Piercefield House
Encyclopedia
Piercefield House is a largely ruined neo-classical
country house designed by Sir John Soane, located near Chepstow
in Monmouthshire
, south east Wales
. Its extensive surrounding park overlooking the Wye Valley
includes Chepstow Racecourse
. The house is now but a shell, along with its extensive stable block, and a mere shadow of its former glory.
of St. Pierre
. The land was owned by the influential Walter family from medieval times until the 18th century. Local historians report an enlargement of the existing house under John Walter in the 1630s, and a later extension around 1700 is believed to have been the work of William Talman
, also responsible for Chatsworth House
.
In 1727, the estate was sold for £3,366, 5.6d to Thomas Rous of Wotton-under-Edge
. His son then sold it again in 1740, for £8,250, to Colonel Valentine Morris. Morris (c 1678-1743) was born in Antigua
, the son of a sugar planter and merchant, and is thought to have been descended from the Walter family.
The estate was then inherited by his son, also Valentine Morris
(1727–1789), who began living at Piercefield with his family in 1753. At this time, tourism in the Wye valley
was in its infancy. Morris soon added to the magnificent splendour of the estate and its setting, by landscaping the parkland, with the help of Richard Owen Cambridge
in the fashionable style of Capability Brown
. The work was largely undertaken by architect Charles Howells and builder William Knowles of Chepstow, who had also undertaken work at nearby Tintern
for the Duke of Beaufort
. Piercefield was developed into a park of national reputation, as one of the earliest examples of Picturesque
landscaping. Morris laid out walks through the woodland, and included a grotto, druid’s temple, bathing house and giant’s cave. He also developed viewpoints along the clifftop above the River Wye
, and opened the park up to visitors. One of the many tourists to marvel at this view was the poet Coleridge
, who wrote: "Oh what a godly scene....The whole world seemed imaged in its vast circumference". The scientist and traveller Joseph Banks
wrote: "I am more and more convinced that it is far the most beautiful place I ever saw".
In the 1770s Valentine Morris's gambling, business and political dealings bankrupted him, and he was forced to leave his beloved Piercefield and set sail for the West Indies. In 1785, Piercefield was sold again, for £26,200, to George Smith, a Durham
banker. Smith continued to open the walks, but straightened some of them. He also commissioned a young architect
, John Soane – later to become famous as the benefactor of the London institution which now bears his name - to design a new mansion
in the neo-classical
style, which would incorporate Morris’ house. Work began in 1792, and the new three-storey stone building had reached roof level when Smith found himself in financial difficulties. He sold Piercefield in 1794 to Colonel Mark Wood, MP
for Newark-on-Trent
, who continued and modified the work with architect Joseph Bonomi
, incorporating a Doric
portico
and wings, and commissioning the long stone wall which now runs along the edge of the estate. Wood was also the owner of Llanthony Priory
.
In 1802, Wood in turn sold the house and estate to Nathaniel Wells
, for £90,000 cash. Wells was born in St. Kitts, the son of William Wells a sugar
merchant and planter originally from Cardiff
, and Juggy, one of his house slaves. With his inherited fortune Nathaniel continued to add to the Piercefield estate until it reached almost 3,000 acres (12 km²). In 1818 he became Britain's only known black sheriff when he was appointed Sheriff of Monmouthshire.
It is rumoured that Admiral Nelson spent a night at Piercefield House on one of his visits to Monmouthshire
. Nelson was closely connected to the town of Monmouth through his mistress Lady Hamilton. It is possible that he stayed in the summer of 1802 with his lover Emma Hamilton and her elderly husband Sir William Hamilton
, on a journey to a friend's Pembrokeshire estate via Monmouth
and Kymin Hill.
In 1848, Samuel Lewis' Topographical Dictionary of England (sic) described Piercefield in the following terms:
Wells left the area in the 1840s and his tenants closed the walks to the public. After Wells' death, the estate was leased to John Russell( 1788–1873, High Sheriff of Monmouthshire 1855),who owned the neighbouring estate of Wyelands. In 1855 Russell bought the estate. The walks were occasionally reopened to the public, but for a charge. Around this time suggestions were made in the national press that the estate would be a suitable residence for the Prince of Wales
. However, following the explosion at his Risca
Blackvein Colliery, Russell sold the estate in 1861 to Henry Clay, a banker and brewer from Burton-on-Trent, and returned to Terhill House in Gloucestershire
. In 1874 the estate passed to Clay's eldest son, also Henry Clay, who lived there until his death in 1921 aged 96.
