Elveden Hall
Encyclopedia
Elveden Hall is a large privately owned house overlooking the large Elveden Estate in Elveden
, Suffolk
, England
. It is located centrally to the village and is close to the A11 and the Parish Church.
The exact date of the hall's first construction is unknown but it is known to have been anciently appropriated by Bury Abbey. It was later given by Henry VIII
to the Duke of Norfolk
. After passing through the ownerships of the Crisp and Tyrell families, it came into the ownership of Admiral Keppel
. He died without issue
in 1796, when it then passed to his nephew, the Earl of Albemarle
who sold it to MP William Newton in 1813.
, ruler of the Punjab
and owner of the famous Koh-i-noor
diamond was exiled to England, having been removed from his kingdom by the British East India Company
.
The Maharajah purchased the 17000 acres (68.8 km²) Elveden Estate in 1863 and set about rebuilding the country house and dressing it in an Italian style. However, he redesigned the insides to resemble the fine Mughal
palaces that he had been accustomed to back in his childhood. He also extended his building work to include an aviary
where exotic birds such as Golden Pheasant
, Icelandic Gyrfalcons, Parrots, Peafowl
and Buzzards were kept. His architect was John Norton
, the Gothic revival specialist who also redesigned Tyntesfield
.
Elveden Hall played host to a wide range of sporting activities but none rivalled the Maharajah's passion for shooting. His shooting parties were popular amongst aristocracy including:
After seasons of poor farming in the 1870s, a downturn in the Maharajah's personal fortunes and political tensions in government, the Maharajah left Elveden and England in 1886. After his death in 1893, his executor
s sold Elveden Hall in 1894 to Edward Cecil Guinness, 1st Earl of Iveagh
.
The hall was used during the Second World War as a headquarters for the U.S. Air Force (and unfortunately the staff quarters were struck and destroyed by a bomb). By the 1980s, the large Hall provided a home only to a caretaker and so the family sold off the entire contents with auctioneers Christie's
between 21–24 May 1984. The sale included a number of elaborate items that would have once been owned or used by the Maharajah.
The hall now stands empty, aside from its use as an occasional film location.
The Heir Apparent
is the present holder's son Arthur Benjamin Geoffrey Guinness, Viscount Elveden (b. 2003)
Elveden
Elveden is a village and civil parish in the Forest Heath district of Suffolk in eastern England. In 2005 it had a population of 270.The village is located on the A11 between Cambridge and Norwich and experiences a high volume of traffic...
, Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is located centrally to the village and is close to the A11 and the Parish Church.
The exact date of the hall's first construction is unknown but it is known to have been anciently appropriated by Bury Abbey. It was later given by Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
to the Duke of Norfolk
Duke of Norfolk
The Duke of Norfolk is the premier duke in the peerage of England, and also, as Earl of Arundel, the premier earl. The Duke of Norfolk is, moreover, the Earl Marshal and hereditary Marshal of England. The seat of the Duke of Norfolk is Arundel Castle in Sussex, although the title refers to the...
. After passing through the ownerships of the Crisp and Tyrell families, it came into the ownership of Admiral Keppel
Augustus Keppel, 1st Viscount Keppel
Admiral Augustus Keppel, 1st Viscount Keppel PC was an officer of the Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War and the War of American Independence...
. He died without issue
Offspring
In biology, offspring is the product of reproduction, of a new organism produced by one or more parents.Collective offspring may be known as a brood or progeny in a more general way...
in 1796, when it then passed to his nephew, the Earl of Albemarle
Earl of Albemarle
Earl of Albemarle is a title created several times from Norman times onwards. The word Albemarle is the Latinised form of the French county of Aumale in Normandy , other forms being Aubemarle and Aumerle...
who sold it to MP William Newton in 1813.
The Maharajah (1849-1894)
In 1849, the Maharajah Duleep SinghDuleep Singh
This article is about Maharaja Dalip Singh. For other uses, see Dalip SinghMaharaja Dalip Singh, GCSI , commonly called Duleep Singh and later in life nicknamed the Black Prince of Perthshire, was the last Maharaja of the Sikh Empire...
, ruler of the Punjab
Punjab region
The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
and owner of the famous Koh-i-noor
Koh-i-Noor
The Kōh-i Nūr which means "Mountain of Light" in Persian, also spelled Koh-i-noor, Koh-e Noor or Koh-i-Nur, is a 105 carat diamond that was once the largest known diamond in the world. The Kōh-i Nūr originated in the state of Andhra Pradesh in India along with its double, the Darya-ye Noor...
diamond was exiled to England, having been removed from his kingdom by the British East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
.
