Wallsworth Hall
Encyclopedia
Wallsworth Hall is a stately home
in Twigworth
, Gloucester
, England
.
The hall was featured in Simon Jenkins (2004) acclaimed book 'England's 1000 Best Houses'. The hall was built on the site of a timbered house from the Tudor period soon after 1740 by Samuel Hayward, as a wedding present for his wife, Catherine.
The oldest part of the building faces up towards the side garden and the main front was added a little later. The building still has many of its original features, including the magnificent staircase, which is thought to have been installed in 1753. In 1865 a top floor, new roof, two extensions and the off-centre clock tower were added which updated the building dramatically. In 1903 the whole estate covering 655 acres (2.7 km²) including land, houses and farms was split up and offered for sale. It was purchased at auction and many improvements were made, after 1943 all properties were put on the market including household items, fixtures and fine pieces of furniture were sold. The Hall was then used as a residential nursery and a training centre for nurserey nurses.
After 1953 the house spent much of its time empty until in 1987 the Grade 2 building was purchased by The Nature in Art trust
, a registered charity, which spent 12 months renovating the building and now operates it as an art gallery
.
Stately home
A stately home is a "great country house". It is thus a palatial great house or in some cases an updated castle, located in the British Isles, mostly built between the mid-16th century and the early part of the 20th century, as well as converted abbeys and other church property...
in Twigworth
Twigworth
Twigworth is a small village near Gloucester in Gloucestershire, England.The place-name 'Twigworth' is first attested in 1220, as 'Twigeworth', and is thought to mean 'enclosure made of twigs'....
, Gloucester
Gloucester
Gloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....
, 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...
.
The hall was featured in Simon Jenkins (2004) acclaimed book 'England's 1000 Best Houses'. The hall was built on the site of a timbered house from the Tudor period soon after 1740 by Samuel Hayward, as a wedding present for his wife, Catherine.
The oldest part of the building faces up towards the side garden and the main front was added a little later. The building still has many of its original features, including the magnificent staircase, which is thought to have been installed in 1753. In 1865 a top floor, new roof, two extensions and the off-centre clock tower were added which updated the building dramatically. In 1903 the whole estate covering 655 acres (2.7 km²) including land, houses and farms was split up and offered for sale. It was purchased at auction and many improvements were made, after 1943 all properties were put on the market including household items, fixtures and fine pieces of furniture were sold. The Hall was then used as a residential nursery and a training centre for nurserey nurses.
After 1953 the house spent much of its time empty until in 1987 the Grade 2 building was purchased by The Nature in Art trust
Nature in Art
Nature in Art is a museum and art gallery at Wallsworth Hall, Twigworth, Gloucester, England, dedicated exclusively to art inspired by nature in all forms, styles and media...
, a registered charity, which spent 12 months renovating the building and now operates it as an art gallery
Art gallery
An art gallery or art museum is a building or space for the exhibition of art, usually visual art.Museums can be public or private, but what distinguishes a museum is the ownership of a collection...
.