Prodigy house
Encyclopedia
The term "prodigy houses" has been applied to notable English Tudor
and Elizabethan houses, usually built with a view to housing Elizabeth I and her entourage as they travelled around her realm. Many of these are situated in the English Midlands
and were the work of architect-mason Robert Smythson
, or show his influence.
In the social and political conditions of the 16th century, it was considered essential for the English monarch to travel the country (annual "progresses"), staying at the houses of wealthy courtiers. The hosts would naturally be expected to house the monarch in style and provide sufficient accommodation for the travelling court. As a result, there was an Elizabethan building "boom", with large houses being built in the most modern styles by courtiers, wealthy from acquired monastic estates, who wished to display their wealth and status. A characteristic was the large area of glass - a new feature that superseded the need for easily defended external walls and announced the owners' wealth. Hardwick Hall
, for example was described as "... more glass than wall".
's Richmond Palace
, completed in 1501. It represented a switch in architectural innovation, from cathedrals and castles to domestic buildings. The trend continued through the reigns of Henry VIII (e.g., Hampton Court) and Elizabeth, when it reached its height.
Tudor period
The Tudor period usually refers to the period between 1485 and 1603, specifically in relation to the history of England. This coincides with the rule of the Tudor dynasty in England whose first monarch was Henry VII...
and Elizabethan houses, usually built with a view to housing Elizabeth I and her entourage as they travelled around her realm. Many of these are situated in the English Midlands
English Midlands
The Midlands, or the English Midlands, is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
and were the work of architect-mason Robert Smythson
Robert Smythson
Robert Smythson was an English architect. Smythson designed a number of notable houses during the Elizabethan era. Little is known about his birth and upbringing—his first mention in historical records comes in 1556, when he was stonemason for the house at Longleat, built by Sir John Thynne...
, or show his influence.
In the social and political conditions of the 16th century, it was considered essential for the English monarch to travel the country (annual "progresses"), staying at the houses of wealthy courtiers. The hosts would naturally be expected to house the monarch in style and provide sufficient accommodation for the travelling court. As a result, there was an Elizabethan building "boom", with large houses being built in the most modern styles by courtiers, wealthy from acquired monastic estates, who wished to display their wealth and status. A characteristic was the large area of glass - a new feature that superseded the need for easily defended external walls and announced the owners' wealth. Hardwick Hall
Hardwick Hall
Hardwick Hall , in Derbyshire, is one of the most significant Elizabethan country houses in England. In common with its architect Robert Smythson's other works at both Longleat House and Wollaton Hall, Hardwick Hall is one of the earliest examples of the English interpretation of the Renaissance...
, for example was described as "... more glass than wall".
History
The first "prodigy house" is said to be Henry VIIHenry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
's Richmond Palace
Richmond Palace
Richmond Palace was a Thameside royal residence on the right bank of the river, upstream of the Palace of Westminster, to which it lay 9 miles SW of as the crow flies. It it was erected c. 1501 within the royal manor of Sheen, by Henry VII of England, formerly known by his title Earl of Richmond,...
, completed in 1501. It represented a switch in architectural innovation, from cathedrals and castles to domestic buildings. The trend continued through the reigns of Henry VIII (e.g., Hampton Court) and Elizabeth, when it reached its height.
Examples
- Nonsuch PalaceNonsuch PalaceNonsuch Palace was a Tudor royal palace, built by Henry VIII in Surrey, England; it stood from 1538 to 1682–3. Its ruins are in Nonsuch Park.- Background :Nonsuch Palace in Surrey was perhaps the grandest of Henry VIII's building projects...
, Surrey - Burghley HouseBurghley HouseBurghley House is a grand 16th-century country house near the town of Stamford, Lincolnshire, England...
, Lincolnshire - Longleat House, Wiltshire
- Hardwick HallHardwick HallHardwick Hall , in Derbyshire, is one of the most significant Elizabethan country houses in England. In common with its architect Robert Smythson's other works at both Longleat House and Wollaton Hall, Hardwick Hall is one of the earliest examples of the English interpretation of the Renaissance...
, Derbyshire - Hengrave HallHengrave HallHengrave Hall is a Tudor manor house near Bury St. Edmunds in Suffolk, England and was the seat of the Kytson and Gage families 1525-1887. Both families were Roman Catholic Recusants.-Architecture:...
, Suffolk - Compton WynyatesCompton WynyatesCompton Wynyates is a country house in Warwickshire, England, a Grade I listed building. The Tudor period house, an example of Tudor architecture, is constructed of red brick and built around a central courtyard. It is castellated and turreted in parts. Following action in the Civil War, half...
, Warwickshire - Sutton Place, SurreySutton Place, SurreySutton Place, 3 miles NE of Guildford in Surrey is a Grade I listed Tudor manor house built c.1525 by Sir Richard Weston, courtier of Henry VIII. It is of great importance to art history in showing some of the earliest traces of Italianate renaissance design elements in English architecture. In...
- East Barsham ManorEast Barsham ManorEast Barsham Manor is an important work of Tudor architecture, originally built in or around 1520. It is located in the village of East Barsham, about north of the town of Fakenham in the English county of Norfolk. It is protected as a Grade I listed building. The two-storey house was built for...
, Norfolk - Layer Marney HallLayer Marney TowerLayer Marney Tower is a Tudor palace, composed of buildings, gardens and parkland, dating from 1520 situated in Layer Marney near Colchester, Essex, England.-History:...
, Essex