Jones and de Caus's South Front and the Palladian Bridge (1736/7), in a view of circa 1820

Wilton House is an English country house situated at Wilton near Salisbury in Wiltshire. It has been the country seat of the Earls of Pembroke for over 400 years. Wilton House, England. ... Wilton House, England. ... Holkham Hall, one of the grandest English country houses not only displayed the owners fashionable and cultivated tastes, but was the epicentre of a vast landed estate, providing employment to hundreds The English country house is generally accepted as a large house or mansion, once in the ownership of an... Church of St Mary and St Nicholas, Wilton Wilton is a town in Wiltshire, England, with a rich heritage dating back to the Anglo-Saxons. ... Salisbury Cathedral by Constable. ... Wiltshire (abbreviated Wilts) is a large southern English county. ... The Earldom of Pembroke, associated with Pembroke Castle in Wales, was created by King Stephen of England. ...

The first recorded building on the site of Wilton House was of a priory founded by King Egbert circa 871. This priory later due to the munificence of King Alfred was granted lands and manors until it became a powerful and wealthy abbey. However, by the time Wilton Abbey was dissolved during the dissolution of the monasteries by King Henry VIII of England, its prosperity was already on the wane — following the seizure of the abbey King Henry then presented it and the estates to William Herbert (c.1544). A priory is an ecclesiastical circumscription run by a prior. ... Egbert (also Ecgbehrt or Ecgbert) (c. ... Events Nine battles are fought between the Danes and Wessex. ... Alfred (849? – 26 October 899) or Ælfred was king of the southern Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex from 871 to 899. ... An abbey (from the Latin abbatia, which is derived from the Syriac abba, father), is a Christian monastery or convent, under the government of an Abbot or an Abbess, who serve as the spiritual father or mother of the community. ... Wikisource has original text related to this article: Wilton Abbey Wilton Abbey is a Benedictine convent in Wiltshire, England, three miles from Salisbury. ... The Dissolution of the Monasteries (referred to by Roman Catholic writers as the Suppression of the Monasteries) was the formal process, taking place between 1538 and 1541, by which King Henry VIII confiscated the property of the Roman Catholic monastic institutions in England and took them to himself, as the... Henry VIII (28 June 1491 – 28 January 1547) was King of England and Lord of Ireland (later King of Ireland) from 22 April 1509 until his death. ...

William Herbert

The East front of Wilton, photographed by Queen Alexandra circa 1907. The central tower is all that remains of the Tudor house.

William Herbert, the scion of a distinguished family in the Welsh marches, was a favourite of the King, he had only two years previously first been granted arms, following his recommendation to King Henry by King Francis I of France, whom he had served as a soldier of fortune. (It seems he had left England in a hurry following a bar room brawl, in which a man was killed.) Returning to England circa 1543, he married Anne, daughter of Sir Thomas Parr of Kendal, who was the sister of King Henry's last Queen, Catherine Parr. Hence the granting of an estate such as the Abbey of Wilton was the final accolade and proof of his position at court. Image File history File links Wilton_Tower. ... Image File history File links Wilton_Tower. ... This page is about the wife of Edward VII of the United Kingdom. ... Mark or march (or various plural forms of these words) are derived from the Frankish word marka (boundary) and refer to an area along a border, e. ... Francis I (French: François Ier) (September 12, 1494 – July 31, 1547), called the Father and Restorer of Letters (French: le Père et Restaurateur des Lettres), was crowned King of France in 1515 in the cathedral at Reims and reigned until 1547. ... A Soldier of Fortune is another term for a professional mercenary. ... Map sources for Kendal at grid ref. ... The dignified Catherine Parr, the last of King Henry VIIIs wives, was married more than any other queen, four times. ...

He immediately began to transform the deserted abbey into a fine house and symbol of his wealth. It had been thought that the old abbey had been completely demolished, however following renovations after World War II, traces of the old abbey were found at lower levels of the existing walls. World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrination, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons such as the atomic bomb. ...