The Maharajah purchased the 17000 acres (68.8 km²) Elveden Estate in 1863 and set about rebuilding the country house and dressing it in an Italian style. However, he redesigned the insides to resemble the fine Mughal
Mughal architecture
Mughal architecture, an amalgam of Islamic, Persian, Turkish and Indian architecture, is the distinctive style developed by the Mughals in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries in what is now India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. It is symmetrical and decorative in style.The Mughal dynasty was...
palaces that he had been accustomed to back in his childhood. He also extended his building work to include an aviary
Aviary
An aviary is a large enclosure for confining birds. Unlike cages, aviaries allow birds a larger living space where they can fly; hence, aviaries are also sometimes known as flight cages...
where exotic birds such as Golden Pheasant
Golden Pheasant
The Golden Pheasant or "Chinese Pheasant", is a gamebird of the order Galliformes and the family Phasianidae...
, Icelandic Gyrfalcons, Parrots, Peafowl
Peafowl
Peafowl are two Asiatic species of flying birds in the genus Pavo of the pheasant family, Phasianidae, best known for the male's extravagant eye-spotted tail, which it displays as part of courtship. The male is called a peacock, the female a peahen, and the offspring peachicks. The adult female...
and Buzzards were kept. His architect was John Norton
John Norton (architect)
John Norton was an English architect who designed country houses, churches and a number of commercial buildings. He was born and educated in Bristol...
, the Gothic revival specialist who also redesigned Tyntesfield
Tyntesfield
Tyntesfield is a Victorian Gothic Revival estate near Wraxall, North Somerset, England, near Nailsea, seven miles from Bristol.The house was acquired by the National Trust in June 2002 after a fund raising campaign to prevent it being sold to private interests and ensure it be opened to the public...
.
Elveden Hall played host to a wide range of sporting activities but none rivalled the Maharajah's passion for shooting. His shooting parties were popular amongst aristocracy including:
- Prince George, Duke of CambridgePrince George, Duke of CambridgePrince George, Duke of Cambridge was a member of the British Royal Family, a male-line grandson of King George III. The Duke was an army officer and served as commander-in-chief of the British Army from 1856 to 1895...
- Lord Frederick Fitzroy
- Duke of AthollDuke of AthollDuke of Atholl, alternatively Duke of Athole, named after Atholl in Scotland, is a title in the Peerage of Scotland held by the head of Clan Murray...
and the Duchess of Atholl - Lord Colville
- Sir Hugh Cholmeley
- Right Hon. Lord Huntingfield
- Colonel Bateson
- Lord de Grey
- Lord BeaumontLord BeaumontLord Beaumont currently properly refers only to the Duke of Norfolk as holder of the English Barony of Beaumont . However, in a historical context, it can refer either to a past holder of that Barony or to a holder of one of the extinct Viscountcies of Beaumont:* Viscount Beaumont * Viscount...
- Lady Mildred Coke
- Lord Walsingham
- Viscount PowerscourtViscount PowerscourtViscount Powerscourt is a title that has been created three times in the Peerage of Ireland, each time for members of the Wingfield family. It was created first in 1618 for the Chief Governor of Ireland, Richard Wingfield. However, this creation became extinct on his death in 1634. It was created a...
- Lord Stradbroke
After seasons of poor farming in the 1870s, a downturn in the Maharajah's personal fortunes and political tensions in government, the Maharajah left Elveden and England in 1886. After his death in 1893, his executor
Executor
An executor, in the broadest sense, is one who carries something out .-Overview:...
s sold Elveden Hall in 1894 to Edward Cecil Guinness, 1st Earl of Iveagh
Edward Guinness, 1st Earl of Iveagh
Edward Cecil Guinness, 1st Earl of Iveagh, KP, GCVO, FRS was an Irish philanthropist and businessman.-Public life:...
.
The Earls of Iveagh (1894-present day)
The Guinness brewing family purchased Elveden Hall in 1894.The hall was used during the Second World War as a headquarters for the U.S. Air Force (and unfortunately the staff quarters were struck and destroyed by a bomb). By the 1980s, the large Hall provided a home only to a caretaker and so the family sold off the entire contents with auctioneers Christie's
Christie's
Christie's is an art business and a fine arts auction house.- History :The official company literature states that founder James Christie conducted the first sale in London, England, on 5 December 1766, and the earliest auction catalogue the company retains is from December 1766...
between 21–24 May 1984. The sale included a number of elaborate items that would have once been owned or used by the Maharajah.
