Arley House
| Arley House | |
| Worcestershire | |
|---|---|
.jpg) The Italian Garden in Arley House's garden | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SO765806 |
| Location: | 52°25’22"N, 2°20’49"W |
| Village: | Upper Arley |
| History | |
| Built 1965 | |
| Country house | |
| Information | |
| Website: | Arley House and Gardens |
Arley House is a 1960's country house in Upper Arley, about four miles north-west of Bewdley, in Worcestershire, built to replace Arley Castle, which stood on the same spot.
The house is surrounded by gardens, an arboretum and parkland, which are listed in the Register of Parks and Gardens.[1]
History
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The manor of Upper Arley was acquired in the mid-15th century by Thomas de Littleton, and remained with the Lyttelton family until the death of Thomas Lyttelton, 2nd Baron Lyttelton in 1779; it then passed to his sister Lucy, wife of Arthur Annesley, 1st Earl of Mountnorris, and then to their son George Annesley, 2nd Earl of Mountnorris, who built Arley Castle in 1844.[1][2]
The Second Earl died in 1844 without issue. The manor passed to his nephew Arthur Lyttelton Annesley, who sold it in 1852 to Robert Woodward. It remained in the Woodward family until 1959, when it was sold to R D Turner; it was privately owned until 1997.[1][2]
Arley Castle was a sandstone building in Gothic style, situated on high ground near the east bank of the River Severn; it was an enlargement of a 16th and 17th century building. The castle was demolished in the early 1960s.[1][2]
The new house
The present Arley House, a two-storey building, was built about 1965 on the site of Arley Castle.[1] It was refurbished in 2018, and is a venue for weddings, private parties and corporate events.[3] There are gardens extending over five acres around the house, laid out in the late 20th century.[1]
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A lodge near Arley house, formerly part of Arley Castle, has two storeys, a crenellated parapet and corner turrets. It is a Grade II listed building.[4] A lodge north-west of the house, at the entrance to the gardens and arboretum, has a crenellated parapet and two towers flanking the central entrance; it dates from the building of Arley Castle and is Grade II listed.[5]
The parkland has an area of about 86½ acres, on rising ground to the north of the house. It was probably laid out when Arley Castle was built.[1]
Gardens and arboretum
The gardens and arboretum lie to the north-west of the house. Of the four compartments of the kitchen gardens, dating from the 18th and 19th centuries, the south-east compartment was developed in the 1960s into the Italian garden.[1]
The magnolia garden, created in the 1960s, lies to the north of the kitchen gardens. It has twelve varieties of magnolia.[1][6]
The arboretum, of 19 acres, lies west of the kitchen gardens, and has more than 300 species of trees. The planting of tree began in the early 19th century; after 1852, when the Woodward family purchased the property, many more were added. In the 20th century more trees were planted, a laburnum arch was created, also a heather garden and a camelia avenue.[1] The laburnum arch, extended to 213 feet in 2013, is said to be the longest in Britain.[7] Particularly notable among the tree species is a Sorbus domestica, grown about 1820 from the only specimen recorded wild in Britain.[1][8]
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Arley Arboretum and Gardens) |
References
- ↑ Jump up to: 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 National Heritage List 1000872: Arley House (Register of Historic Parks and Gardens)
- ↑ Jump up to: 2.0 2.1 2.2 A History of the County of Worcestershire - Volume 3 pp 5-10: Parishes: Upper Arley (Victoria County History)
- ↑ 'Arley House & Gardens': Arley Estate
- ↑ National Heritage List 1348355: Lodge and retaining wall east of Arley House (Grade II listing)
- ↑ National Heritage List 1172698: Lodge, summerhouse and garden walls north-west of Arley House (Grade II listing)
- ↑ "Magnolia Garden" Arley Arboretum & Gardens. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
- ↑ Laburnun Arch: Arley Arboretum & Gardens
- ↑ "Special Trees" Arley Arboretum & Gardens. Retrieved 25 May 2022.