Wolf Hall
Wolf Hall manor was first recorded in the Domesday book, and has often been associated with the mediaeval wardens of Savernake forest. Ironically few wardens lived in Wolf Hall, as the estate was often divided among local members of the gentry, or leased to tenants. However in the Tudor period, it was occupied by Sir John Seymour, whose numerous children included Jane Seymour, the third wife of Henry VIII, and Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset.
Edward Seymour was probably the second and last Seymour warden to occupy Wolf Hall manor. The ambitious duke of Somerset desired grander accommodation than Wolf Hall could provide, and he intended to replace the house with a new mansion on Bedwyn Brail. The design and construction of the mansion was supervised by his steward, Sir John Thynne, founder of Longleat House. A correspondence survives, dated between November 1548 and June 1549, which shows Thynne directing the plans. Unfortunately, the mansion was unfinished when Seymour fell from power, and was abandoned after his execution in January 1552. His son Edward was unable to maintain Wolf Hall, which rapidly deteriorated, and was eventually abandoned in favour of Tottenham Lodge, now Tottenham House.
Read more about this topic: Great Bedwyn
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