Berrington Hall

Berrington Hall is a country house located about 3 miles (5 km) north of Leominster, Herefordshire, England. During the 20th century it was the seat of the Cawley family.

Berrington Hall
West front of Berrington Hall
General information
TypeHouse and Gardens
Architectural styleneo-Palladian
Town or cityLeominster, Herefordshire
CountryEngland
Coordinates52.2690°N 2.7214°W / 52.2690; -2.7214
Construction started1778
Completed1781
ClientThomas Harley
ManagementNational Trust
Design and construction
ArchitectHenry Holland
Website
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/berrington-hall

It is a neoclassical country house building that Henry Holland designed in 1778-81 for Thomas Harley. It has a somewhat austere exterior, but the interiors are subtle and delicate. Berrington Hall is home to the Elmar Digby furniture collection, paintings by, among others, Thomas Luny (1759–1837), and the Charles Paget Wade costume collection from Snowshill, which can be viewed by appointment. The 'below stairs' areas and servants' quarters that are open to the public include a Victorian laundry and Georgian dairy. Berrington has been in the care of the National Trust since 1957 and is, along with its gardens, open to the public.

Berrington features Capability Brown's last landscape design.[1][2] A notable feature is the ha-ha wall, which was subject to extensive renovation in the late 20th century by local craftsmen. Berrington Pool, a lake and island, is a Site of Special Scientific Interest.[3]

History
Courtyard at Berrington Hall

Berrington had been in the possession of the Cornewall family since 1386, but was sold in 1775 to Thomas Harley, a banker and government contractor who in 1767 had been Lord Mayor of London. He commissioned the rebuilding in 1778-1781 of the present Berrington Hall in place of the previous old house. He made it available to his daughter Anne and her new husband George Rodney, the son of Admiral Rodney. After Harley's death the house descended in the Rodney family for 95 years.[4]

In 1901 the Manchester businessman Frederick Cawley MP, later Baron Cawley, purchased the estate. In 1957 the 3rd Lord Cawley transferred it to the Treasury, which passed in on to the National Trust. Lady Cawley was allowed to remain in occupation until her death in 1978.[5]

It was classified as a Grade I listed building in 1959.[6]

References
  1. "Brown's final masterpiece". National Trust. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
  2. "Gardens: how Capability Brown transformed this green and pleasant land". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
  3. "Berrington Pool" (PDF). Natural England. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  4. "Delve into the history of Berrington Hall". National Trust. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
  5. "Berrington Hall". Herefordshire Council. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  6. Historic England. "Berrington Hall and Adjoining Outbuildings (1082564)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 18 March 2018.

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