Hans Holbein

It has long been claimed, without proof, that Hans Holbein the Younger re-designed the abbey into the rectangular house around a central courtyard, which is the core of the present house. Holbein died in 1543, so his designs for the new house would have to have been very speedily executed indeed. However, the great entrance porch to the new mansion, removed from the house and later transformed into a garden pavilion in the 19th century to this day is known as the "Holbein Porch" — a perfect example of the blending of the older Gothic and the brand-new Renaissance style. If not by Holbein, it is certainly by the hand of a great master. Hans Holbein the Younger (c. ... // Events February 21 - Battle of Wayna Daga - A combined army of Ethiopian and Portuguese troops defeat the armies of Adal led by Ahmed Gragn. ... Pavilion, in the English language (derived from French, pavillon) can refer to any structure large or small, however there is usually a connection with relaxation and pleasure. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... By region Italian Renaissance Spanish Renaissance Northern Renaissance French Renaissance German Renaissance English Renaissance The Renaissance, also known as Il Rinascimento (in Italian), was an influential cultural movement which brought about a period of scientific revolution and artistic transformation, at the dawn of modern European history. ...

Whoever the architect, nevertheless a great mansion arose. Today only one other part of the Tudor mansion survives: the great tower in the centre of the east facade (see illustration above). With its central arch (once giving access to the court beyond) and three floors of oriel windows above, the tower is slightly reminiscent of the entrance at Hampton Court. Flanked today by two wings in a loose Georgian style — each topped by an Italianate pavilion tower, this Tudor centrepiece of the facade appears not in the least incongruous, merely displaying the accepted appearance of a great English country house, which has evolved over the centuries. The Tudor style, a term applied to the Perpendicular style, was originally that of the English architecture and decorative arts produced under the Tudor dynasty that ruled England from 1485 to 1603, characterized as an amalgam of Late Gothic style formalized by more concern for regularity and symmetry, with round... Oriel College (in full: The House of Blessed Mary the Virgin in Oxford commonly called Oriel College, of the Foundation of Edward the Second of famous memory, sometime King of England) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. ... The clock tower straddles the entrance between the inner and outer courts Hampton Court Palace is a former royal place on the north bank of the River Thames in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames about 12 miles (19 km) southwest and upstream of Central London, nowadays open to...

Inigo Jones

The Tudor house built by William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke in 1551 was to last but eighty years. On the succession of the 4th Earl in 1630, he decided to pull down the southern wing and erect a new complex of staterooms in its place. It is now the second great name associated with Wilton appears: that of Inigo Jones. Before discussing the complicated history of this facade further it is necessary to describe it: William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke KG (c. ... The Right Honourable Philip Herbert, 4th Earl of Pembroke, 1st Earl of Montgomery KG (October 16, 1584–January 23, 1649) was the son of Henry Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke. ... Events February 22 - Native American Quadequine introduces Popcorn to English colonists. ... Inigo Jones, by Sir Anthony van Dyck Inigo Jones (July 15, 1573–June 21, 1652) is regarded as the first significant English architect. ...

The architecture of the south front is in severe Palladian style, described at the time as in the 'Italian Style'; built of the local stone, softened by climbing shrubs, it is quintessentially English to our eyes today. While the remainder of the house is on three floors of equal value in the English style, the South Front has a low rusticated ground floor, almost suggesting a semi-basement. Three small porches project at this level only, one at the centre, and one at each end of the facade, providing small balconies to the windows above. The next floor is the piano nobile, at its centre the great double height Venetian window, ornamented at second floor level by the Pembroke arms in stone relief. This central window is flanked by four tall sash windows on each side. These windows have low flat pediments. Each end of the facade is defined by 'corner stone' decoration giving a suggestion that the single-bay wings project forward. The single windows here are topped by a true pointed pediment. Above this floor is a further almost mezzanine floor, its small, unpedimented, windows aligning with the larger below, serve to emphasise the importance of the piano nobile. The roofline is hidden by a balustrade. Each of the terminating 'wings' is crowned by a one storey, pedimented tower resembling a Palladian pavilion. One must remember this style was a revolution in England at the time, a mere thirty years previously Montacute House had been in an amazing new style; and only a century earlier the juxtaposing mass of unplanned wings that is Compton Wynyates was just being completed. The three mansions could not differ more from each other. A villa with a superimposed portico, from Book IV of Palladios I Quattro Libri dellArchitettura, in a modestly priced English translation published in London, 1736. ... The word bush re-directs here; for alternate uses see Bush (disambiguation). ... A mezzanine is an intermediate floor between main floors of a building; it is often low-ceilinged, and often projects in the form of a balcony. ... Montacute House, the west front. ... Compton Wynyates, Warwickshire, circa 1925 Compton Wynyates is a country house in Warwickshire, England. ...

