 Castle Ashby House - Northamptonshire Castle Ashby is the name of an estate village in rural Northamptonshire and also the country house of the same name in the village; historically the village was set up to service the needs of Castle Ashby house—the home of the Marquess of Northampton. The village has one small pub-cum-hotel—"The Falcon". Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 686 KB)Castle Ashby House Picture taken early summer 2004 by R Neil Marshman (c) File links The following pages link to this file: Marquess of Northampton Castle Ashby - Northamptonshire Categories: GFDL images ...
Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 686 KB)Castle Ashby House Picture taken early summer 2004 by R Neil Marshman (c) File links The following pages link to this file: Marquess of Northampton Castle Ashby - Northamptonshire Categories: GFDL images ...
Northamptonshire (abbreviated Northants or Nhants) is a landlocked county in central England with a population of 629,676 (2001 census). ...
The title of Marquess of Northampton was created in the Peerage of the United Kingdom in 1812 for the Earl of Northampton. ...
The House
The building of Castle Ashby was started by Henry, 1st Lord Compton in 1574 and was later continued by his son, later created the Earl of Northampton. Queen Elizabeth I's first visit to the house was in 1600. Like other houses of its date, it was built in the shape of the letter E, a porch and flight of steps forming the stroke of the E. When King James and his Queen first stayed in 1605, the castle is documented as "Lord Compton's princely mansion", and in the household records we find that employed at this time were 83 household servants, four chaplains, three musicians and the Gardener of Ashby. The title of Marquess of Northampton was created in the Peerage of the United Kingdom in 1812 for the Earl of Northampton. ...
Elizabeth I Queen of England and Ireland Queen of France, nominal title Elizabeth I (September 7, 1533–March 24, 1603) was Queen of England and Queen of Ireland from November 17, 1558 until her death. ...
James VI of Scotland and James I of England and Ireland (Charles James) (19 June 1566–27 March 1625) was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland. ...
 The Parvise at Castle Ashby The parapet of stone lettering around the top of the house is dated 1624, and its Latin inscription runs as follows: Download high resolution version (1536x2048, 791 KB)Parvise above the Norman arch Castle Ashby Church, Northamptonshire Photo taken by R Neil Marshman 21 Feb 2005 (c) File links The following pages link to this file: Castle Ashby - Northamptonshire Parvise Categories: GFDL images ...
Download high resolution version (1536x2048, 791 KB)Parvise above the Norman arch Castle Ashby Church, Northamptonshire Photo taken by R Neil Marshman 21 Feb 2005 (c) File links The following pages link to this file: Castle Ashby - Northamptonshire Parvise Categories: GFDL images ...
NISI DOMINUS CUSTOS CUSTODIVERIT DOMUM FRUSTRA VIGILAT QUI CUSTODIT EAM: NISI DOMINUS AEDIFICAVERIT DOMUM IN VANUM LABORAVERUNT QUI AEDIFICANT EAM
The words are based on the 127th Psalm, "Except the Lord build the house they labour but in vain they who build it; except the Lord keep the house the watchman waketh but in vain."
By 1635 a screen had been added across the open southern side of the courtyard, probably to make the two wings accessible to each another; it is thought that screen is the work of Inigo Jones who was employed at the castle until, as Colin Campbell the architect put it, "the Civil Wars put a stop to all Arts". Inigo Jones, by Sir Anthony van Dyck Inigo Jones (July 15, 1573–June 21, 1652) is regarded as the first significant English architect. ...
 Orangery in the formal garden Whilst the family was away fighting on the side of the King in the Civil War, the east side of the house was set fire to and severely damaged. The folklore around this is that an old woman known as Elspeth, who lived in the Parvise over the north porch of the church, first noticed the blaze and alerted the village, thus saving the remainder of the house. The marks of the flames can still be clearly seen on the lintels of the windows. The contents of the house were looted and much damage sustained to the estate by the Parliamentarians. Download high resolution version (1536x2048, 652 KB)Formal Garden Castle Ashby - showing the Orangery in the background Picture taken Summer 2004 - by R Neil Marshman (c) File links The following pages link to this file: Castle Ashby - Northamptonshire Categories: GFDL images ...
Download high resolution version (1536x2048, 652 KB)Formal Garden Castle Ashby - showing the Orangery in the background Picture taken Summer 2004 - by R Neil Marshman (c) File links The following pages link to this file: Castle Ashby - Northamptonshire Categories: GFDL images ...
Parvise or Parvis A room over the porch of a church - quite often found in Norman Churches in England. ...
In October 1695, King William III visited the house and introduced the Dutch custom of planting avenues: not only to add to the importance of the house, but also to improve the outlook from its windows. Within a month of the visit, Lord Northampton began the planting of four avenues opposite each face of the house—something that took 25 years. William III of England (14 November 1650–8 March 1702; also known as William II of Scotland and William of Orange) was a Dutch aristocrat and the Holy Roman Empires Prince of Orange from his birth, King of England and Ireland from 13 February 1689, and King of Scotland...
