Nether Lypiatt Manor
Encyclopedia
Nether Lypiatt Manor is a compact, neo-Classical manor house
situated in the parish of Thrupp, near Stroud
in Gloucestershire
. It was formerly the country home of Prince
and Princess Michael of Kent
.
as perfectly exemplifying the early eighteenth-century formal house in miniature. It comprises four floors, including a tall basement and an attic floor. Inside, much of the early eighteenth-century panelling survives, as do original stone fireplaces. A fine staircase runs from basement to attic.
The house, in 35 acres (14 ha) of grounds, has four reception rooms, eight bedrooms, and four bathrooms.
The grounds have recently been re-developed with a series of new gardens, including a refurbished traditional flower garden in keeping with the original arts and crafts backbone of vistas and hedges.
, Williamsburg, Virginia
, United States of America, built only a few years later.
ist Violet Gordon-Woodhouse
, who lived there with her husband and three lovers.
it was purchased by the businessman and Labour Life Peer Lord Drayson
for £5.75 million.
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
situated in the parish of Thrupp, near Stroud
Stroud, Gloucestershire
Stroud is a market town and civil parish in the county of Gloucestershire, England. It is the main town in Stroud District.Situated below the western escarpment of the Cotswold Hills at the meeting point of the Five Valleys, the town is noted for its steep streets and cafe culture...
in Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
. It was formerly the country home of Prince
Prince Michael of Kent
Prince Michael of Kent is a grandson of King George V and Queen Mary, making him a cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. He is also the first cousin once removed of Prince Phillip. Prince Michael occasionally carries out royal duties representing the Queen at some functions in Commonwealth realms outside...
and Princess Michael of Kent
Princess Michael of Kent
Princess Michael of Kent is an Austrian-Hungarian member of the British Royal Family. She is married to Prince Michael of Kent, who is a grandson of King George V....
.
Description
Built in 1702–1705 by an unknown architect for Judge John Coxe, with one wing added in 1923, the small house forms a perfect square of side 46 feet (14 m), with sash windows, tall chimneys, hipped roofs and gate piers and railings. It is a Grade I listed building and has been praised by architectural historian Mark GirouardMark Girouard
Dr Mark Girouard MA, PhD, DipArch, FSA is a British architectural writer, an authority on the country house, leading architectural historian, and biographer of James Stirling.- Family life :...
as perfectly exemplifying the early eighteenth-century formal house in miniature. It comprises four floors, including a tall basement and an attic floor. Inside, much of the early eighteenth-century panelling survives, as do original stone fireplaces. A fine staircase runs from basement to attic.
The house, in 35 acres (14 ha) of grounds, has four reception rooms, eight bedrooms, and four bathrooms.
The grounds have recently been re-developed with a series of new gardens, including a refurbished traditional flower garden in keeping with the original arts and crafts backbone of vistas and hedges.
Colonial Architectural Influence
It is possible that the architecture of Nether Lypiatt Manor was inspiration for the building of the Governor’s PalaceGovernor's Palace
The Governor's Palace, home of the Colony of Virginia's Royal Governors as well as Virginia's post colonial governors, is located on Duke of Gloucester Street in Williamsburg, Virginia. It is one of the two largest buildings at Colonial Williamsburg, the other being the Capitol...
, Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg is an independent city located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, USA. As of the 2010 Census, the city had an estimated population of 14,068. It is bordered by James City County and York County, and is an independent city...
, United States of America, built only a few years later.
Past owners
For many years the manor was used as a farmhouse. Before 1980, when it was bought by Prince and Princess Michael, it had been the home of the well-known harpsichordHarpsichord
A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
ist Violet Gordon-Woodhouse
Violet Gordon-Woodhouse
Violet Gordon-Woodhouse was an acclaimed British harpsichordist and clavichordist, highly influential in bringing both instruments back into fashion.-Family:...
, who lived there with her husband and three lovers.
Sale
In 2005 Nether Lypiatt Manor was put up for sale. The agent was originally asking for offers in excess of £6 million but by February 2006 this had been amended to £5.5 million. According to the Sunday TimesThe Sunday Times (UK)
The Sunday Times is a Sunday broadsheet newspaper, distributed in the United Kingdom. The Sunday Times is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News International, which is in turn owned by News Corporation. Times Newspapers also owns The Times, but the two papers were founded...
it was purchased by the businessman and Labour Life Peer Lord Drayson
Paul Drayson, Baron Drayson
Paul Rudd Drayson, Baron Drayson PC is a British businessman, amateur racing driver and politician. He was Minister of Science in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills until May 2010, where he replaced Ian Pearson. In June 2009 he was additionally appointed as Minister of State for...
for £5.75 million.
Further reading
- Hugo Vickers. "Princely Domain," The Telegraph, 21 May 2005.
- Nicholas Mander, Country Houses of the Cotswolds (Aurum Press, 2008)Sir Nicholas Mander, 4th BaronetSir Nicholas Mander, 4th Baronet is a British baronet.He is the elder son of Charles Marcus Mander, 3rd baronet of The Mount, by Maria Dolores , née Brödermann, of Hamburg, whom he succeeded in 2006. He was educated at Downside School, Trinity College, Cambridge , and Grenoble University...