So did Inigo Jones design this facade at Wilton? Again, as with Holbein, there is a problem with attribution. However, this time there is no doubt that Jones was indeed involved, but it is the degree of involvement which is questioned. Queen Henrietta Maria, a frequent guest at Wilton, interrogated Jones about his work there, at the time 1635 he was employed by her completing the Queen's House at Greenwich. It seems at this time Jones was too busy with his royal clients and did no more than provide a few sketches for a mansion, which he then delegated for execution to an assistant Isaac de Caus (sometimes spelt 'Caux', a Frenchman and landscape gardener from Dieppe). Henrietta Maria Henrietta Maria (November 25, 1609 - September 10, 1669) was Queen Consort of England, Scotland and Ireland (June 13, 1625 - January 30, 1649) through her marriage to Charles I. The U.S. state of Maryland (in Latin, Terra Maria) was so named in her honour by Cæcilius Calvert... Events February 10 - The Académie française in Paris is expanded to become a national academy for the artistic elite. ... The Queens House, Greenwich The Queens House, Greenwich, was designed and begun in 1616-1617 by architect Inigo Jones for Anne of Denmark (the queen of King James I of England) and completed, also by Jones, about 1635 for Queen Henrietta Maria, wife of King Charles I. The... Greenwich (pronounced gren-itch , or by the locals) is a town, now part of the south eastern urban sprawl of London, on the south bank of the river Thames in the London Borough of Greenwich. ... Isaac de Caus (1590 - 1648) was a French landscaper, and architect. ...

A document that Howard Colvin found at Worcester College library in Oxford in the 1960s confirmed, not only de Caus as the architect, but that the original plan for the south facade was to have been over twice the length of that built; what we see today was intended to be only one of two identical wings linked by a central portico of six Corinthian columns. The whole to be enhanced by a great parterre whose dimensions were 1000 feet by 400 feet. This parterre was in fact created and remained in existence for over 100 years. The second wing however failed to materialise — perhaps because of the 4th Earl's quarrel with King Charles I and subsequent fall from favour, or the outbreak of the Civil War; or simply lack of finances. Worcester College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. ... Oxford is a city and local government district in Oxfordshire, England, with a population of 134,248 (2001 census). ... Charles I (19 November 1600–30 January 1649) was King of England, Scotland and Ireland from 27 March 1625, until his execution. ... The Wars of the Three Kingdoms were an intertwined series of conflicts that took place in Scotland, Ireland, and England between 1639 and 1651 at a time when these countries had come under the personal rule of the same monarch, also called English Civil War. ...

It is now, many people feel, that Inigo Jones may have taken a firmer grip on his original ideas. Seeing De Caus' completed wing standing alone as an entirety, it was considered too plain — De Caus' original plan was for the huge facade to have a low pitched roof, with wings finishing with no architectural symbols of termination. The modifications to the completed wing, were of a balustrade hiding the weak roof line and Italianate, pavilion-like towers at each end. The focal point became not a portico but the large double height Venetian window. This South Front (illustration above), has been deemed an architectural triumph of Palladian architecture in Britain. it is doubtful the original drawings by De Caus could have been so pleasing and successful. Were these final modifications to the work of De Caus by Inigo Jones himself? — Many architectural historians believe so. A villa with a superimposed portico, from Book IV of Palladios I Quattro Libri dellArchitettura, in a modestly priced English translation published in London, 1736. ...

