Early History
In 1568 John Isham a wealthy wool merchant built a manor house on the Lamport Estate. His grandson also named John became the first baronet in 1627 during the reign of Charles 1. He extended the house considerably. However the only remains of this structure is a section of the present stable wing.
It was Sir Justinian Isham who built the main existing building. In 1655 he commissioned John Webb a pupil of Inigo Jones to design a large two story home. The next major additions were to the south-west front and the north. These were completed in 1741.
In 1842 further major rebuilding of the south east front was completed and later Sir Charles Isham commissioned the building of a new façade with porch to the north-west front which is now the distinctive main entrance to the Hall.
By about 1950 the house had considerably deteriorated and the then owner Sir Gyles Isham undertook major renovation works and allowed the ground floor to be opened to the public in 1974. When he died he left the building and its contents to the Lamport Hall Preservation Trust who care for the Hall and Gardens today.
Read more about this topic: Lamport Hall
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