Kingston Maurward House is a large Grade I listed

Georgian Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) ** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group ** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scrip ...

English country house set in a 750-acre (3 square km) estate in

Dorset Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset. Covering an area of , ...

situated in the Frome valley two miles east of Dorchester.

History

There has been a manor house at Kingston since the late 14th century, replaced in the late 16th century with a manor house which is still in the grounds. The present mansion was built by George Pitt (1663-1735) of

Stratfield Saye House Stratfield Saye House is a large stately home at Stratfield Saye in the north-east of the English county of Hampshire. It has been the home of the Dukes of Wellington since 1817. Early history The line of the Roman Road the Devil's Highway ( ...

, cousin of

William Pitt the Elder William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham, (15 November 170811 May 1778) was a British statesman of the Whig group who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1766 to 1768. Historians call him Chatham or William Pitt the Elder to distinguish ...

, between 1717 and 1720 on the estate brought to him by his second wife Lora daughter of Audley Grey. The mansion was in red brick, but after derogatory comments from

King George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Br ...

, Pitt clad the house in

Portland limestone Portland stone is a limestone from the Tithonian stage of the Jurassic period quarried on the Isle of Portland, Dorset. The quarries are cut in beds of white-grey limestone separated by chert beds. It has been used extensively as a building sto ...

. The building faces south, and has a projecting central section. The north facade is similar in design with the addition of a 20th-century porch. Much of the house is now used by

Kingston Maurward College Kingston Maurward College is a college for land-based studies situated two miles east of Dorchester, Dorset, England. The college is a member of the Landex grou an association of institutions that provide courses in agriculture and horticulture ...

, though some of it is used for private functions. In 2016, the house was flooded after a pipe burst above the house's main hall. The consultants brought in to assess the damage discovered that the room had been redecorated and was designed to use white and stone to accent the mouldings. The discovery lead to a restoration to its original form.

Grounds and gardens

The grounds of Kingston Maurward, which are used for the

land-based college In the United Kingdom, land based colleges are colleges specialising in agriculture, horticulture, and other topics useful for rural economies. Most land based colleges are members of Landex, which promotes and coordinates the colleges. List of r ...

, are open to the public and include the farm areas and extensive gardens. Both the house and grounds are owned by Kingston Maurward College. Also in the grounds is Kingston Maurward Manor House, built in 1590, an earlier mansion which was narrowly saved from demolition when the estate was acquired. Following refurbishment it is a private residence. The gardens are Grade II* listed in the

National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens The Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England provides a listing and classification system for historic parks and gardens similar to that used for listed buildings. The register is managed by Historic England ...

References

* Pitt-Rivers, Michael, 1968. ''Dorset''. London: Faber & Faber. {{coord, 50.7183, -2.4048, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title Gardens in Dorset Country houses in Dorset Grade I listed buildings in Dorset Grade II* listed parks and gardens in Dorset Thomas Archer buildings 1720 establishments in England Grade I listed houses Georgian architecture in England

History

Grounds and gardens

See also

References