Within a few years of the completion of the new south wing, in 1647 it was ravaged by fire. The seriousness of the fire and the devastation it caused is now a matter of some dispute. The architectural historian Christopher Hussey has convincingly argued that it was not as severe as some records have suggested. What is definite is that Inigo Jones now working with another architect John Webb (the nephew of his wife) returned once again to Wilton. Because of the uncertainty of the fire damage to the structure of the house, the only work that can be attributed with any degree of certainty to the new partnership is the redesign of the interior of the seven state-rooms contained on the piano nobile of the south wing; and even here the extent of Jones' presence is questioned. It appears he may have been advising from a distance, using Webb as his medium. // Events March 14 - Thirty Years War: Bavaria, Cologne, France and Sweden sign the Truce of Ulm. ... Christopher Hussey (1899 - 1970) was one of the chief authorities on British domestic architecture of the generation that also included Dorothy Stroud and Sir John Summerson. ... Architect John Webb (1611-24 October 1672) was born in Butley in Somerset and became son-in-law and personal assistant to fellow architect and theatre designer Inigo Jones from 1628, having married Jones daughter Anne. ... Kedleston Hall. ...

The State Rooms

The seven state rooms contained behind the quite simple mannerist south front of Wilton House are equal to those in any of the great houses of Britain. State rooms in English country houses were seldom used; being reserved for the use of only the most important house-guests, often a monarch and his consort, or another high ranking member of state, hence the name. They are nearly always of an odd number for the following reason. At the centre of the facade, the largest and most lavish room, at Wilton the famed Double Cube Room, this was a gathering place for the court of the honoured guest. Leading symmetrically from the centre room on either side were often two suites of smaller, but still very grand rooms, for the sole use of the occupant of the final room at each end of the facade — the state bedroom. The smaller (but still huge) rooms in between would be used for private audiences, a withdrawing room and a dressing room. They were solely part of the bedroom suite and not for public use. A State Room in a large European mansion, is usually one of a suite of very grand rooms which were designed to impress, they were the most luxurious in the house and contained the finest works of art. ... Mannerism is the usual English term for an approach to all the arts, particularly painting but not exclusive to it, a reaction to the High Renaissance, emerging after the Sack of Rome in 1527 shook Renaissance confidence, humanism and rationality to their foundations, and even Religion had split apart. ...

In most English houses today these rooms have usually become a meaningless succession of drawing rooms and the original intention lost, this is certainly true at both Wilton House and Blenheim Palace The reason for this is the Edwardian Period, when large house-parties needed a huge collection of salons for playing bridge, dancing, talking and generally amusing themselves, also the occupants of the state bedroom preferred the comfort of a warmer more private room on a quiet floor with an en-suite bathroom! Blenheim Palace, The Great Court. ... The Edwardian period or Edwardian era in the United Kingdom is the period 1901 to 1910, the reign of King Edward VII. It is sometimes extended to include the period to the start of World War I in 1914 or even the end of the war in 1918. ...

The magnificent state rooms at Wilton designed by Inigo Jones, and one or other of his partners are:

• The Single Cube Room: This room a complete cube 30ft long, wide and high; has pine panelling gilded and white, it is carved from dado to cornice, The white marble chimney piece was designed by Inigo Jones himself. It has a painted ceiling, on canvas, by Giuseppe Cesari (1568 – 1640) representing Daedalus and Icarus. This room, hung with paintings by Lely and Van Dyck, is the only room thought to have survived the fire of 1647, and be the only interior surviving of Jones and De Caus.
• The Double Cube Room: The great room of the house. It is 60ft long, 30ft wide and 30ft high. It was created by Inigo Jones and Webb circa 1653. The pine wall painted white are decorated with great swags of foliage and fruit in gold leaf. The gilt and red velvet furniture compliments the collection of paintings by Van Dyck of the family of Charles I and the family of his contemporary Earl of Pembroke. Between the windows are mirrors by Chippendale, and console tables by William Kent. The coffered ceiling painted by Thomas de Critz depicts the story of Perseus. Here again is another anomaly which makes one question the true involvement of Jones, the great Venetian window, centre piece of the south front and centre piece of the double cube room is not the dead centre of the room, the other windows in the room are not symmetrically placed, and the central fireplace and venetian window are not opposite each other as the proportions of a room designed as an architectural feature in itself would demand.
• The Great Ante Room: Before the modifications to the house in 1801 a great staircase of state led from this room to the courtyard below, this was the entrance to the state apartments. Here hangs one of Wilton's greatest treasures: the portrait of his mother by Rembrandt.
• The Colonnade Room: This was formerly the state bedroom. The series of four gilded columns at one end of the room would have given a theatrical touch of importance to the now missing state bed. Furnished today with 18th century furniture by William Kent. The room is hung with paintings by Reynolds and has a ceiling painted in an 18th century theme of flowers, monkeys, urns and cobwebs.

Other rooms are: The lower part of a wall, below the dado rail and above the skirting board. ... Example of cornice laden roof line In classical architecture the cornice is the set of projecting moldings that crown an entablature. ... Marble This page is about the metamorphic rock. ... Giuseppe Cesari (c. ... This article deals with the mythological character Daedalus. ... Icarus and Daedalus In Greek mythology, Icarus (Latin, Greek Íkaros, Etruscan Vicare) was the son of Daedalus (Daídalos). ... Henrietta Maria of France, 1660. ... Self Portrait With a Sunflower Sir Anthony (Antoon) van Dyck (*March 22, 1599 - December 9, 1641) was a Flemish painter — mainly of portraits — who became the leading court painter in England. ... Thomas Chippendale, the elder (June 5, 1718 - November 1779) was a furniture designer and maker from Otley, West Yorkshire. ... William Kent (born in Bridlington, Yorkshire, c. ... Perseus with the head of Medusa by Antonio Canova. ... The Union Jack, flag of the newly formed United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. ... Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (July 15, 1606 – October 4, 1669) is generally considered one of the greatest painters in European art history and the most important United Provinces (Netherlands) painter of the seventeenth century. ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... Sir Joshua Reynolds Sir Joshua Reynolds (July 16, 1723–February 23, 1792) was the most important and influential of eighteenth-century English painters, specialising in portraits and promoting the Grand Style in painting which depended on idealization of the imperfect. ...

• The Corner Room: The ceiling in this room, representing the conversion of Saint Paul was painted by Luca Giordano. The walls of the room are covered in red damask and adorned with small paintings by among others Rubens and Andrea del Sarto.
• The Little Ante Room: The white marble fireplace in this room with inserts of black marble is almost certainly by Inigo Jones. The panels in the ceiling were painted by Lorenzo Sabbatini (1530 -1577) and therefore far older than this part of the house; again there are paintings by Van Dyck and Teniers.
• The Hunting Room: This is one of the most delightful rooms in the house, and not shown to the public, as it is used as a private drawing room by the Herbert family. A square room with white panelling which has gilded mouldings. The greatest feature of the room is the panels depicting hunting scenes by Edward Pierce painted circa 1653. These panels are set into the panelling rather than framed in the conventional sense.