The Clay family then sold the house and much of the estate to the Chepstow Racecourse Company
(of which the Directors were all members of the Clay family), who opened the new racecourse there in 1926. The house, already in a poor state of repair, was abandoned and stripped, gradually decaying to its current ruinous condition, with just the main walls still standing. It was allegedly used for target practice in the Second World War by US troops. The woods overlooking the river became established as a nature reserve, and footpaths which now form part of the Wye Valley Walk
were reopened in the 1970s.
Plans to develop the site as a hotel or outdoor pursuits centre have so far been unfulfilled. The estate was, however, sold in 2006.
The Estate was again placed up for sale in September 2009 by Jackson-Stops & Staff, Estate Agents, with an asking price of £2 million. It reportedly had planning
and Listed building consent for the restoration of the house, stable block and kitchen gardens, together with their associated cottages.
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
country house designed by Sir John Soane, located near Chepstow
Chepstow
Chepstow is a town in Monmouthshire, Wales, adjoining the border with Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the River Wye, close to its confluence with the River Severn, and close to the western end of the Severn Bridge on the M48 motorway...
in Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire is a county in south east Wales. The name derives from the historic county of Monmouthshire which covered a much larger area. The largest town is Abergavenny. There are many castles in Monmouthshire .-Historic county:...
, south east Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. Its extensive surrounding park overlooking the Wye Valley
Wye Valley
The Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an internationally important protected landscape straddling the border between England and Wales. It is one of the most dramatic and scenic landscape areas in southern Britain....
includes Chepstow Racecourse
Chepstow Racecourse
Chepstow Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located just outside the town of Chepstow in Monmouthshire, Wales, near the southern end of the Wye Valley which forms the border with England...
. The house is now but a shell, along with its extensive stable block, and a mere shadow of its former glory.
History
Records since the 14th century refer variously to Peerfield, Peersfield, Persfield and Piersfield, the area taking its name, according to some sources, from the nearby manorManor 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...
of St. Pierre
St. Pierre, Monmouthshire
St Pierre is a former parish and hamlet in Monmouthshire, south east Wales, 3 miles south west of Chepstow and adjacent to the Severn estuary. It is now the site of a large golf and country club, the Marriott St Pierre Hotel & Country Club, which was previously a large manor house and deer park...
. The land was owned by the influential Walter family from medieval times until the 18th century. Local historians report an enlargement of the existing house under John Walter in the 1630s, and a later extension around 1700 is believed to have been the work of William Talman
William Talman (architect)
William Talman was an English architect and landscape designer. A pupil of Sir Christopher Wren, in 1678 he and Thomas Apprice gained the office of King's Waiter in the Port of London...
, also responsible for Chatsworth House
Chatsworth House
Chatsworth House is a stately home in North Derbyshire, England, northeast of Bakewell and west of Chesterfield . It is the seat of the Duke of Devonshire, and has been home to his family, the Cavendish family, since Bess of Hardwick settled at Chatsworth in 1549.Standing on the east bank of the...
.
In 1727, the estate was sold for £3,366, 5.6d to Thomas Rous of Wotton-under-Edge
Wotton-under-Edge
Wotton-under-Edge is a market town within the Stroud district of Gloucestershire, England. Located near the southern end of the Cotswolds, the Cotswold Way long-distance footpath passes through the town. Standing on the B4058 Wotton is about from the M5 motorway. The nearest railway station is...
. His son then sold it again in 1740, for £8,250, to Colonel Valentine Morris. Morris (c 1678-1743) was born in Antigua
Antigua
Antigua , also known as Waladli, is an island in the West Indies, in the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region, the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua means "ancient" in Spanish and was named by Christopher Columbus after an icon in Seville Cathedral, Santa Maria de la...
, the son of a sugar planter and merchant, and is thought to have been descended from the Walter family.
The estate was then inherited by his son, also Valentine Morris
Valentine Morris
Valentine Morris was a British landowner born in Antigua in the West Indies, who was responsible for developing the picturesque woodland walks at Piercefield in the Wye valley and later became Governor of St...
(1727–1789), who began living at Piercefield with his family in 1753. At this time, tourism in the Wye valley
Wye Valley
The Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an internationally important protected landscape straddling the border between England and Wales. It is one of the most dramatic and scenic landscape areas in southern Britain....
was in its infancy. Morris soon added to the magnificent splendour of the estate and its setting, by landscaping the parkland, with the help of Richard Owen Cambridge
Richard Owen Cambridge
Richard Owen Cambridge was a British poet.Cambridge was born in London. He was educated at Eton and at St John's College, Oxford. Leaving the university without taking a degree, he took up residence at Lincolns Inn in 1737. Four years later he married, and went to live at his country seat of...
in the fashionable style of Capability Brown
Capability Brown
Lancelot Brown , more commonly known as Capability Brown, was an English landscape architect. He is remembered as "the last of the great English eighteenth-century artists to be accorded his due", and "England's greatest gardener". He designed over 170 parks, many of which still endure...
