very popular with visitors at weekends and bank holidays, especially during the summer months. It is from these footpaths that the East Front of the House can be clearly seen, but within the Grounds there is a lot more to see and do as well.
The Park extends beyond the House for over 600 acres and contains some excellent isolated spots where you can sit and have a picnic in the summer. The Fishing Lakes are always popular with visitors and these also attract large amounts of Wildlife here too.
Some of the more interesting features within the Park include the Wentworth Follies. These are a set of four different monuments scattered across the Grounds. Each one of these was built to commemorate a specific occasion and each one holds a truly interesting story of its own. Having researched these Follies many years ago for a School project I feel that there is far too much to say about these unique structures in a general review of the House and the Park, so maybe one day they may feature in a Ciao review of their very own.
The huge Park boasts two large Lakes and its own resident herd of Deer, which roam freely around the Park.
THE GARDENS
The Gardens are open daily and are completely free to enter. This is an excellent place to get close to the House, and imagine what it must be like inside.
The Gardens are enclosed within Walls and are split into various different sections. The Japanese Garden is possibly the most interesting of the different Gardens here. Maud, the 2nd Countess, created this Garden in the early 1900's, which is built around the site of an ancient Quarry. The main features within the Japanese Garden are its Water Features and Bridges. There are also many Japanese Trees including Weeping Birch.
Other Gardens include the Informal Garden, which has recently undergone some restoration work, and the Formal Terraces. Scattered all around the Gardens there are several stone figures, some of which are believed to date back to the early 1600's.
There was formerly a Maze within the Gardens, which was removed in the early 1900's when the Grounds were renovated. Thanks to a Millennium project grant this original Maze has been replanted, but at the moment the hedges are only about 3 feet high. This does however look like an interesting future challenge.
One of the most interesting features within the Gardens is the Bear Pit. Watson and Pritchett designed this in the early 1800's. This Bear Pit was once the home of a Bear whose keeper lived in one of the nearby Cottages. Within its design it incorporates a Jacobean Doorway which was removed from the main House in about 1630. Obviously the Pit is now empty but it possible to climb inside it, down some steep steps, which leads you to the Japanese Garden below.
THE GARDEN CENTRE
This is situated on the site where the Kitchen Gardens of the House used to be. These Kitchen Gardens were created in the late 1700's to provide a fresh supply of Fruit and Vegetables, as well as fresh cut Flowers for the House.
This Garden Centre was established over 25 years ago and has proved to be a popular attraction for visitors. There is also a Craft Shop, Café, and a Pet Shop within the same complex.
GETTING THERE
Wentworth Woodhouse is situated in South Yorkshire, just a few miles to the West of Barnsley, near the town of Elsecar. It is most easily reached by car by leaving the M1 Motorway at Junction 35. From here turn right, sign-posted Hoyland and continue about 1 mile until you reach the B6090 sign-posted Elsecar. From here Wentworth Woodhouse is well sign-posted. The journey time by car from the Motorway is only around 5 minutes.
If you are visiting by public transport then two different buses serve Wentworth Village. The 227 Rotherham to Barnsley bus runs every hour, and the 44 Lea Brook service also serves Wentworth Village, although less frequently. Wentworth Village is a few minutes walk from Wentworth Woodhouse, but the Village should not be overlooked, as it is one of the most picturesque Villages in the area.
The nearest Train Station is at Elsecar, about 1.5 miles from Wentworth Village. Local Trains serve Elsecar Station from Barnsley, Sheffield, Leeds and Huddersfield.
MY VIEWS ON WENTWORTH WOODHOUSE
As a child I probably visited this place about once a year, usually during the summer months, so obviously this whole area has very fond memories for me. As an adult I have visited this place less frequently but a recent visit (my first for visit in about 4 years) has certainly re-kindled my interest in the place.
I love the vast open spaces and despite the huge numbers of people that can sometimes be there, it seems that there is always somewhere to have a stroll about where you can get away from the crowds.
However the best thing about this place is that it is not only within a short drive from where I live it is also completely free to visit, although I do usually leave having spent a small fortune in the Garden Centre.
I would definitely recommend this place as a cheap day out if the weather is fine and you want some exercise and fresh air.
Finally, of even greater interest and curiosity to me is the thought that there may also be a possible link with my own ancestors and the Wentworth Woodhouse Estate. This is yet to be clarified, but having traced my Family Tree back to the 1600's I have found several of my ancestors are Watsons from Wentworth Village, and the House and Estate employed many of these people. Maybe it is just coincidence as it is not an uncommon surname, or maybe they were a part of a pauper side of the family, who had to work for a living. I may never know, but it is certainly an interesting thought.
Who knows I may one day even stake my claim to this place!
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