Concluding the 17th century history of Wilton House — what was probably the true involvement of Inigo Jones? He was certainly a great friend of the Herbert family, it has been said that Jones' original studying in Italy of Palladio and the other Italian masters was paid for by the 3rd Earl, father of the builder of the South front; it seems likely that Jones originally sketched some ideas for de Caus, and following the fire conveyed through Webb some further ideas for tidying the house and its decorations. Fireplaces and decorative themes can be executed at long distance. The exact truth of the work by Jones will probably never be known, there are in existence designs for gilded doors and panels at Wilton annotated by Jones. He was an old man by the time work was completed, but would he have repaid his debt for the Italian study trip to the son of his benefactor so haphazardly? Or perhaps Jones had a fit of pique, outraged that the 4th Earl was supporting the Parliamentarians in the civil war. We shall probably never know. An early portrait of the Apostle Paul. ... The creation of man, fresco in the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi in Florence, 1684-1686. ... Pieter Pauwel (Peter Paul) Rubens (June 28, 1577 - May 30, 1640) was a Flemish baroque painter. ... A self portrait Andrea del Sarto (Andrea dAgnolo di Francesco di Luca di Paolo del Migliore, Gualfonda, Florence, 1487 - Florence, 1531) was a painter of the Italian Renaissance. ... Caim and Abel The Adoration by the Shepherds Lorenzo Sabbatini (1530, Bologna -1577, Rome) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance. ... Teniers was a family of celebrated Flemish painters that included: David Teniers the Elder (1582-1649) David Teniers the Younger (1610-1690) David Teniers III (1638-1685) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Illustration from a 1736 English edition of I Quattro Libri dellArchitettura. ... The Right Honourable William Herbert, 3rd Earl of Pembroke KG (April 8, 1580–April 10, 1630) was the son of Henry Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke. ...

In 1705 following a fire the 8th Earl rebuilt some of the oldest parts the house, making rooms to display his newly acquired Arundel Marbles, which form the basis for the sculpture collection at Wilton today. Following this Wilton remained undisturbed for nearly a century. Events Construction begins on Blenheim Palace, in Oxfordshire, England. ... Thomas Herbert, 8th Earl of Pembroke, 5th Earl of Montgomery (c. ... The Arundelian Marbles are a collection of Greek marbles collected by Thomas Howard, 21st Earl of Arundel. ...

19th century and James Wyatt

The 11th Earl (1759 – 1827) called upon James Wyatt in 1801 to modernise the house, and create more space for picture and sculptures. The final of the three well-known architects to work at Wilton (and the only one well documented) was to prove the most controversial. His work took eleven years to complete. Fonthill Abbey. ...

James Wyatt as an architect who often employed the neo-classical style, but at Wilton for reasons known only to architect and client he used the gothic style. Since the beginning of the 20th century his work at Wilton has been condemned by most architectural commentators. The negative points of his 'improvements' to modern eyes are that he swept away the Holbein porch, reducing it to a mere garden ornament, replacing it with a new entrance and forecourt. This entrance forecourt created was entered through an 'arc de triumph' which had been created as an entrance to Wilton's park by Sir William Chambers circa 1755. The forecourt was bounded by the house on one side, with wings of fake doors and windows extending to form the court, all accessed by Chambers's repositioned arch, crowned by a life-size equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius. While not altogether displeasing as an entrance to a country house, the impression created is more of a hunting estate in northern France, or Germany. See also Gothic art. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the... Sir William Chambers (1723-1796) was a Scottish architect, (though born in Stockholm where his father was a merchant). ... 1755 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Marcus Aurelius depicted in The Thoughts of Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, as translated by George Long Imperator Caesar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus (April 26, 121 – March 17, 180) was Roman Emperor from 161 to his death in 180. ...

The original Great Hall of the Tudor house, the chapel and De Caus painted staircase to the state apartments were all swept away at this time. A new gothic staircase and hall were created in the style of Camelot. The Tudor tower, now the last remnant of William Herbert's house, escaped unscathed except for the addition of two 'medieval' statues at ground floor level. Camelot is the name of the stronghold of the legendary King Arthur, from which he fought many of the battles that made up his life. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times. ...

