Milton Hall
Encyclopedia
Milton Hall is the largest private house in Cambridgeshire
, England, and formerly a part of Northamptonshire
. It dates from 1594, being the historical home of the Fitzwilliam family
, and is situated in an extensive park in which some original oak trees from an earlier Tudor
Deer Park survive.
city centre, off the A47
main road and are of about 14 hectares to the south of the house. There are views to the park from both sides of the house. The house and grounds are private and not open to the public, however, Peterborough Milton Golf Club has a par 71 parkland course set in the grounds of the estate, with many of the holes being played in full view of Milton Hall.
, now a nearby village. The manor of Milton was bought from Robert Wittlebury in 1502 by William Fitzwilliam, a wealthy merchant from an old Yorkshire family. He was knighted in 1522 and died in 1534.
The oldest parts of the Hall were built in the 1590s by William's grandson, the third William Fitzwilliam and Lord Deputy of Ireland, who also began to lay out grounds. He was succeeded in 1599 by his son, the fourth William, who continued to work on the Hall and possibly developed the landscape. On his death in 1618 he was succeeded by his son, later the first Baron Fitzwilliam, whose granddaughter Jane married Sir Christopher Wren. A plan dated 1643 records the grounds at this time enclosed by a moat and containing courtyards, fishponds, orchards and gardens.
The third Baron was elevated to Viscount Milton and Earl Fitzwilliam and it was he who added the imposing stables in about 1690, choosing William Talman and John Sturges as his architects. John Fitzwilliam, the second Earl succeeded in 1719 and the following year completed an extension to the stable block and continued the work his father had started on enlarging the park and altering the gardens to the south of the Hall to include the walled enclosures which still survive.
John's son William, the third Earl, married Lady Anne Wentworth, daughter of the first Marquess of Rockingham. In 1750, after abortive projects commissioned by his grandfather and father from Talman, Gibbs and Brettingham for modernising the Hall, the third Earl engaged Lord Rockingham's architect Henry Flitcroft to begin the process and a new south front was added. Following the death of the third Earl in 1756, the work on the Hall was completed by Sir William Chambers for his son William, the fourth Earl, in 1773. In 1782, however, the fourth Earl succeeded to Wentworth Woodhouse
on the death of his uncle the second Lord Rockingham, and this became his principal seat, the family moving to Milton only in the winter for the hunting. To facilitate this he commissioned Humphry Repton (1752–1818) to offer advice on improvements to the park in 1791.
The fourth Earl died in 1833 at the age of 85 leaving his properties to his only son, Lord Milton. With Wentworth Woodhouse the principal seat of the family, the fifth Earl left Milton to his younger son, George Wentworth Fitzwilliam, in 1857. George lived at Milton until after 1912 and is thought to have commissioned Harold Peto to produce plans for a garden within one of the 18th century walled enclosures.
The Hall was used by the military during both world wars. During the second, part of the house and the stable block were occupied by the Czech
army and later Special Operations Executive
who trained in the grounds and woods prior to being dropped by parachute behind enemy lines in France in the days leading up to the Normandy landings. After the war, Lord and Lady Fitzwilliam returned to Milton to make it their home. The Earl died in 1979 and the Countess in 1995, at which time the estate passed to Sir Philip Naylor-Leyland.
William Thomas George, tenth Earl Fitzwilliam (28 May 1904 - 21 Sept 1979) married, in April 1956, Joyce Elizabeth, Lady FitzAlan-Howard (1898 - June 1995). By her previous marriage in 1922 to Viscount FitxAlan of Derwent (dissolved 1955), there were two daughters The younger was Elizabeth Anne Marie Gabrielle (26 Jan 1934 - 20 March 1997) who married firstly in 1952, Sir Vivyan Edward Naylor-Leyland (1924 - 2 Sept 1987). They had a son and heir, Philip Vivyan Naylor-Leyland (b.9 Aug 1953) who succeeded his father as baronet in 1987, and his grandmother and mother to the stewardship of the Fitzwilliam estates. He married, in 1980, Lady Isabella Lambton. Elizabeth-Anne's first marriage was dissolved in 1960 and she married, secondly, in 1975, Sir Stephen Hastings
(b.4 May 1921 d. January 2005).
