Hall and Estate
The Hall is a near-perfect example of Queen Anne architecture located in a large parkland setting with wide views across the local countryside. It is constructed in brick with ashlar dressings and lead and slate roofs with a 7-window frontage. The building was begun in 1702 and finished in 1713 by Sir John Langham and remains today largely unaltered, although some extensions were later carried out by Robert Mitchell c1770-95. It is home to the Woolavington Collection, one of the most extensive collections of sporting paintings in the world.
The Hall is set in the 18th century landscaped Cottesbrooke Park, and has fine furniture, the interior decoration, grounds and gardens. It was winner of the Historic Houses Association/Christie's 'Garden of the Year' Award in 2000.
The building and grounds are open to the public from May to September only. The times are very limited and visitors should book in advance if requiring tours of the house. The best access route to the main visitor entrance is via the signposted turn east off the A5199 at Creaton.
- History
The Cottesbrooke estate was purchased in 1635 by Sir John Langham, 1st Baronet, a rich London merchant and MP. It descended in the Langham family to the 4th Baronet, who in 1702 began the building of the present hall. Sir James Langham, 7th Baronet was High Sheriff of Northamptonshire for 1897 and MP for Northamptonshire from 1784 to 1790. Sir James, the 11th baronet, had mental issues and the estate was managed by Sir Herbert Langham, his brother and eventual successor. In 1877 the Hall was let for several months to the Empress Elisabeth of Austria as a base for a hunting holiday. In 1911 financial presuures forced the family to sell the estate to Captain Robert Bingham Brassey, MP and move to County Fermanagh. Since 1937 Cottesbrooke has been the home of the MacDonald-Buchanan family. In 1937-8 they employed Lord Gerald Wellesley (later the 7th Duke of Wellington) to make alterations to the Hall, including changing the entrance front to the other side of the house.
Read more about this topic: Cottesbrooke Hall
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