Thanks to Capability Brown's "return to nature" approach 35 years later, only two of these avenues remain. Brown, the architect and landscape gardener, was called in in 1760. Apart from "altering" the avenues into small clumps of trees and doing away with the Elizabethan gardens, he increased the ponds overlooked by the house into ornamental lakes, dug a ha-ha, or sunken fence, around the park and built the dairy and the temple against the menagerie. Lancelot Brown (1716 – 6 February 1783), more commonly known as Capability Brown, was an English landscape gardener. ...
In Great Britain, the Ha-Ha (sometimes spelt Har Har) is a type of boundary to a garden, pleasure-ground or park so designed as not to interrupt the view and to not be seen until closely approached. ...
Castle Ashby from Jones' Views of the Seats of Noblemen and Gentlemen (1819). It was not until the 1860s that any further substantial changes were carried out at the house, when Charles, the 3rd Marquess, and his wife brought in Sir Digby Wyatt, who made many changes to the interior of the house. Most of these were subsequently restored to their previous state by later generations who considered them ugly. Castle Ashby from Jones Views of the Seats of Noblemen and Gentlemen (1819). ...
Castle Ashby from Jones Views of the Seats of Noblemen and Gentlemen (1819). ...
At this time the terraces round the house with their terracotta balustrading were laid out, and the Italian "golden gates" at the entrance to the front drive were hung on piers designed by Wyatt himself. Sadly, before all the changes were carried out, the Countess Theodosia died of consumption giving rise to the pitiful Latin inscription in terracotta lettering beside the church: "To Theodosia, sweetest of wives…Begun in hope, finished in regret."
In 1867 the architect E.W. Godwin was called in to undertake further work; as a result, the Italianate Orangery and the Birmingham show houses were built to his designs. The old kitchen garden between them was also turned into an Italian garden with shaped beds divided by box edging, and the enormous kitchen garden beyond was walled in. Lodges were built approaching the Station and at the entrance to the Avenue from the Northampton road. This latter pair, however, were pulled down in 1869, a year after their construction, for being too close together and were immediately rebuilt in their present position. Northampton Guild Hall, built 1861-4, displays Godwins Ruskinian Gothic style. ...
Later still, in the time of the 4th Marquess (1877–97), extensive redecoration was carried out to the Long Gallery, Great Hall, Billiards Room and Chapel.
The House & Grounds Today
 A photograph taken in the Castle Ashby graveyard The house today is the minor estate house—Compton Wynyates being the family's main residence; Castle Ashby is now used by the estate heir—currently the Earl Compton. Download high resolution version (1540x2052, 893 KB)Castle Ashby Graveyard Picture taken by R Neil Marshman 12 March 2005 (c) . The storm clouds in the background set off the sunlight on the gravestones well Picture of the day This picture was featured on Wikipedia as the Picture of the day...
Download high resolution version (1540x2052, 893 KB)Castle Ashby Graveyard Picture taken by R Neil Marshman 12 March 2005 (c) . The storm clouds in the background set off the sunlight on the gravestones well Picture of the day This picture was featured on Wikipedia as the Picture of the day...
Compton Wynyates, Warwickshire, circa 1925 Compton Wynyates is a country house in Warwickshire, England. ...
The title of Marquess of Northampton was created in the Peerage of the United Kingdom in 1812 for the Earl of Northampton. ...
The Castle Ashby estate, now managed by Earl Compton, remains one the area's great land owners and the estate includes land in many of the neighbouring villages, such as Grendon, Denton and Yardley Hastings. Grendon is a small village in rural Northamptonshire, England on the borders of Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire - with many houses made of the local limestone; various older thatched houses still survive. ...
Yardley Hastings is a village in the English county of Northamptonshire. ...
The estate grounds also include a fine cricket pitch in front of the castle and a mile-long drive.
The grounds are open daily to the public. The house is not usually open but viewing can be on appointment.
The grounds provided the venue for the Greenbelt Christian music festival each year between 1984 and 1992. The Greenbelt festival is the largest Christian arts and music festival in the world, taking place annually in England during the last bank holiday weekend in August. ...
Two open-air concerts were given by Sir Elton John in the grounds in front of the house in July 2000. Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE (born March 25, 1947) is a rock music singer, composer, and pianist, and is one of the most successful solo artists in music history. ...
Local amateur acting group The Parish Players, drawn from various of the near-by villages, holds regular performances in the castle—a tradition carried on now for some years.
Royal Visitors Elizabeth I Queen of England and Ireland Queen of France, nominal title Elizabeth I (September 7, 1533–March 24, 1603) was Queen of England and Queen of Ireland from November 17, 1558 until her death. ...
James VI and I King of England, Scotland and Ireland James VI of Scotland and I of England (Charles James) (19 June 1566–27 March 1625) was a King who ruled over England, Scotland and Ireland, and was the first Sovereign to reign in the three realms simultaneously. ...
William III King of England, Scotland and Ireland William III and II (14 November 1650–8 March 1702; also known as William Henry and William of Orange) was Prince of Orange from his birth, King of England and Ireland from 13 February 1689, and King of Scotland from 11 April...
Wikipedia Links Compton Wynyates, Warwickshire, circa 1925 Compton Wynyates is a country house in Warwickshire, England. ...
External links - Estate website
- See a location map
- The Falcon's website
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