Margaret Thatcher
and her husband Denis were at dinner with Sir Stephen and his wife Elizabeth Anne at Milton when the butler
entered to ask the Prime Minister to the telephone, by which Margaret was informed of Argentina
's invasion of the British South Atlantic island of South Georgia, which marks the start of the Falklands War
. Exactly two weeks later on Friday, 2 April the Argentines invaded the Falklands.
made the first of several visits to Milton at the age of ten along with her mother and two sisters. It is clear from correspondence in later life between du Maurier and the 10th Earl that the happiness and freedom experienced during these childhood visits made an enormous impact on the future writer which she never forgot. She told Lord Fitzwilliam that when she wrote Rebecca
20 years later, the interior of Manderley
was based on her recollection of the rooms and ‘big house feel’ of Milton in World War One, and referred to Milton in a letter to the last Lord Fitzwilliam as "dear old Milton."
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
, England, and formerly a part of Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
. It dates from 1594, being the historical home of the Fitzwilliam family
Earl FitzWilliam
Earl Fitzwilliam was a title in both the Peerage of Ireland and the Peerage of Great Britain held by the head of the Fitzwilliam family. This family claim descent from William the Conqueror. The Fitzwilliams acquired extensive holdings in South Yorkshire, largely through strategic alliances through...
, and is situated in an extensive park in which some original oak trees from an earlier Tudor
Tudor dynasty
The Tudor dynasty or House of Tudor was a European royal house of Welsh origin that ruled the Kingdom of England and its realms, including the Lordship of Ireland, later the Kingdom of Ireland, from 1485 until 1603. Its first monarch was Henry Tudor, a descendant through his mother of a legitimised...
Deer Park survive.
Location
The gardens and pleasure grounds of Milton Park are about three miles from PeterboroughPeterborough
Peterborough is a cathedral city and unitary authority area in the East of England, with an estimated population of in June 2007. For ceremonial purposes it is in the county of Cambridgeshire. Situated north of London, the city stands on the River Nene which flows into the North Sea...
city centre, off the A47
A47 road
The A47 is a trunk road in England originally linking Birmingham to Great Yarmouth. Most of the section between Birmingham and Nuneaton is now classified as the B4114.-Route:...
main road and are of about 14 hectares to the south of the house. There are views to the park from both sides of the house. The house and grounds are private and not open to the public, however, Peterborough Milton Golf Club has a par 71 parkland course set in the grounds of the estate, with many of the holes being played in full view of Milton Hall.
History
In the Middle Ages, Milton was a hamlet in the parish of CastorCastor, Cambridgeshire
Castor is a village and civil parish in the City of Peterborough unitary authority, about west of the city centre. The parish is part of the former Soke of Peterborough, which was considered part of Northamptonshire but was more recently part of Cambridgeshire.-History:Castor's toponym is derived...
, now a nearby village. The manor of Milton was bought from Robert Wittlebury in 1502 by William Fitzwilliam, a wealthy merchant from an old Yorkshire family. He was knighted in 1522 and died in 1534.
The oldest parts of the Hall were built in the 1590s by William's grandson, the third William Fitzwilliam and Lord Deputy of Ireland, who also began to lay out grounds. He was succeeded in 1599 by his son, the fourth William, who continued to work on the Hall and possibly developed the landscape. On his death in 1618 he was succeeded by his son, later the first Baron Fitzwilliam, whose granddaughter Jane married Sir Christopher Wren. A plan dated 1643 records the grounds at this time enclosed by a moat and containing courtyards, fishponds, orchards and gardens.
The third Baron was elevated to Viscount Milton and Earl Fitzwilliam and it was he who added the imposing stables in about 1690, choosing William Talman and John Sturges as his architects. John Fitzwilliam, the second Earl succeeded in 1719 and the following year completed an extension to the stable block and continued the work his father had started on enlarging the park and altering the gardens to the south of the Hall to include the walled enclosures which still survive.
John's son William, the third Earl, married Lady Anne Wentworth, daughter of the first Marquess of Rockingham. In 1750, after abortive projects commissioned by his grandfather and father from Talman, Gibbs and Brettingham for modernising the Hall, the third Earl engaged Lord Rockingham's architect Henry Flitcroft to begin the process and a new south front was added. Following the death of the third Earl in 1756, the work on the Hall was completed by Sir William Chambers for his son William, the fourth Earl, in 1773. In 1782, however, the fourth Earl succeeded to Wentworth Woodhouse
Wentworth Woodhouse
Wentworth Woodhouse is a Grade I listed country house near the village of Wentworth, in the vicinity of Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England. "One of the great Whig political palaces", its East Front, long, is the longest country house façade in Europe. The house includes 365 rooms and covers an...
on the death of his uncle the second Lord Rockingham, and this became his principal seat, the family moving to Milton only in the winter for the hunting. To facilitate this he commissioned Humphry Repton (1752–1818) to offer advice on improvements to the park in 1791.
