Burton Pynsent House
Encyclopedia
Burton Pynsent House is a historic building in the parish
of Curry Rivel
, Somerset
, England. It is a Grade II* listed building.
The house was built in 1765 for William Pitt
after he inherited the estate from Sir William Pynsent. It formed part of a wing on a larger earlier house, that was demolished around 1805.
The grounds were laid out in the mid 18th century by Pitt and Lancelot Brown and include early 20th century formal gardens designed by Harold Peto
. The Chatham Vase
is a stone sculpture commissioned as a memorial to William Pitt the Elder by his wife, Hester, Countess of Chatham
. It was originally erected at their house in Burton Pynsent, in 1781, and moved to the grounds of Chevening House in 1934, where it currently resides.
The 140 feet (43 m) Pynsent Column
(also known as the Curry Rivel Column, Burton Pynsent Monument, Pynsent Steeple or Cider Monument) stands on Troy Hill, a spur of high ground about 700 m north-east of the house. It was designed in the 18th century by Capability Brown
for William Pitt. It was restored in the 1990s by the John Paul Getty
Trust and English Heritage.
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
of Curry Rivel
Curry Rivel
Curry Rivel is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated west of Somerton and east of Taunton in the South Somerset district. The parish has a population of 2,093...
, 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. It is a Grade II* listed building.
The house was built in 1765 for William Pitt
William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham
William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham PC was a British Whig statesman who led Britain during the Seven Years' War...
after he inherited the estate from Sir William Pynsent. It formed part of a wing on a larger earlier house, that was demolished around 1805.
The grounds were laid out in the mid 18th century by Pitt and Lancelot Brown and include early 20th century formal gardens designed by Harold Peto
Harold Peto
Harold Ainsworth Peto was a British landscape architect and garden designer, who worked in Britain and in Provence, France.-Biography:...
. The Chatham Vase
Chatham Vase
The Chatham Vase is a stone sculpture commissioned as a memorial to William Pitt the Elder by his wife, Hester, Countess of Chatham. It was originally erected at their house in Burton Pynsent, in 1781, and moved to the grounds of Chevening House in 1934, where it currently resides.The inscription...
is a stone sculpture commissioned as a memorial to William Pitt the Elder by his wife, Hester, Countess of Chatham
Hester Pitt, Countess of Chatham
Hester Pitt, Countess of Chatham , 1st Baroness Chatham in her own right, was the wife of William Pitt , 1st Earl of Chatham, who was Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1766 to 1768...
. It was originally erected at their house in Burton Pynsent, in 1781, and moved to the grounds of Chevening House in 1934, where it currently resides.
The 140 feet (43 m) Pynsent Column
Burton Pynsent Monument
The Burton Pynsent Monument on Troy Hill, at Burton Pynsent within the parish of Curry Rivel, Somerset, England was built in 1757 and has been designated as a Grade I listed building....
(also known as the Curry Rivel Column, Burton Pynsent Monument, Pynsent Steeple or Cider Monument) stands on Troy Hill, a spur of high ground about 700 m north-east of the house. It was designed in the 18th century by Capability Brown
Capability Brown
Lancelot Brown , more commonly known as Capability Brown, was an English landscape architect. He is remembered as "the last of the great English eighteenth-century artists to be accorded his due", and "England's greatest gardener". He designed over 170 parks, many of which still endure...
for William Pitt. It was restored in the 1990s by the John Paul Getty
Getty Center
The Getty Center, in Brentwood, Los Angeles, California, is a campus for cultural institutions founded by oilman J. Paul Getty. The $1.3 billion center, which opened on December 16, 1997, is also well known for its architecture, gardens, and views overlooking Los Angeles...
Trust and English Heritage.