Ugbrooke
Encyclopedia
Ugbrooke Park is a country house located in a valley between Exeter
and Newton Abbot
in Devon
, England
. It dates back over 900 years, having featured in the Domesday Book
. Before the Reformation
the land belonged to the Church and the house was occupied by Precentor
s to the Bishop of Exeter
. It has been the seat of the Clifford family for over four hundred years, and the owners have held the title Baron Clifford of Chudleigh
since 1672. The house and grounds were remodelled by Robert Adam
and Capability Brown
in the second half of the 18th century. The house and gardens are open to the public for a limited number of days each summer.
In 1882, The Hon. William Clifford, son of Lord Clifford of Ugbrooke, Chudleigh
, bought a large amount of agricultural land in the Marlborough region of New Zealand
and built a mansion named after the family home. Ugbrooke, New Zealand, is New Zealand's largest privately owned single storey house.
The mansion, covering 10000 square feet (929 m²), changed ownership in 1897 when, after some financial hardship, The Hon. William Clifford sold the property to his cousin, Henry Vavasour. Ugbrooke subsequently became the home of the Vavasour family of Marlborough for three generations until 1992.
Exeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
and Newton Abbot
Newton Abbot
Newton Abbot is a market town and civil parish in the Teignbridge District of Devon, England on the River Teign, with a population of 23,580....
in Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, 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...
. It dates back over 900 years, having featured in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
. Before the Reformation
English Reformation
The English Reformation was the series of events in 16th-century England by which the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church....
the land belonged to the Church and the house was occupied by Precentor
Precentor
A precentor is a person who helps facilitate worship. The details vary depending on the religion, denomination, and era in question. The Latin derivation is "præcentor", from cantor, meaning "the one who sings before" ....
s to the Bishop of Exeter
Bishop of Exeter
The Bishop of Exeter is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Exeter in the Province of Canterbury. The incumbent usually signs his name as Exon or incorporates this in his signature....
. It has been the seat of the Clifford family for over four hundred years, and the owners have held the title Baron Clifford of Chudleigh
Baron Clifford of Chudleigh
Baron Clifford of Chudleigh, of Chudleigh in the County of Devon, is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1672 for Thomas Clifford...
since 1672. The house and grounds were remodelled by Robert Adam
Robert Adam
Robert Adam was a Scottish neoclassical architect, interior designer and furniture designer. He was the son of William Adam , Scotland's foremost architect of the time, and trained under him...
and 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...
in the second half of the 18th century. The house and gardens are open to the public for a limited number of days each summer.
In 1882, The Hon. William Clifford, son of Lord Clifford of Ugbrooke, Chudleigh
Chudleigh
Chudleigh is a small town in Devon, England located between the towns of Newton Abbot and Exeter.Chudleigh is very close to the edge of Dartmoor and bypassed by the A38 road in 1972. It began life as a small wool market town, though the nearby Castle Dyke is an Iron Age Hill Fort which demonstrates...
, bought a large amount of agricultural land in the Marlborough region of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and built a mansion named after the family home. Ugbrooke, New Zealand, is New Zealand's largest privately owned single storey house.
The mansion, covering 10000 square feet (929 m²), changed ownership in 1897 when, after some financial hardship, The Hon. William Clifford sold the property to his cousin, Henry Vavasour. Ugbrooke subsequently became the home of the Vavasour family of Marlborough for three generations until 1992.