The fourth Earl died in 1833 at the age of 85 leaving his properties to his only son, Lord Milton. With Wentworth Woodhouse the principal seat of the family, the fifth Earl left Milton to his younger son, George Wentworth Fitzwilliam, in 1857. George lived at Milton until after 1912 and is thought to have commissioned Harold Peto to produce plans for a garden within one of the 18th century walled enclosures.
The Hall was used by the military during both world wars. During the second, part of the house and the stable block were occupied by the Czech
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
army and later Special Operations Executive
Special Operations Executive
The Special Operations Executive was a World War II organisation of the United Kingdom. It was officially formed by Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton on 22 July 1940, to conduct guerrilla warfare against the Axis powers and to instruct and aid local...
who trained in the grounds and woods prior to being dropped by parachute behind enemy lines in France in the days leading up to the Normandy landings. After the war, Lord and Lady Fitzwilliam returned to Milton to make it their home. The Earl died in 1979 and the Countess in 1995, at which time the estate passed to Sir Philip Naylor-Leyland.
William Thomas George, tenth Earl Fitzwilliam (28 May 1904 - 21 Sept 1979) married, in April 1956, Joyce Elizabeth, Lady FitzAlan-Howard (1898 - June 1995). By her previous marriage in 1922 to Viscount FitxAlan of Derwent (dissolved 1955), there were two daughters The younger was Elizabeth Anne Marie Gabrielle (26 Jan 1934 - 20 March 1997) who married firstly in 1952, Sir Vivyan Edward Naylor-Leyland (1924 - 2 Sept 1987). They had a son and heir, Philip Vivyan Naylor-Leyland (b.9 Aug 1953) who succeeded his father as baronet in 1987, and his grandmother and mother to the stewardship of the Fitzwilliam estates. He married, in 1980, Lady Isabella Lambton. Elizabeth-Anne's first marriage was dissolved in 1960 and she married, secondly, in 1975, Sir Stephen Hastings
Stephen Hastings
Sir Stephen Lewis Edmonstone Hastings, Kt, MC, MFH, was a war hero, former MI6 operative, Master of Foxhounds, author, painter, sculptor, and British Conservative Party politician who was elected as Member of Parliament for Mid Bedfordshire in a 1960 by-election caused by the elevation to the...
(b.4 May 1921 d. January 2005).
Link to Margaret Thatcher
In Friday, 19 March 1982, Prime MinisterPrime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
and her husband Denis were at dinner with Sir Stephen and his wife Elizabeth Anne at Milton when the butler
Butler
A butler is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantry. Some also have charge of the entire parlour floor, and housekeepers caring for the entire house and its...
entered to ask the Prime Minister to the telephone, by which Margaret was informed of Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
's invasion of the British South Atlantic island of South Georgia, which marks the start of the Falklands War
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
. Exactly two weeks later on Friday, 2 April the Argentines invaded the Falklands.
Link to Daphne du Maurier
In 1917 Daphne du MaurierDaphne du Maurier
Dame Daphne du Maurier, Lady Browning DBE was a British author and playwright.Many of her works have been adapted into films, including the novels Rebecca and Jamaica Inn and the short stories "The Birds" and "Don't Look Now". The first three were directed by Alfred Hitchcock.Her elder sister was...
made the first of several visits to Milton at the age of ten along with her mother and two sisters. It is clear from correspondence in later life between du Maurier and the 10th Earl that the happiness and freedom experienced during these childhood visits made an enormous impact on the future writer which she never forgot. She told Lord Fitzwilliam that when she wrote Rebecca
Rebecca (novel)
Rebecca is a novel by Daphne du Maurier. When Rebecca was published in 1938, du Maurier became – to her great surprise – one of the most popular authors of the day. Rebecca is considered to be one of her best works...
20 years later, the interior of Manderley
Manderley
Manderley is the fictional estate of the character Maxim de Winter, and it plays a central part in Daphne du Maurier's 1938 novel, Rebecca, and in the film adaptation by Alfred Hitchcock...
was based on her recollection of the rooms and ‘big house feel’ of Milton in World War One, and referred to Milton in a letter to the last Lord Fitzwilliam as "dear old Milton."