Barnham Court is a 17th-century

Artisan Mannerism The Caroline era is the period in English and Scottish history named for the 24-year reign of Charles I (1625–1649). The term is derived from ''Carolus'', the Latin for Charles. The Caroline era followed the Jacobean era, the reign of Charles's ...

house in

Barnham, West Sussex Barnham is a semi-rural village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Barnham and Eastergate, in the Arun district of West Sussex, England, centred about five miles (8 km) north of Bognor Regis. On 1 April 2019 the parish was merged ...

, England. It is a Grade I

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

, and has many features similar to

Kew Palace Kew Palace is a British royal palace within the grounds of Kew Gardens on the banks of the River Thames. Originally a large complex, few elements of it survive. Dating to 1631 but built atop the undercroft of an earlier building, the main surv ...

in London.

History

Barnham Court was built in the mid-17th century, possibly for a rich merchant. The house now contains five bedrooms, and is situated on the east side of Barnham near to the parish church. It is possibly on the site of a 13th-century manor house, and is one of only a few pre-19th century buildings in the area. The building was predominantly used as a farmhouse. It has been owned by Thomas Musgrave, John Page, and George Thomas. In the 19th century, the house was renovated, and the adjoining servant's quarters were expanded. The grounds contained a barn believed to be from the 16th century, until it was demolished in the 1960s. The grounds of Barnham Court contain an

orchard An orchard is an intentional plantation of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit- or nut-producing trees which are generally grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of ...

and a

warren A warren is a network of wild rodent or lagomorph, typically rabbit burrows. Domestic warrens are artificial, enclosed establishment of animal husbandry dedicated to the raising of rabbits for meat and fur. The term evolved from the medieval A ...

. In the 19th century, the grounds contained a

formal garden A formal garden is a garden with a clear structure, geometric shapes and in most cases a symmetrical layout. Its origin goes back to the gardens which are located in the desert areas of Western Asia and are protected by walls. The style of a forma ...

. In 1958, Barnham Court became a Grade I

. In 1984, a lodge in the grounds of Barnham Court became a Grade II listed building. In 1996 the house was bought by owners who extensively restored Barnham Court, its grounds, formal gardens and parterres to its present state. In 2020, Barnham Court was put up for sale for £4 million.

Architecture

Barnham Court was built in the

style. The three-story house is constructed of red brick, and contains two Doric

pilaster In classical architecture, a pilaster is an architectural element used to give the appearance of a supporting column and to articulate an extent of wall, with only an ornamental function. It consists of a flat surface raised from the main wal ...

s, as well as ionic pilasters. The attic has three

Dutch gable A Dutch gable or Flemish gable is a gable whose sides have a shape made up of one or more curves and has a pediment at the top. The gable may be an entirely decorative projection above a flat section of roof line, or may be the termination of a ...

s, each with a window. Barnham Court was built in a similar style to

Ford Palace Ford Palace was a residence of the Archbishops of Canterbury at Ford, about north-east of Canterbury and south-east of Herne Bay, in the parish of Hoath in the county of Kent in south-eastern England. The earliest structural evidence for t ...

and Albourne Palace in West Sussex,

in London, and

Broome Park Broome Park is a country house in Barham, within the City of Canterbury, Kent, England. It was built for Sir Basil Dixwell between 1635 and 1638. In the early 20th century it was the country home of Lord Kitchener of Khartoum until his death at ...

in Kent. It is thought that the bricklayer for Barnham Court may have been the same as at Kew Palace, and the Dutch gables at Barnham Court also resemble those at Kew Palace. The staircase was built to one side of the building, and spiralling towards the windows to increase the natural light.

References

{{commons category, Barnham Court, West Sussex Grade I listed buildings in West Sussex Grade I listed houses Arun District Houses completed in the 17th century Houses in West Sussex