Pythouse
Encyclopedia
Pythouse, sometimes spelt Pyt House and pronounced pit-house, is a country house
near Tisbury
in Wiltshire
, in the west of England
.
Pythouse was built about 1725 and was rebuilt in 1805 by John Benett (1773–1852), the then-owner and amateur architect, who "Palladianized
" the house. Rear service wings were added in 1891.
Described as a "fine classical house", Pythouse is set in parkland with a ha-ha. With its Ionic
portico
, the front is very similar to and probably inspired the front of the nearby Philipps House
in Dinton
, which was begun a little later in 1813 and designed by Sir Jeffry Wyatville.
The house remained in the Benett family until the mid 1950s, when death duties forced its sale. The house was then owned and used for forty-six years by the Country Houses Association
, a charity which ran it as a retirement home.
Pythouse (together with 95 acres (384,451.7 m²) of land) was sold again in 2004 for £7 million and is once more a residential home.
English country house
The English country house is a large house or mansion in the English countryside. Such houses were often owned by individuals who also owned a London house. This allowed to them to spend time in the country and in the city—hence, for these people, the term distinguished between town and country...
near Tisbury
Tisbury, Wiltshire
The large village of Tisbury lies approximately west of Salisbury in the English county of Wiltshire.With a population at the 2001 census of 2,056 it is an important local centre for communities around the upper River Nadder and Vale of Wardour...
in Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, in the west of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Pythouse was built about 1725 and was rebuilt in 1805 by John Benett (1773–1852), the then-owner and amateur architect, who "Palladianized
Palladian architecture
Palladian architecture is a European style of architecture derived from the designs of the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio . The term "Palladian" normally refers to buildings in a style inspired by Palladio's own work; that which is recognised as Palladian architecture today is an evolution of...
" the house. Rear service wings were added in 1891.
Described as a "fine classical house", Pythouse is set in parkland with a ha-ha. With its Ionic
Ionic order
The Ionic order forms one of the three orders or organizational systems of classical architecture, the other two canonic orders being the Doric and the Corinthian...
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...
, the front is very similar to and probably inspired the front of the nearby Philipps House
Philipps House
Philipps House is an early nineteenth-century Neo-Grecian country house at Dinton, near Salisbury, Wiltshire, England. The house was designed by Jeffry Wyatt, later Sir Jeffry Wyatville for William Wyndham, and was built between 1813-16 on the site of an earlier, demolished seventeenth-century...
in Dinton
Dinton, Wiltshire
Dinton is a village in Wiltshire, England, on the B3089 road about 8 miles west of Salisbury. The population was 597 at the 2001 census.-Present day:...
, which was begun a little later in 1813 and designed by Sir Jeffry Wyatville.
The house remained in the Benett family until the mid 1950s, when death duties forced its sale. The house was then owned and used for forty-six years by the Country Houses Association
Country Houses Association
The Country Houses Association was a British charity that converted country houses into retirement flats and maintained them from 1955 until its liquidation in 2004.- History :...
, a charity which ran it as a retirement home.
Pythouse (together with 95 acres (384,451.7 m²) of land) was sold again in 2004 for £7 million and is once more a residential home.