. The work was largely undertaken by architect Charles Howells and builder William Knowles of Chepstow, who had also undertaken work at nearby Tintern
Tintern
Tintern is a village on the west bank of the River Wye in Monmouthshire, Wales, close to the border with England, about 5 miles north of Chepstow...
for the Duke of Beaufort
Charles Somerset, 4th Duke of Beaufort
Charles Noel Somerset, 4th Duke of Beaufort was the younger son of Henry Somerset, 2nd Duke of Beaufort, and his second wife, Rachel Noel. Because his brother had no issue, on 24 February 1746, on his brother's death, he succeeded him and became 4th Duke of Beaufort, the 12th Lord Herbert, and the...
. Piercefield was developed into a park of national reputation, as one of the earliest examples of Picturesque
Picturesque
Picturesque is an aesthetic ideal introduced into English cultural debate in 1782 by William Gilpin in Observations on the River Wye, and Several Parts of South Wales, etc. Relative Chiefly to Picturesque Beauty; made in the Summer of the Year 1770, a practical book which instructed England's...
landscaping. Morris laid out walks through the woodland, and included a grotto, druid’s temple, bathing house and giant’s cave. He also developed viewpoints along the clifftop above the River Wye
River Wye
The River Wye is the fifth-longest river in the UK and for parts of its length forms part of the border between England and Wales. It is important for nature conservation and recreation.-Description:...
, and opened the park up to visitors. One of the many tourists to marvel at this view was the poet Coleridge
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Samuel Taylor Coleridge was an English poet, Romantic, literary critic and philosopher who, with his friend William Wordsworth, was a founder of the Romantic Movement in England and a member of the Lake Poets. He is probably best known for his poems The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Kubla...
, who wrote: "Oh what a godly scene....The whole world seemed imaged in its vast circumference". The scientist and traveller Joseph Banks
Joseph Banks
Sir Joseph Banks, 1st Baronet, GCB, PRS was an English naturalist, botanist and patron of the natural sciences. He took part in Captain James Cook's first great voyage . Banks is credited with the introduction to the Western world of eucalyptus, acacia, mimosa and the genus named after him,...
wrote: "I am more and more convinced that it is far the most beautiful place I ever saw".
In the 1770s Valentine Morris's gambling, business and political dealings bankrupted him, and he was forced to leave his beloved Piercefield and set sail for the West Indies. In 1785, Piercefield was sold again, for £26,200, to George Smith, a Durham
Durham
Durham is a city in north east England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county...
banker. Smith continued to open the walks, but straightened some of them. He also commissioned a young architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
, John Soane – later to become famous as the benefactor of the London institution which now bears his name - to design a new mansion
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
in the neo-classical
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
style, which would incorporate Morris’ house. Work began in 1792, and the new three-storey stone building had reached roof level when Smith found himself in financial difficulties. He sold Piercefield in 1794 to Colonel Mark Wood, 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,...
for Newark-on-Trent
Newark-on-Trent
Newark-on-Trent is a market town in Nottinghamshire in the East Midlands region of England. It stands on the River Trent, the A1 , and the East Coast Main Line railway. The origins of the town are possibly Roman as it lies on an important Roman road, the Fosse Way...
, who continued and modified the work with architect Joseph Bonomi
Joseph Bonomi the Elder
Joseph Bonomi the Elder was an Italian architect and draughtsman notable for his activity in England.Born in Rome, he made his early reputation there, then moved to London in 1767....
, incorporating a Doric
Doric order
The Doric order was one of the three orders or organizational systems of ancient Greek or classical architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic and the Corinthian.-History:...
portico
Portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...
and wings, and commissioning the long stone wall which now runs along the edge of the estate. Wood was also the owner of Llanthony Priory
Llanthony Priory
Llanthony Priory is a partly ruined former Augustinian priory in the secluded Vale of Ewyas, a steep sided once glaciated valley within the Black Mountains area of the Brecon Beacons National Park in Monmouthshire, south east Wales. It lies seven miles north of Abergavenny on an old road to Hay...
.
In 1802, Wood in turn sold the house and estate to Nathaniel Wells
Nathaniel Wells
Nathaniel Wells , was the son of a Welsh merchant and a black slave. After inheriting his father's plantations, he became a wealthy land owner, magistrate, the second black person to hold a commission in the Armed Forces of the Crown Nathaniel Wells (10 September 1779 – 13 May 1852), was the son...
