England
Wiltshire

Wilton House

Wilton, located just outside historic Salisbury, ranks among the elite of British stately homes. The 21 acres of gardens and park surrounding the house offer a superb setting to the house, one of the premier examples of Palladian architecture in Britain.

The Palladian Bridge at Wilton House

The site now occupied by Wilton House was in use as early as the 9th century when King Alfred, he of griddle-cake fame, established a nunnnery here. Three centuries later a Benedictine monastery replaced the earlier nunnery.

The abbey, in turn, was disbanded by Henry VIII in the Dissolution of the Monasteries. Henry gave Wilton to William Herbert, one of his most influential Welsh supporters. William was the husband of Anne Parr, sister of Queen Katherine Parr. In 1551 William Herbert was created Earl of Pembroke, and the Herbert family still reside at Wilton.

The first great transformation of Wilton took place in 1632, when Isaac De Caus extended the gardens with a variety of water features. The house was originally intended to grow to the impressive dimension of the gardens, but a downturn in family fortunes meant that the house plans were scaled back.

The house renovations were completed in 1647 by architect John Webb, architect of the Royal Naval College, Greenwich. It is to Webb that Wilton owes the marvellous Estate Rooms, and the Double Cube Room, a magnificent example of country house architectural ideals realized.

The Double Cube Room is unique in that the height of of the room is exactly twice its length and width. Almost overlooked beside the Double Cube Room is the Single Cube Room, where the width, length, and height of the chamber are equal.

Taken as a whole, the work of Webb at Wilton must be recognized as the most impressive early Palladian architecture in England.

Not to be outdone, in 1737, the ninth Earl of Pembroke designed the wonderful Palladian Bridge, which spans the River Nadder in the Wilton House grounds.(see photo)

Over the past 450 years, Wilton House has enjoyed success and witnessed countless marriages, births and deaths as illustrated in the family tree.

Over the centuries, each member of the Herbert family has put his individual stamp on the house yet through the generations there has been an overriding thread of artistic and architectural leaning in the family which has resulted in the magnificently adapted and beautifully preserved Wilton House that we can all enjoy today.

Since 1551, Wilton House has remained in the Herbert family and is today, although open to the public, still the private home of Henry Herbert, the 17th Earl of Pembroke and his family.

Wilton House is a member of the illustrous Treasure Houses of England, comprising the most prestigious stately homes in England.

CONTACT
Wilton House,
The Estate Office,
Wilton, Salisbury
SP2 0BJ. England
Tel 01722 746729
F ax 01722 744447
email tourism@wiltonhouse.com
Website

Entry: fee charged

ACCESSIBILITY
Wilton House is fully accessible to wheelchair, and accessible toilets are available in the Visitor Centre and beside the restaurant.

Photo© Barbara Ballard
Text © David Ross and Britain Express 2004