Hampden House Today
As a result of the family's financial problems, Hampden House suffered; cracked brickwork was not repaired but rendered in cement, necessary repairs were not carried out, and general deterioration set in, until in 1938 the family decided to let the house. The first tenants were a private girl's school. The interiors suffered greatly under this regime. The second tenants, Hammer film company, specialising in the making of horror films, no doubt saw the gothic aspects of the house as an attraction as they appeared in quite a lot of their films, and notably the 1980 "Hammer House of Horror" UK TV series.
Salvation for Hampden House finally came with its freehold sale, to an insurance group, who between 1986 and 1989, executed a huge program of essential rebuilding. The magnificent state rooms were restored to their former glory, while the unseen upper floors and service areas are now internally modern offices.
The house and grounds are still used occasionally for filming, and though not open to the public the state rooms are available for hire as a wedding venue.
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Famous quotes containing the words house and/or today:
“This is the house that Jack built.
This is the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.”
—Mother Goose (fl. 17th–18th century. The House That Jack Built (l. 1–3)
“Would that even today you knew the things that make for peace!”
—Bible: New Testament, Luke 19:41.