Babington House

Babington House is a Grade II* listed manor house, located in the village of Babington, between Radstock and Frome, in the county of Somerset, England.

Babington House
Babington House
LocationBabington, Somerset, England
Coordinates51°15′28.7″N 2°25′30.3″W
Built1705
Listed Building – Grade II*
Designated11 March 1968[1]
Reference no.267924
Location of Babington House in Mendip

Converted to a private members club and hotel by Nick Jones, it is currently owned by Soho House Ltd. Since 1999 it has hosted many celebrity weddings.

History

The village of Babington dates from medieval times. Its name derives from the Babington family, who were once associated with the village,[2] but it appears to have been for the most part demolished to make way for the house around 1705.[3]

The manor was sold by Thomas and Mary Mankham to Joan Elcode, a widow, according to a deed dated Easter 1572. The estate then contained 7 messuages, one cottage, 10 tofts, 1 water mill, 10 gardens, 14 orchards, 300 acres (121 hectares) of land, 120 acres (49 ha) of meadow, 160 acres (65 ha) of pasture, 20 acres (8 ha) of wood and 120 acres (49 ha) of furze and carried an annual rent of 4 shillings and 1 pound (450 g) of pepper.[4]

The estate passed through several hands until it was forfeited to the Crown in 1593. By the late 17th century, the manor belonged to Thomas Pacey who left it to his sister, Margaret. She was married to a Bristol alderman, William Crabb, and subsequently passed the manor on to their eldest daughter, Elizabeth, wife of Henry Mompesson of Corston, Wiltshire (1633–1715) who was Sheriff of Somerset in 1698.[3]

The current house was built around 1705 for Henry Mompesson, probably on the foundations of an earlier building which would have been owned by the Babington family.[2] It has since been extensively altered and extended, including in 1790, possibly by John Pinch the elder, for Captain Charles Knatchbull, who had inherited it via Mrs Elizabeth Long, a niece of the Mompessons.

Babington was inhabited by successive members of the Knatchbull family until the house and immediate grounds were sold following the death in 1951 of Mrs Knatchbull, the widow of Wyndham Knatchbull (1829–1900), a captain of the 3rd Dragoon Guards.[5] Mrs Knatchbull was better known under her maiden name as the pianist and composer Dora Bright.[6] In April 1939, BBC Radio broadcast a concert of her playing from Babington House.[7]

Adjacent to Babington House is the Grade I listed Church of St Margaret, which is owned and operated by the St. Margaret's, Babington, Charitable Trust.[8] The Grounds of Babington House are listed Grade II in the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of special historic interest in England.[9]

Hotel and private members club

In 1998, Nick Jones who had founded the Soho House club in Soho, London bought the property. He converted it to a hotel, club and wedding venue for the London members of the Soho House club, as well as for new Somerset members. The property is also part-owned by actor Neil Morrissey.

In that year, Jones was cautioned by police after eleven Polish illegal immigrants were found working at the hotel.[10]

Wedding ceremonies are performed in St Margaret's Church or in the orangery. Weddings for non-members are allowed.[11]

Notable weddings held at Babington House
Church of St Margaret and Babington House

Grounds

To the north of the House are lawns planted with 19th-century specimen deciduous and coniferous trees and ornamental shrubberies. From here there are views north and northeast across the park beyond the former northwest drive towards the grounds of Ammerdown House, Kilmersdon.

Within the grounds a chain of five informal pools lies in a shallow valley about 70 metres (230 ft) west of the House. The pools are surrounded by mixed specimen trees and shrubberies. A walk on the western side of the pools leads to a kitchen garden southwest of the House.[3]

Architecture

The house of mainly Georgian architecture has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II* listed building.[1] The 18th-century stable block and coach house have now been made into three separate dwellings.[33] The grounds also contain a listed ice house[34] and two sets of gates, which are Grade II listed.[35][36]

