Shortmead House
Encyclopedia
Shortmead House in Biggleswade
, Bedfordshire
, is a two-storey Georgian manor house, first mentioned in 1543. The Grade II listed building is lived in by the present owners as well as being used as business premises which are licensed as a wedding venue for civil ceremonies.
manor house. In 1884 the house and estate, which covered 133 acres (53.8 ha) were auctioned in lots thereby reducing the total size. Today the estate covers only 20 acres (8.1 ha).
The estate was purchased by Ian Bond in 1999 with the house requiring major renovation both internally and externally to correct years of neglect. In 2002 Ian was joined by his wife Marilyn, who systematically cleared, restored and developed the grounds into formal and informal gardens.
The estate is one of scientific interest, providing a safe haven for the Great Crested Newt
, an endangered species in the United Kingdom
, as well as the Wollemi Pine
, a tree only discovered in 1994 in Australia.
Biggleswade
Biggleswade is a market town and civil parish located on the River Ivel in Bedfordshire, England. It is well served by transport routes, being close to the A1 road between London and the North, as well as having a railway station on the main rail link North from London .-Geography:Located about 40...
, Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
, is a two-storey Georgian manor house, first mentioned in 1543. The Grade II listed building is lived in by the present owners as well as being used as business premises which are licensed as a wedding venue for civil ceremonies.
History
There has been a house at Shortmead since the early 16th century with the first mention in 1543 when a Thomas Butcher, the owner of Shortmead Farm, gave money in his will to St Andrew’s Church in Biggleswade. In the 1790s the house was remodelled into a GeorgianGeorgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
manor house. In 1884 the house and estate, which covered 133 acres (53.8 ha) were auctioned in lots thereby reducing the total size. Today the estate covers only 20 acres (8.1 ha).
The estate was purchased by Ian Bond in 1999 with the house requiring major renovation both internally and externally to correct years of neglect. In 2002 Ian was joined by his wife Marilyn, who systematically cleared, restored and developed the grounds into formal and informal gardens.
The estate is one of scientific interest, providing a safe haven for the Great Crested Newt
Great Crested Newt
The Great Crested Newt, also called Northern Crested Newt or Warty Newt is a newt in the family Salamandridae, found across Europe and parts of Asia.-Distribution:...
, an endangered species in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, as well as the Wollemi Pine
Wollemi Pine
Wollemia is a genus of coniferous tree in the family Araucariaceae. Wollemia was only known through fossil records until the Australian species Wollemia nobilis was discovered in 1994 in a temperate rainforest wilderness area of the Wollemi National Park in New South Wales, in a remote series of...
, a tree only discovered in 1994 in Australia.