Harewood Park
Encyclopedia
Harewood Park is a rural estate of 900 acres (364.2 ha) in Herefordshire
, England
, which has been owned by the Duchy of Cornwall
since 2000. It is located roughly midway between Hereford
and Ross-on-Wye
.
of the nearby village of Garway
in 1215. By 1312 it was recorded as containing a hall, grange and chapel. After the Knights Templar were disbanded, the estate passed to the Knights Hospitaller
until the Dissolution of the Monasteries
under Henry VIII. The land was then sold, first to the brothers Robert and Hugh Thornhill and then, in 1547, to the Browne family who built a large house on the site. Around 1651-54, the house was bought by Bennet Hoskyns
MP
, who had the unusual distinction of both being appointed a High Sheriff
under Cromwell
, and later being made a baronet
by Charles II
. The estate remained in the ownership of the Hoskyns family
for almost 300 years.
In 1781 the Tudor house was demolished and a new house, set in parkland with terraced walks, was built on the site. The house was again substantially rebuilt in 1839 by the 7th Baronet, Sir Hungerford Hoskyns, who had built an 11-bay, three-storey entrance front, featuring a grand porch with Tuscan columns, and two wings. The chapel was rebuilt in 1862. The declining fortunes of the family resulted in the house being sold in 1941 to the Trustees of Guy's Hospital
. It was used as an auxiliary hospital during World War II
, but was deemed surplus to requirements after the war. The building decayed, its fixtures and fittings were sold off in 1959, and the shell of the house was used for demolition practice by the Royal Engineers
. A modern bungalow
, described as "wildly inappropriate", was built on the site in the 1960s.
. In 2003, plans were prepared for what the Duchy described as a "rural regeneration project", involving the restoration of three groups of buildings at Home Farm, Grange Farm and Harewood Park itself, at an estimated cost of £8-9 million. The architect is Craig Hamilton. Home Farm and Craig Farm are intended to be developed as cottages and workshops. Overall, the intention was to undertake restoration on the basis of principles of environmental sustainability
, and including the use of local sandstone
from a reopened local quarry, and locally sourced timber. New woodland was to be planted, and schemes were included to retain water run-off and filter sewage in reed filtration beds. Prince Charles
is reportedly personally involved in details of the scheme.
The Duchy's website states:
in 2007. The agreed proposal is for a six-bedroom house, considerably scaled down from the original designs put forward in 2004. The proposed design is intended to echo that of existing stable blocks on the site, with arches influenced by the designs of Sir John Soane. According to Hamilton:
, there has been local and national speculation that the house will become the main residence of Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. The Daily Mail
stated in November 2010 that "after William finishes his three-year stint with the RAF he and Kate are expected to move into a six-bedroom house his father has had built at Harewood Park", and the Hereford Times
has also described it as their "potential home".
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
, 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...
, which has been owned by the Duchy of Cornwall
Duchy of Cornwall
The Duchy of Cornwall is one of two royal duchies in England, the other being the Duchy of Lancaster. The eldest son of the reigning British monarch inherits the duchy and title of Duke of Cornwall at the time of his birth, or of his parent's succession to the throne. If the monarch has no son, the...
since 2000. It is located roughly midway between Hereford
Hereford
Hereford is a cathedral city, civil parish and county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, southwest of Worcester, and northwest of Gloucester...
and Ross-on-Wye
Ross-on-Wye
Ross-on-Wye is a small market town with a population of 10,089 in southeastern Herefordshire, England, located on the River Wye, and on the northern edge of the Forest of Dean.-History:...
.
History
The land at Harewood Park was part of a royal hunting estate, which was granted by King John to the Knights TemplarKnights Templar
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple or simply as Templars, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders...
of the nearby village of Garway
Garway
Garway is a civil parish in south-west Herefordshire, England. It is set on a hillside above the River Monnow about 10 km northwest of Monmouth. It is a sparsely populated area, mainly agricultural in nature...
in 1215. By 1312 it was recorded as containing a hall, grange and chapel. After the Knights Templar were disbanded, the estate passed to the Knights Hospitaller
Knights Hospitaller
The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta , also known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta , Order of Malta or Knights of Malta, is a Roman Catholic lay religious order, traditionally of military, chivalrous, noble nature. It is the world's...
until the Dissolution of the Monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
under Henry VIII. The land was then sold, first to the brothers Robert and Hugh Thornhill and then, in 1547, to the Browne family who built a large house on the site. Around 1651-54, the house was bought by Bennet Hoskyns
Sir Bennet Hoskyns, 1st Baronet
Sir Bennet Hoskyns, 1st Baronet was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1640 and 1659.Hoskyns was the son of Mr Serjeant Hoskyns and his wife Benedicta Moyle, daughter of Robert Moyle of Buckwell, Kent...
MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
, who had the unusual distinction of both being appointed a High Sheriff
High Sheriff
A high sheriff is, or was, a law enforcement officer in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States.In England and Wales, the office is unpaid and partly ceremonial, appointed by the Crown through a warrant from the Privy Council. In Cornwall, the High Sheriff is appointed by the Duke of...
under Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
, and later being made a baronet
Baronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
by Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
. The estate remained in the ownership of the Hoskyns family
Hoskyns Baronets
The Hoskyns Baronetcy, of Harewood in the County of Hereford, is a title in the Baronetage of England. It was created on 18 December 1676 for Bennet Hoskyns, Member of Parliament for Wendover, Hereford and Herefordshire. He was the son of the poet, lawyer and politician John Hoskins...
for almost 300 years.
In 1781 the Tudor house was demolished and a new house, set in parkland with terraced walks, was built on the site. The house was again substantially rebuilt in 1839 by the 7th Baronet, Sir Hungerford Hoskyns, who had built an 11-bay, three-storey entrance front, featuring a grand porch with Tuscan columns, and two wings. The chapel was rebuilt in 1862. The declining fortunes of the family resulted in the house being sold in 1941 to the Trustees of Guy's Hospital
Guy's Hospital
Guy's Hospital is a large NHS hospital in the borough of Southwark in south east London, England. It is administratively a part of Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. It is a large teaching hospital and is home to the King's College London School of Medicine...
. It was used as an auxiliary hospital during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, but was deemed surplus to requirements after the war. The building decayed, its fixtures and fittings were sold off in 1959, and the shell of the house was used for demolition practice by the Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
. A modern bungalow
Bungalow
A bungalow is a type of house, with varying meanings across the world. Common features to many of these definitions include being detached, low-rise , and the use of verandahs...
, described as "wildly inappropriate", was built on the site in the 1960s.
Redevelopment
In May 2000, the estate was purchased by the Duchy of Cornwall as part of its acquisition of property owned by Prudential plcPrudential plc
Prudential plc is a multinational financial services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom.Prudential's largest division is Prudential Corporation Asia, which has over 15 million customers across 13 Asian markets and is a top-three provider of life insurance in mainland China, Hong...
. In 2003, plans were prepared for what the Duchy described as a "rural regeneration project", involving the restoration of three groups of buildings at Home Farm, Grange Farm and Harewood Park itself, at an estimated cost of £8-9 million. The architect is Craig Hamilton. Home Farm and Craig Farm are intended to be developed as cottages and workshops. Overall, the intention was to undertake restoration on the basis of principles of environmental sustainability
Sustainability
Sustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...
, and including the use of local sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
from a reopened local quarry, and locally sourced timber. New woodland was to be planted, and schemes were included to retain water run-off and filter sewage in reed filtration beds. Prince Charles
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
is reportedly personally involved in details of the scheme.
The Duchy's website states:
"When complete the project will consist of a replacement principal dwelling as a focal point of the estate, the restoration of a Grade II listed stable block and former chapel together with the sympathetic rebuilding of eight additional dwellings linked with more than 10000 square feet (929 m²) of high quality offices offering a combination of residential and workplace facilities for up to 100 people."The new house will be built on the site of the historic house. Three possible designs have been drawn up for the replacement house, for which outline planning consent was granted by Herefordshire Council
Herefordshire Council
Herefordshire Council is the local government authority for the county of Herefordshire in England. It is a unitary authority.It is a relatively new council, formed on 1 April 1998 following the split of Hereford and Worcester back into two separate counties.It is currently run by Conservatives. It...
in 2007. The agreed proposal is for a six-bedroom house, considerably scaled down from the original designs put forward in 2004. The proposed design is intended to echo that of existing stable blocks on the site, with arches influenced by the designs of Sir John Soane. According to Hamilton:
"Three designs have been prepared for the site and two of these have received planning consent. The first design refers to the work of SchinkelKarl Friedrich SchinkelKarl Friedrich Schinkel was a Prussian architect, city planner, and painter who also designed furniture and stage sets. Schinkel was one of the most prominent architects of Germany and designed both neoclassical and neogothic buildings.-Biography:Schinkel was born in Neuruppin, Margraviate of...
in PotsdamPotsdamPotsdam is the capital city of the German federal state of Brandenburg and part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. It is situated on the River Havel, southwest of Berlin city centre....
. The second is a synthesis of Greek and Roman references. The third design has developed out of the triumphal arch motif which is repeated in the design of the surviving early 19th century stables on the site. The new house is to be built out of local sandstone quarried on the Estate."
Media speculation
Although to date the Duchy of Cornwall have denied that the new house will be the home of any member of the royal familyBritish Royal Family
The British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The term is also commonly applied to the same group of people as the relations of the monarch in her or his role as sovereign of any of the other Commonwealth realms, thus sometimes at variance with...
, there has been local and national speculation that the house will become the main residence of Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. The Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
stated in November 2010 that "after William finishes his three-year stint with the RAF he and Kate are expected to move into a six-bedroom house his father has had built at Harewood Park", and the Hereford Times
Hereford Times
The Hereford Times is a weekly tabloid newspaper published every Thursday in Hereford, England. Its offices are based in Holmer Road. The editor is Fiona Phillips...
has also described it as their "potential home".