Mentmore Towers

Mentmore Towers was built in 1855 for Baron Meyer Amschel de Rothschild.

He commissioned Sir Joseph Paxton and his future son-in-law G H Stokes to design the house. Although Paxton was not a trained architect he was a great favourite of the Rothschild family who were probably impressed by the Crystal Palace he built for the Great Exhibition of 1851 and his work at Chatsworth.

Paxton designed a vast building in Elizabethan style with great windows and a turreted roofline. The grand romantic mansion was a reflection of the immense wealth and power of the Rothchilds during the Victorian era.

At the end of the 19th century Mentmore Towers passed into the hands of Lord Rosebery. At that time the house contained a superb collection of fine furniture and works of art. Lord Rosebery made the house a magnificent centre of social life for the rich and influential.

In the 1970s the contents of the house were put up for sale. Although there was a public outcry at the possible loss to the nation of many important items, the auction went ahead and raised over £6,000,000.

The house was sold later to the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and is now the headquarters of his University of Natural Law.

Currently it is being redeveloped as a hotel and golf course.

At the present time the house is not open to the public.