There was however one huge improvement created by Wyatt — The Cloisters. This two-storeyed gallery which was built around all four sides of the inner courtyard, provided the house with not only the much needed corridors to link the rooms, but also a magnificent gallery to display the Pembroke collection of classical sculpture. Wyatt died before completion, but not before he and Lord Pembroke had quarrelled over the designs and building work. The final touches were executed by Wyatt's nephew Sir Jeffry Wyatville. Today nearly two hundred years later Wyatt's improvements do not jar the senses as much as they did those of the great architectural commentators James Lees-Milne and Sir Sacheverell Sitwell writing in the 1960s. That Wyatt's works are not in the same league of style as the South front, and the Tudor tower, is perhaps something for future generations to judge. Cloister of Saint Trophimus, in Arles, France A cloister (from latin claustrum) is part of cathedrals and abbeys architecture. ... Jeffry Wyatville (1766-1840) was an English architect. ... James Lees-Milne (1908-1997) was an English writer and expert on country houses. ... Sir Sacheverell Reresby Sitwell (November 15, 1897 – October 1, 1988) was an English writer, best known as an art critic and writer on architecture, particularly the baroque. ...

Secondary rooms

Wilton is not the largest house in England by any means: compared to Blenheim Palace, Chatsworth and Hatfield House it is relatively small. However the magnificent state rooms are not the only rooms worthy of mention, a few of these are: Blenheim Palace, The Great Court. ... Chatsworth may mean: Chatsworth House Chatsworth, Ontario, Canada Chatsworth, Georgia Chatsworth, California Chatsworth, Illinois Chatsworth, Iowa Chatsworth, New Jersey Chatsworth, Durban, South Africa This is a disambiguation page, a list of pages that otherwise might share the same title. ... Hatfield House, located to the east of Hatfield, Hertfordshire, was built in 1611 and is the family seat of Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 7th Marquess of Salisbury. ...

• The Front Hall: redesigned by Wyatt, access is gained from this room to the cloisters through two gothic arches. The room is furnished with statuary; the dominating piece a larger than life statue of William Shakespeare designed by William Kent in 1743. It commerates an unproved legend that Shakespeare came to Wilton and produced one of his plays in the courtyard.
• The Upper Cloisters: designed by Wyatt but completed circa 1824 by Wyatville in the gothic style contain neoclassical sculpture, and curios such as a lock of Queen Elizabeth I's hair, and Napoleon I's despatch box. and paintings by the Brueghel brothers.
• The Staircase: Designed by Wyatt, it replaces the muralled state staircase swept away during the 'improvements'. The Imperial staircase has a single flight of staris dividing into two flights, and is lined with family portraits by Lely. Also hanging here is a portrait of Catherine Woronzow, the early 19th century Russian Countess of Pembroke, whose Russian Sleigh is displayed in the cloisters.
• The Smoking Rooms: These rooms are in the wing attributed to Inigo Jones and John Webb linking to the South front. The cornices and doors are attributed to Jones. The larger of the two rooms contains a set of fifty-five gouache paintings of an equestrian theme painted in 1755. The room is furnished with a complete set of bureau, cabinets, and break-front bookcases made for the room by Thomas Chippendale.
• The Library: A large book-lined room over 60 feet long, with views to a formal garden and vista leading to the 'Holbein' Porch. This is used as a private room and not shown to the public.
• The Breakfast Room: A private small low-ceilinged room on the rustic floor of the South front. In the 18th century this was the house's only bath room; more of an indoor swimming pool, the sunken plunge pool was heated and the room decorated in the Pompeian style complete with Corinthian columns. Converted by the Russian Countess of Pembroke to a breakfast room circa 1815, it is today wallpapered in a Chinese design, the paper being an exact copy of that used in the original 1815 decoration of the room. The 18th century furniture of a simulated-bamboo, gothic style gives this private dining room a distinct oriental atmosphere.

Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... // Events February 14 - Henry Pelham becomes British Prime Minister February 21 - - The premiere in London of George Frideric Handels oratorio, Samson. ... A legend (Latin, legenda, things to be read) is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude. ... 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. ... For other uses, see Napoleon (disambiguation). ... Brueghel or Bruegel was the name of several Flemish painters from the same family line: Pieter Brueghel the Elder (c. ... A mural by brightens the walls of this air-raid shelters in south London. ... Imperial is a term that is used to describe something that relates to an Empire, Emperor, or the concept of Imperialism. ... Henrietta Maria of France, 1660. ... For the cricket meaning, see Sledging (cricket) A sled, sledge or sleigh is a vehicle with runners for sliding instead of wheels for rolling. ... Gouache (from the Italian guazzo, water paint, splash) is a type of watercolor paint, made heavier and more opaque by the addition of a white pigment (chalk, Chinese white, etc. ... Thomas Chippendale, the elder (June 5, 1718 - November 1779) was a furniture designer and maker from Otley, West Yorkshire. ... Pompeii is a ruined Roman city near modern Naples in the Italian region of Campania. ... The Corinthian order as used for the portico of the Pantheon, Rome provided a prominent model for Renaissance and later architects, through the medium of engravings. ... The Battle of New Orleans 1815 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

The gardens and grounds

Wilton Estate gardens

The house is renowned for its gardens — Isaac de Caus began a project to landscape them in 1632, laying out one of the first French parterres seen in England. An engraving of it made the design very influential after the royal Restoration in 1660, when grand gardens began to be made again. The original gardens included a grotto and water features. Later, when the parterre had been replaced by turf, the Palladian Bridge over the little River Nadder was designed by the 9th Earl, one of the "architect earls," with Roger Morris (1736/7). A copy of it was erected at the much-visited garden of Stowe in Buckinghamshire, and three more were erected, at Prior Park, Bath, Hagley and Amesbury. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 811 KB) Wilton House Gardens, Wilton, Wiltshire, England. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 811 KB) Wilton House Gardens, Wilton, Wiltshire, England. ... Isaac de Caus (1590 - 1648) was a French landscaper, and architect. ... A parterre is a formal garden construction on a level surface consisting of planting beds, edged in stone or tightly clipped hedging and gravel paths arranged to form a pleasing pattern. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... The south or garden front of Stowe from Jones Views of the Seats of Noblemen and Gentlemen (1819). ... Map of Bucks (1904) Buckinghamshire (abbreviated Bucks) is a county in South East England. ... Prior Park Landscape Garden is an 18th-century landscape garden, designed by the poet Alexander Pope and Capability Brown, and now owned by the National Trust. ... The Palladian-style Pulteney Bridge and the weir at Bath Bath is a city in South West England most famous for its baths fed by three hot springs. ... See also Amesbury, Massachusetts. ...

In the late 20th century the 17th Earl had a garden created in Wyatt's entrance forecourt, in memory of his father, the 16th Earl. This garden enclosed by pleached trees, with herbaceous plants around a central fountain, has done much to improve and soften the severity of the forecourt. (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the...

Wilton House 2004

The house is often described as England's most beautiful country house, in a land of beautiful country houses that judgment has to be made by each individual. An accurate way to describe Wilton today is a direct quote from the architectural writer John Summerson writing in 1964, it is as true today as it was then: In Britain (and also in Ireland) the term country house generally refers to a large house which was built on an agricultural estate as the private residence of the landowner. ... Sir John Newenham Summerson (1904-1992) was one of the leading British architectural historians of the 20th century. ...

...the bridge is the object which attracts the visitor before he has become aware of the Jonesian facade. He approaches the bridge and, from its steps, turns to see the facade. He passes through and across the bridge, turns again and becomes aware of the bridge, the river, the lawn and the facade as one picture in deep recession. He may imagine the portico; he will scarcely regret the curtailment. He may picture the formal knots, tortured hedges and statues of the 3rd. Earl's garden; he will be happier with the lawn. Standing here he may reflect upon the way in which a scene so classical, so deliberate, so complete, has been accomplished not by the decisions of one mind at one time but by a combination of accident, selection, genius and the tides of taste.

Reference

• Howard Colvin, A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects

External links

• Wilton House official web site
• Wilton House Garden — a Gardens Guide review
• Mike w. Bucknole, "Wilton House"
• Aerial photo of Wilton House. Other map and aerial photo sources.