Orchardleigh Estate
Encyclopedia
Orchardleigh is a country estate in Somerset
, approximately two miles north of Frome
, and on the southern edge of the village of Lullington
. It comprises a Victorian
stately home, an island church
, and an 18-hole golf course
. Various accommodation is provided, both in the house itself and at adjacent lodges and cottages in the extensive grounds.
The Church of St Mary
dates from the 13th century and is Grade I listed.
The parish was part of the hundred of Frome
.
The old mansion was just south of the church. Its heyday was the time of Thomas Champneys (1st Bt.; High Sheriff of Somerset 1775–1776), but all that remains of that period is the boathouse, rotunda, the Lullington gateway and the 1820s Tudor lodges. It was demolished and the present house built in 1856 by Thomas Henry Wyatt
for William Duckworth. The new house is described by Pevsner as "picturesque, irregular, and in a mixed Elizabethan style", and is a Grade II* listed building.
In 1986 the last male Duckworth descendant died, and work started on redevelopment, after the sale of the furniture and fixtures. The developer’s loans were called in by the bank in 1989 and work ceased for 13 years before it restarted to build the current hotels and golf courses.
The boathouse is included in the Buildings at Risk Register produced by English Heritage
. The estate also contains a bridge incorporating a sluice, a semicircular bridge, a garden house, a keepers lodge and a stables and coachhouse, which all date from the same period as the main house and are also listed buildings.
Within the grounds, which were landscaped – possibly by Humphrey Repton – and are included in the Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England
, is the Wood Lodge Summerhouse.
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...
, approximately two miles north of Frome
Frome
Frome is a town and civil parish in northeast Somerset, England. Located at the eastern end of the Mendip Hills, the town is built on uneven high ground, and centres around the River Frome. The town is approximately south of Bath, east of the county town, Taunton and west of London. In the 2001...
, and on the southern edge of the village of Lullington
Lullington, Somerset
Lullington is a village and civil parish just across the Mells River from Beckington and north east of Frome, in the Mendip district of Somerset, England.The parish includes the hamlet of Laverton, where the Church of St...
. It comprises a Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
stately home, an island church
Orchardleigh Lake
Orchardleigh Lake is an 11.23-hectare artificial lake in the grounds of the Orchardleigh Estate, just north of Frome, Somerset, England. It was formed by damming a tributary of the River Frome. Today, the lake is used for angling, and also birdwatching.There is a small island towards the western...
, and an 18-hole golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
. Various accommodation is provided, both in the house itself and at adjacent lodges and cottages in the extensive grounds.
The Church of St Mary
Church of St Mary, Orchardlea
The Church of St Mary sits on an island in the 11.23-hectare artificial Orchardleigh Lake in the grounds of the Orchardleigh Estate within the parish of Lullington, Somerset, England. It was built in the 13th century, and underwent extensive restoration by Sir George Gilbert Scott, for the Rev. W....
dates from the 13th century and is Grade I listed.
The parish was part of the hundred of Frome
Frome (hundred)
The Hundred of Frome is one of the 40 historical Hundreds in the ceremonial county of Somerset, England, dating from before the Norman conquest during the Anglo-Saxon era although exact dates are unknown. Each hundred had a 'fyrd', which acted as the local defence force and a court which was...
.
The old mansion was just south of the church. Its heyday was the time of Thomas Champneys (1st Bt.; High Sheriff of Somerset 1775–1776), but all that remains of that period is the boathouse, rotunda, the Lullington gateway and the 1820s Tudor lodges. It was demolished and the present house built in 1856 by Thomas Henry Wyatt
Thomas Henry Wyatt
Thomas Henry Wyatt was an Irish British architect. He had a prolific and distinguished career, being elected President of the Royal Institute of British Architects 1870-73 and awarded their Royal Gold Medal for Architecture in 1873...
for William Duckworth. The new house is described by Pevsner as "picturesque, irregular, and in a mixed Elizabethan style", and is a Grade II* listed building.
In 1986 the last male Duckworth descendant died, and work started on redevelopment, after the sale of the furniture and fixtures. The developer’s loans were called in by the bank in 1989 and work ceased for 13 years before it restarted to build the current hotels and golf courses.
The boathouse is included in the Buildings at Risk Register produced by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
. The estate also contains a bridge incorporating a sluice, a semicircular bridge, a garden house, a keepers lodge and a stables and coachhouse, which all date from the same period as the main house and are also listed buildings.
Within the grounds, which were landscaped – possibly by Humphrey Repton – and are included in the Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England
National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens
In England, the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of special historic interest in England provides a listing and classification system for historic parks and gardens similar to that used for listed buildings. The register is managed by English Heritage under the provisions of the National...
, is the Wood Lodge Summerhouse.