Kingscote Park, Gloucestershire

Kingscote Park (formerly Kingscote Cottage) is a grade II listed[1] house and country estate in Kingscote, near Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England. The original Kingscote Park was demolished in 1951.[2] Both houses formed part of the manor of Kingscote which was held by the Kingscote family from the 12th century and is mentioned in the Domesday Book as 'Chingescote'.[3]

The countryside around Kingscote Park

The original house

It was owned by Anthony Kingscote, whose daughter Catherine married Edward Jenner on 6 March 1788.[4] The couple met in the grounds of the manor house when a balloon that Edward Jenner was experimenting with landed in the park.[5]

In April 1829, the grounds were described in The Gardener's Magazine as 'A fine place; the pleasure-grounds extensive, and within the last five years greatly improved'.[6]

In 1914, Frank Henry, writing of Colonel Sir Robert Nigel Fitzhardinge Kingscote, who owned Kingscote Park until his death in 1906, describes 'one of the finest racecourses in England' being in the estate grounds, 'although it has not been used for that purpose since 1825'. Also, of 'a secluded dell in the Park' where 'many prize fights were contested'.[7]

In 1915, the house was described as 'a large and handsome building of stone, in a well-wooded park of about 300 acres'. The owner was Nigel Richard Fitzhardinge Kingscote, of 4 Southwich Crescent, Hyde Park, but the estate was leased to John Jameson Cairness, who resided there.[8]

Following the Second World War the house was neglected and fell into disrepair.[9] It was demolished in 1951,[2] with building materials being re-used in new buildings in the Kingscote area.[9]

The stables, built in 1862,[10] and former coach house remain and are grade II listed.[11] The former walled garden is now part of a small housing development.[10]

Kingscote Cottage

The cottage's origins date to a building, possibly a farmhouse, from the 18th century.[1] It was enlarged in the 1790s and then extended, again, in the mid-1800s.[1] It was the dower house to the original Kingscote Park.

In the 1820s, the cottage was home to the family of John Wedgwood, founder of the Royal Horticultural Society.[12]

In the 1930s and 40s, Lieut-Col. Ardern Arthur Hulme Beaman, High Sheriff of Gloucestershire, occupied the cottage, which he called 'Kingscote Grange',[13][14] and built a summer house there.[15]

Following the demolition of the original house, the cottage, described as 'a particularly attractive Regency Period home of moderate size', and 'about 289 acres', were offered for sale as 'Kingscote Park' in 1956.[16] The property was purchased by the owners of 'Kingscote Grange'.[10] The house is now used as holiday accommodation.[17]

References
  1. Historic England. "Kingscote Park (1153681)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
  2. Mander, Nicholas (2009). Country Houses of the Cotswolds: From the Archives of "Country Life" (PDF). p. 14. Retrieved 2013-10-12.
  3. John Burke (1834). A genealogical and heraldic History of the Commoners of Great Britain and Ireland, enjoying territorial possessions or high official rank, but uninvested with heritable honours. Colburn. p. 281.
  4. Image of the inscription in the porch of Kingscote church at Geograph
  5. "Edward Jenner". Parish of Kingscote & Newington Bagpath. 2013. Retrieved 2013-10-12.
  6. The Gardener's Magazine and Register of Rural & Domestic Improvement. Longman, Rees, Orome, Brown and Green. 1829. p. 728.
  7. Henry, Frank (1914). Members of the Beaufort hunt, past & present. Cirencester: Standard Printing Works. pp. 50–53. Retrieved 2014-09-11.
  8. Unknown (1914). Kelly's Directory of Gloucestershire (PDF). p. 235. Retrieved 2013-10-12.
  9. MD Architecture Limited (July 2012). Historical Impact Assessment (PDF). p. 2. Retrieved 2013-10-12.
  10. "Kingscote Park, Nr Tetbury, England". Parks And Gardens UK. Retrieved 2013-10-23.
  11. Historic England. "Stables And Former Coach House At Kingscote Park (1089711)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
  12. H. E. Litchfield (2010-04-22). Emma Darwin, Wife of Charles Darwin: A Century of Family Letters. Cambridge University Press. p. 269. ISBN 978-1-108-01173-0.
  13. "No. 38235". The London Gazette (Supplement). 12 March 1948. p. 1811.
  14. A. A. H. BEAMAN. "Sir,-Going about my business, I find there." Times [London, England] 10 June 1941: 5. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 22 Oct. 2013.
  15. "Gloucestershire Archives: Online Catalogue". Gloucestershire County Council. Retrieved 2013-10-23.
  16. "Country Properties". The Times. The Times Digital Archive. 1956-06-08. p. 20.
  17. "Kingscote Park". Matara. Retrieved 2013-10-23.

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