References
  1. Historic England. "Babington House (1177567)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 3 September 2007.
  2. Copographica Genealogica, Vol VIII, John Bowyer Nichols and Son. BABINGTONIA.
  3. "Park, Babington House, Babington". Somerset Historic Environment Record. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 3 September 2007.
  4. "Deserted medieval village, Babington". Somerset Historic Environment Record. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 3 September 2007.
  5. Mosley, Charles, ed. (1999). "Brabourne". Burke's Peerage and Baronetage. 1. Switzerland: Burke's Peerage. pp. 348–349. ISBN 2-940085-02-1.
  6. Powell, Violet (1998). The Departure Platform: An Autobiography. London: Heinemann. pp. 25–26. ISBN 0-434-00507-X.
  7. Wenzel, Silke (7 November 2011). "Dora Bright". Musik und Gender im Internet (MUGI). Musikvermittlung und Genderforschung (in German). Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg. Archived from the original on 18 December 2014. Retrieved 18 December 2014.
  8. Historic England. "Church of St Margaret (1177624)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 3 September 2007.
  9. Historic England. "Babington House (1001137)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
  10. Savill, Richard (3 February 2001). "Celebrities' hotel risks fine over immigrants". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 26 April 2010.
  11. "Babington House, Somerset". Condé Nast Traveller. Condé Nast. Retrieved 18 December 2014.
  12. Williams, Gill (6 February 2005). "Holidays: Bed and bawd". Sunday Mirror.
  13. Cooke, Rachel (13 April 2003). "Wanna be in my club?". The Observer. London. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
  14. "Nervous Kirsty makes wedding news.(News)". highbeam.com. 1 October 1999. Archived from the original on 3 November 2012. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
  15. "Nirpal Singh Dhaliwal: Me & Missus Jones". The Independent. London. 2 April 2006. Archived from the original on 21 April 2010. Retrieved 26 April 2010.
  16. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 17 September 2012. Retrieved 31 January 2010.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  17. "Natasha Kaplinsky". Rex Features. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 3 September 2007.
  18. "Mirror Online: The intelligent tabloid. #madeuthink". mirror.co.uk. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
  19. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 5 December 2008. Retrieved 31 January 2010.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  20. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 23 December 2008. Retrieved 6 January 2010.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  21. Oddy, Jane (1 September 2013). "TV presenter Jenni Falconer on marriage, motherhood and how her love of running helped her stay in shape after childbirth". Daily Record. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
  22. "Duffer gets over the Hand of Henry by taking Elaine's hand in marriage - Herald.ie". herald.ie. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
  23. Somerset Guardian, 24 June 2010
  24. Hendry, Steve (10 November 2013). "I'm building a happy family, says TV presenter Amanda Lamb". dailyrecord.co.uk. Archived from the original on 22 December 2016. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
  25. "Latest Somerset Shepton Mallet news - Somerset Live". sheptonmalletjournal.co.uk. Archived from the original on 22 May 2014. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
  26. metrowebukmetro (16 September 2012). "James Corden ties the knot to Julia Carey in lavish £250,000 wedding". metro.co.uk. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
  27. "Grazia Daily UK Official - Fashion News - Celebrity - Hair - Magazine". graziadaily.co.uk. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
  28. https://www.hellomagazine.com/celebrities/2019031370797/tanya-burr-split-husband-jim-chapman/
  29. "YouTubers Tanya Burr and Jim Chapman get married". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
  30. "Broadway Boys Andy Mientus And Michael Arden Got Married". newnownext.com. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
  31. http://www.somersetlive.co.uk/courtney-love-nick-grimshaw-and-more-in-frome-for-wedding-of-florence-the-machine-couple/story-29742754-detail/story.html#Qaj9kMg8epDmzlp8.99 Archived 28 September 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  32. https://www.express.co.uk/sport/cricket/1153068/Eoin-Morgan-wife-Tara-Ridgway-England-Cricket-World-Cup-final-news
  33. Historic England. "Stables and coach house adjacent to Babington House (1058688)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 3 September 2007.
  34. Historic England. "Ice house in grounds to south-west of Babington House (1177612)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 3 September 2007.
  35. Historic England. "Gate piers and flanking walls with secondary piers at former driveway entrance to Babington House (1345117)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 3 September 2007.
  36. Historic England. "Pair of gate piers at former entrance to driveway to Babington House adjacent to Charity Cottage (1345079)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 3 September 2007.
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