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Originally built in 1416 on the
site of 13th century Copt Hall, the country pile was owned
by High Sheriff Sir
George Vaughan, where he raised troops for Charles I’s Royalist
cause during the Civil War of 1642-1651. Malmesbury was then taken over by the
aristocratic Harris family in 1660, and remained in the family for
3 centuries. James Harris III had the house extended by renowned architect
Sir Christopher Wren, making it what it is today. In 1800,
James Harris IV became the 1st Earl of Malmesbury and the house’s
name was changed in his honour.
Boasting 9 bedrooms and 6
bathrooms over 7638 sq ft, the house’s history only adds to the
value. Charles II was known to address the crowds from the
oriel window. The window, which features the Caroline Royal Coat of
Arms and is still part of the Grade I listed building
today; Baroque composer George Handel, friend of James
Harris III, played his first English concert in its music
room.
In 1685, a summer-house at
Malemsbury is said to have been the refuge of
the Duke of Monmouth,
one of Charles II’s illegitimate children, after
the Battle
of Sedgemoor. Malmesbury also features a reception hall,
drawing room, study, a library and large garden with orangery, with
a mostly Queen Anne
design, featuring some rococo and baroque interiors.
Charles II lived at Malmesbury House to escape the Plague in 1665
In 2006, English Heritage stepped in to help pay for the extensive restoration work, due to the building’s Grade I status. Work included fixing a leaking roof and a number of uninhabited rooms, which had deteriorated.
Charlie Stone, from Savills, told the Daily Mail: “The Cathedral Close is one of the most desirable places to live in outside London. It is an urban setting, but it is the best of both worlds. It is country and town in one setting. I have sold a number of homes in the close, but the architectural quality of Malmesbury House’s interior is exceptional.”
photo credit: (C) Patrick Baty, jr_logue@sbcglobal.net via photopin cc & Lynn (Gracie’s mom) via photopin cc]]>
