Ashwick Court is Grade II* listed house on Heckley Lane northwest of

Ashwick Ashwick is a village in the Mendip district of Somerset, England, about three miles north of Shepton Mallet and seven miles east from Wells. It has also been a civil parish since 1826. The parish had a population of 1,352 according to the 2011 ...

, in

Mendip Mendip may refer to: *Mendip District, a local government district of Somerset, England * Mendip Hills, a group of hills in Somerset, England ** Mendip Way, a footpath across the Mendip Hills **Mendip TV Mast, a transmitter in the Mendips area *For ...

district, eastern

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

, England, adjacent to the Church of St James. It is a country house, dating from the late 17th century and became a listed building on 2 June 1961. Alterations were added to the property in the 18th and mid-19th century.

Building

Parts of Ashwick Court date from the 17th century, but the building was extensively remodelled during the 18th century, including being given a new frontage. Two wings were added in the 20th century, the west wing in 1928 and the east in 1996. The main building is constructed of rendered rubble stone, with quoins in unrendered

Bath stone Bath Stone is an oolitic limestone comprising granular fragments of calcium carbonate. Originally obtained from the Combe Down and Bathampton Down Mines under Combe Down, Somerset, England. Its honey colouring gives the World Heritage City of ...

ashlar Ashlar () is finely dressed (cut, worked) stone, either an individual stone that has been worked until squared, or a structure built from such stones. Ashlar is the finest stone masonry unit, generally rectangular cuboid, mentioned by Vitruv ...

. The two-story house has a near square floorplan, with a south entrance. The entrance bay and above is unrendered, with a 19th-century arched stone porch. Above the porch is a plaque made of stone showing the Strachey coat of arms and motto. The rear of the house includes more of the original 17th-century building, while the front dates to the 18th century. The house is built into a slope, so the entrances on the northern side are at basement level.

History

Judge Jeffries George Jeffreys, 1st Baron Jeffreys, PC (15 May 1645 – 18 April 1689), also known as "the Hanging Judge", was a Welsh judge. He became notable during the reign of King James II, rising to the position of Lord Chancellor (and serving as ...

is believed to have tried cases at Ashwick Court during the

Bloody Assizes The Bloody Assizes were a series of trials started at Winchester on 25 August 1685 in the aftermath of the Battle of Sedgemoor, which ended the Monmouth Rebellion in England. History There were five judges: Sir William Montague (Lord Chief Bar ...

following the

Monmouth Rebellion The Monmouth Rebellion, also known as the Pitchfork Rebellion, the Revolt of the West or the West Country rebellion, was an attempt to depose James II, who in February 1685 succeeded his brother Charles II as king of England, Scotland and Ir ...

in 1685, possibly leading to the building being called a 'court', however the name 'court' only came into use during the 19th century, so the name may be simple

gentrification Gentrification is the process of changing the character of a neighborhood through the influx of more Wealth, affluent residents and businesses. It is a common and controversial topic in urban politics and urban planning, planning. Gentrification ...

. The building was bought by

Richard Strachey Sir Richard Strachey (24 July 1817 – 12 February 1908) was a British soldier and Indian administrator, the third son of Edward Strachey and grandson of Sir Henry Strachey, 1st Baronet. Early life He was born on 24 July 1817, at Sutton ...

in 1823, whose family, the

Strachey Baronets The Strachey baronetcy, of Sutton Court in the County of Somerset, England, is a title in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. This family was originally seated at Walden, Essex, where William Strachey was living under the rule of Edward VI. L ...

, retain ownership until 1924. The house was let to Dr Newton Wade in 1892 who thought he had discovered oil in the water well.

References

{{reflist Grade II* listed buildings in Mendip District Country houses in Somerset Grade II* listed houses in Somerset