- Source: Hackwood Park
Hackwood Park is a large 260-acre (110 ha) country estate that primarily consists of an 18th-century ornamental woodland and formal lawn garden in addition to a 51,681 sq ft (4,801.3 m2) mansion of symmetrical design. It is located within the boundaries of Winslade, a rural parish immediately south of Basingstoke in Hampshire. The parks and gardens are Grade I listed on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens and the main house is Grade II* listed on the National Heritage List for England. It was placed on the market in 2016 for around £65 million. As of 2024, it is still for sale at the same price.
History
The estate was owned by the manor or rectory of Eastrop until 1223, when it became a noble's deer park in its own right. It was acquired by William Paulet, 1st Marquess of Winchester in the 16th-century. The bulk of the structure of the house currently standing was built from 1683 to 1687 for a son of the fifth Marquess, Charles Paulet, created Duke of Bolton. The estate was inherited by his son, Charles Paulet, 2nd Duke of Bolton in 1699, followed by his grandson, Charles Powlett, 3rd Duke of Bolton in 1772. The property was painted by Paul Sandby in 1764.
Lord Curzon was a tenant from 1906 until his death in 1925. The estate was sold in 1936 to William Berry, 1st Viscount Camrose. During World War II it served as a psychiatric hospital for the Canadian Army. When Lord Camrose died in 1954 the property was inherited by his son, Seymour Berry, 2nd Viscount Camrose, who remained its owner until his death in 1995. His wife, Lady Camrose, the mother of Aga Khan IV, lived there until her death in 1997. An extension to the orangery has added a 21st-century spa complex complete with pool, sauna, laconicum, and treatment room.
Description
The exterior of the main house has four Neo-classical columns, which are situated in front of pilasters raised from the main wall surface. The central doorway is housed in an oval recess and also contains two columns and pilasters at the side. The interior contains panelling and a large fireplace of 17th-century style, with a carved ornamental festoon brought from Abbotstone House in Wiltshire. The main building was designed by Charles Bridgeman, with additional buildings designed by James Gibbs.
Other listed buildings include the fishing temple, a once-domed building with eight columns and an incomplete circular stone base, a 19th-century teahouse pavilion, a single story 18th-century orangey, a statue of George I which dates from 1722, and a 19th-century mill house. Grade II* listed buildings include an early 19th-century stable block and riding school, and a menagerie pond pavilion, which dates from 1727 and was given as a gift by James Gibbs to the third Duke of Bolton.
See also
Winslade
Berry baronets