Spye Park - History of Spye Park House

History of Spye Park House

The house was first known to be owned in the 16th century by Edward Bayntun (1517–1593) of Rowdon; he had previously been Battle Abbey Steward and had built Bromham Hall in 1538. The diarist John Evelyn claims that the house was built in 1654; however, Sir Edward may have substantially built upon a previously existing structure, based on eyewitness evidence after the 1868 fire.

His grandson Sir Edward Bayntun (1593–1657) built Spye Park House after the destruction of Bromham House in 1645 during the civil war. He was married to Stuarta, the daughter of Sir Thomas Thynne, whose brother resided at Longleat. The house passed out of the Bayntun family when the heiress Ann Bayntun married Edward Rolt (d. 1722), of Sacombe Park, MP for Chippenham. Ann's second son Edward Rolt, later Edward Bayntun-Rolt (d. 1800), inherited the property, and was made a baronet in 1762 (see Bayntun-Rolt baronets). He had six illegitimate children with his mistress, Mary Poynter, whom he later married secretly in 1751. Their fourth and youngest but only legitimate son Sir Andrew Bayntun-Rolt, 2nd Baronet (1755–1816), was born after the marriage and thus his father's only legitimate child and heir after the marriage laws reforms of 1753. He married in 1777 Lady Maria Coventry, and separated from her for an affair with his nephew in 1783; they divorced in 1787.

Their only child was Maria Barbara Bayntun (b. ca 1780). She became her father's and grandfather's sole legitimate heiress as declared in the entail of 1788. . She in turn eloped in 1797 aged 17, and married a mere reverend; however, she inherited her father's estate in 1816. Her son John Edward Andrew Bayntun Starky (1799–1843) inherited the estate, which was sold in 1864 to pay the debts of his son John Bayntun Starky (1834–1872) - while his grandmother, the second heiress, was still alive.

In 1855, the house was bought by Major J.W.G. Spicer, and owned by four more generations. The 17th century house was demolished by Spicer, and rebuilt 1864-1868 in red brick. This house, considered an eyesore by Spicer's neighbours, was destroyed by fire in 1868. The house was rebuilt from 1868 to 1871, this time in the Tudor style. By 1939, the estate consisted of 500 acres (2.0 km2).

In the 1930s, the owner was Captain Frank Fitzroy Spicer, MC, DSO (d. 1973), who married 1931 (as her second husband) Lady Avice Sackville-West (b. 1897), younger daughter of the 8th Earl De La Warr. Lady Avice was the former wife of the future MI5 head Stewart Menzies (d. 1968) and left him for Spicer. Despite this, Spicer and his wife were close friends of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother who visited the Spye Park estate regularly in the Fifties.

The second house built by Major Spicer, the first of five generations of Spicers, was destroyed by fire in 1974. Today, no trace of the great Spye Park mansion exists. Even the foundations have been covered over with grass. According to a local history website,

the Spicers decided to tear down the ruin as it was riddled with dry rot, which was worsened by the drenching which the house received from the firemen's hoses.

The estate was sold by Simon and Rosamund Spicer, the fifth generation of the family to live on the estate to the Enthoven Family of South Africa (Nandos Chicken owners and ) for 8 million pounds in 2005.