The hall now stands empty, aside from its use as an occasional film location.
- Edward Cecil Guinness, 1st Earl of IveaghEdward Guinness, 1st Earl of IveaghEdward Cecil Guinness, 1st Earl of Iveagh, KP, GCVO, FRS was an Irish philanthropist and businessman.-Public life:...
(1847–1927) - Rupert Edward Cecil Lee Guinness, 2nd Earl of IveaghRupert Guinness, 2nd Earl of IveaghRupert Edward Cecil Lee Guinness, 2nd Earl of Iveagh KG CB CMG VD ADC FRS, , was an Anglo-Irish businessman, politician, oarsman and philanthropist. Born in London, he was the eldest son of Edward Guinness, 1st Earl of Iveagh...
(1874–1967) - Arthur Francis Benjamin Guinness, 3rd Earl of IveaghBenjamin Guinness, 3rd Earl of IveaghArthur Francis Benjamin Guinness, 3rd Earl of Iveagh , known as Benjamin, was the son of Arthur Onslow Edward Guinness, Viscount Elveden, and Elizabeth Cecilia Hare. He inherited the title from his grandfather Rupert in 1967....
(1937–1992) - Arthur Edward Rory Guinness, 4th Earl of IveaghArthur Guinness, 4th Earl of IveaghArthur Edward Rory Guinness, 4th Earl of Iveagh, DL , is a member of the Guinness family. He is the son of Arthur Francis Benjamin Guinness, 3rd Earl of Iveagh, and Miranda Guinness...
(b. 1969)
The Heir Apparent
Heir apparent
An heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting, except by a change in the rules of succession....
is the present holder's son Arthur Benjamin Geoffrey Guinness, Viscount Elveden (b. 2003)
Filming location
Elveden Hall's unique and impressive architecture and surrounding landscapes have been used for filming on a number of occasions. These films include:- The Living DaylightsThe Living DaylightsThe Living Daylights is the fifteenth entry in the James Bond series and the first to star Timothy Dalton as the fictional MI6 agent 007. The film's title is taken from Ian Fleming's short story, "The Living Daylights"...
(1987) - Gulliver's TravelsGulliver's TravelsTravels into Several Remote Nations of the World, in Four Parts. By Lemuel Gulliver, First a Surgeon, and then a Captain of Several Ships, better known simply as Gulliver's Travels , is a novel by Anglo-Irish writer and clergyman Jonathan Swift that is both a satire on human nature and a parody of...
(1996) TV / DVD - The MoonstoneThe MoonstoneThe Moonstone by Wilkie Collins is a 19th-century British epistolary novel, generally considered the first detective novel in the English language. The story was originally serialized in Charles Dickens' magazine All the Year Round. The Moonstone and The Woman in White are considered Wilkie...
(1997) - Eyes Wide ShutEyes Wide ShutEyes Wide Shut is a 1999 drama film based upon Arthur Schnitzler's 1926 novella Traumnovelle . The film was directed, produced and co-written by Stanley Kubrick, and was his last film. The story, set in and around New York City, follows the sexually-charged adventures of Dr...
(1999) - Lara Croft: Tomb RaiderLara Croft: Tomb RaiderLara Croft: Tomb Raider is a 2001 adventure thriller film adapted from the Tomb Raider video game series. Directed by Simon West and starring Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft, it was released in U.S. theaters on June 15, 2001. The film was a commercial success...
(2001) - Stardust (2007)
- Dean SpanleyDean SpanleyDean Spanley is a 2008 New Zealand and British comedy-drama film, with fantastic elements, from Miramax Films, Atlantic Film Group and General Film Corporation , directed by Fijian New Zealander Toa Fraser...
(2008)
See also
- Guinness Baronets, of Ashford
- Baron MoyneBaron MoyneBaron Moyne, of Bury St Edmund in the County of Suffolk, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1932 for the Conservative politician the Hon. Walter Guinness. A member of the prominent Guinness brewing family, he was the third son of Edward Guinness, 1st Earl of Iveagh,...
- Guinness familyGuinness familyThe Guinness family is an extensive aristocratic Irish Protestant family noted for their accomplishments in brewing, banking, politics and religious ministry...
- Princess Bamba Sutherland
External links
- Elveden Estate and Farms
- A Year in the Life of a Country Estate - A series of 12 articles about Elveden from the BBC, dating from 2003.
- Elveden Hall entry from The DiCamillo Companion to British & Irish Country Houses