, for £90,000 cash. Wells was born in St. Kitts, the son of William Wells a sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
merchant and planter originally from Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, and Juggy, one of his house slaves. With his inherited fortune Nathaniel continued to add to the Piercefield estate until it reached almost 3,000 acres (12 km²). In 1818 he became Britain's only known black sheriff when he was appointed Sheriff of Monmouthshire.
It is rumoured that Admiral Nelson spent a night at Piercefield House on one of his visits to Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire is a county in south east Wales. The name derives from the historic county of Monmouthshire which covered a much larger area. The largest town is Abergavenny. There are many castles in Monmouthshire .-Historic county:...
. Nelson was closely connected to the town of Monmouth through his mistress Lady Hamilton. It is possible that he stayed in the summer of 1802 with his lover Emma Hamilton and her elderly husband Sir William Hamilton
William Hamilton (diplomat)
Sir William Hamilton KB, PC, FRS was a Scottish diplomat, antiquarian, archaeologist and vulcanologist. After a short period as a Member of Parliament, he served as British Ambassador to the Kingdom of Naples from 1764 to 1800...
, on a journey to a friend's Pembrokeshire estate via Monmouth
Monmouth
Monmouth is a town in southeast Wales and traditional county town of the historic county of Monmouthshire. It is situated close to the border with England, where the River Monnow meets the River Wye with bridges over both....
and Kymin Hill.
In 1848, Samuel Lewis' Topographical Dictionary of England (sic) described Piercefield in the following terms:
From Piercefield Park, a splendid seat, the views are remarkably magnificent, and embrace numerous reaches of the Wye, the Severn, and a great range of the surrounding country. The mansion, situated on an eminence, in the midst of fine plantations, is a superb elevation of freestone, consisting of a centre and two wings, and much admired for its tasteful architecture: on the spacious staircase are four beautiful pieces of Gobelin tapestryGobelins manufactoryThe Manufacture des Gobelins is a tapestry factory located in Paris, France, at 42 avenue des Gobelins, near the Les Gobelins métro station in the XIIIe arrondissement...
which belonged to Louis XVI, representing subjects in the natural history of Africa.
Wells left the area in the 1840s and his tenants closed the walks to the public. After Wells' death, the estate was leased to John Russell( 1788–1873, High Sheriff of Monmouthshire 1855),who owned the neighbouring estate of Wyelands. In 1855 Russell bought the estate. The walks were occasionally reopened to the public, but for a charge. Around this time suggestions were made in the national press that the estate would be a suitable residence for the Prince of Wales
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
. However, following the explosion at his Risca
Risca
Risca is a town of approximately 11,500 people in South Wales, within the Caerphilly County Borough and the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. It is today part of the Newport conurbation , though it is not a Ward of Newport City Council...
Blackvein Colliery, Russell sold the estate in 1861 to Henry Clay, a banker and brewer from Burton-on-Trent, and returned to Terhill House 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....
. In 1874 the estate passed to Clay's eldest son, also Henry Clay, who lived there until his death in 1921 aged 96.
The Clay family then sold the house and much of the estate to the Chepstow Racecourse Company
Chepstow Racecourse
Chepstow Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located just outside the town of Chepstow in Monmouthshire, Wales, near the southern end of the Wye Valley which forms the border with England...
(of which the Directors were all members of the Clay family), who opened the new racecourse there in 1926. The house, already in a poor state of repair, was abandoned and stripped, gradually decaying to its current ruinous condition, with just the main walls still standing. It was allegedly used for target practice in the Second World War by US troops. The woods overlooking the river became established as a nature reserve, and footpaths which now form part of the Wye Valley Walk
Wye Valley Walk
The Wye Valley Walk is a long distance footpath in Wales and England following the course of the River Wye .-Distance:The whole route now that it has been extended runs for 136 miles .-The route:...
were reopened in the 1970s.
Plans to develop the site as a hotel or outdoor pursuits centre have so far been unfulfilled. The estate was, however, sold in 2006.
The Estate was again placed up for sale in September 2009 by Jackson-Stops & Staff, Estate Agents, with an asking price of £2 million. It reportedly had planning
Planning permission
Planning permission or planning consent is the permission required in the United Kingdom in order to be allowed to build on land, or change the use of land or buildings. Within the UK the occupier of any land or building will need title to that land or building , but will also need "planning...
and Listed building consent for the restoration of the house, stable block and kitchen gardens, together with their associated cottages.
External links
- Piercefield Park website
- More information about Nathaniel Wells
- Archaeological survey of Piercefield link broken try instead: http://en.academic.ru/dic.nsf/enwiki/803182
- Article on sale of estate
- Property for sale details