Berrington Hall

West front, Berrington Hall, Herefordshire

Berrington Hall is a country house located about 3 miles (4.8 km) north of Leominster, Herefordshire, England. During the 20th century it was the seat of the Cawley family.

It is a neoclassical country house building which was designed by Henry Holland in 1778-81 for Thomas Harley. It has a somewhat austere exterior, but the interiors are subtle and delicate. Berrington Hall is home to the Elmar Digby furniture collection, paintings by, amongst others, Thomas Luny (1759–1837) and the Charles Paget Wade costume collection from Snowshill which can be viewed by appointment. The 'below stairs' areas and servants' quarters which are open to the public include a Victorian laundry and Georgian dairy. Berrington has been in the care of the National Trust since 1957 and is, along with its gardens, open to the public.

Berrington features Capability Brown's last landscape design. A notable feature is the ha-ha wall which was subject of extensive renovation in the late 20th century by local craftsmen. Berrington Pool, a lake and island, is a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

History

Courtyard at Berrington Hall, Herefordshire

Berrington had been in the possession of the Cornewall family since 1386, but was sold in 1775 to Thomas Harley, a banker and government contractor who had been Lord Mayor of London in 1767. He commissioned the rebuilding in 1778-1781 of the present Berrington Hall in place of the previous old house and made it available to his daughter Anne and her new husband George Rodney, the son of Admiral Rodney. After Harley's death the house descended in the Rodney family for 95 years.

In 1901 the estate was bought by Manchester businessman Frederick Cawley MP, later Baron Cawley, but handed over in 1957 by the 3rd Lord Cawley to the Treasury, who passed in on to the National Trust. Lady Crawley was allowed to remain in occupation until her death in 1978. [1]

It was classified as a Grade I listed building in 1959. [2]

References

  1. ↑ "Berrington Hall". Herefordshire Council. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  2. ↑ Historic England. "BERRINGTON HALL AND ADJOINING OUTBUILDINGS (1082564)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 18 March 2018.

Coordinates: 52°16′12″N 2°43′08″W / 52.269902°N 2.718908°W / 52.269902; -2.718908

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