Belton is an Anglo-Dutch Restoration house built in the last years of Charles II's reign.
The house was designed by the gentleman-architect William Winde and built between 1685 - 1688.
It is H-shaped with honey-coloured symmetrical facades crowned by a cupola. A broad flight of steps leads up to a pedimented entrance front which is offset by the steeply pitched roof with domestic dormer windows.
In the 1770s the house was altered by the architect James Wyatt.
The Brownlow and Cust families have had a long association with Belton House.
They were the descendants of a wealthy Elizabethan lawyer who bought the estate in 1617. Family portraits are displayed in nearly every room.
A painting by Sir Joshua Reynolds of Sir John Cust, Speaker of the House of Commons from 1761 - 1770, is hung in the splendid marble hall. At the top of the stairs is a portrait of the last Countess Brownlow, as a young girl, by Lord Leighton.
The high quality decorations and furnishings at Belton include fine furniture, superb wall mirrors, tapestries, oriental porcelain, silver and the remnants of a collection of Old Masters.
There are also huge garden scenes by Melchior d'Hondecoeter acquired by the last Earl. The 17th century saloon in the centre of the house is panelled and decorated with intricate limewood carving of the Grinling Gibbons school.
The virtually unaltered north-facing chapel has a baroque plaster ceiling by Edward Goudge.
In the late 19th century Belton House was sympathetically restored and redecorated by the last Earl and his wife.
In the breakfast room are 20th century portraits, including a painting of the 6th Lord Brownlow who was Lord in Waiting to Edward VIII during his short reign. Lord Brownlow was a close friend of Edward VIII who stayed several times at Belton when he was Prince of Wales.
The formal gardens which had been introduced in the early 19th century were re-created by the last Earl. The sunken Italian garden compliments the orangery designed by James Wyatt in around 1820. Yews border the path through the Dutch Garden.
The small Palladian temple that faces down a canal on the east of the garden and the unrestored wilderness to the west are remnants of the 18th century layout.
There is also a woodland adventure playground.
2008: House:15 Mar-2 Nov:12:30-17:00 Wed-Sun; Garden/Park: 15 Mar-30 Jun & 8 Sep-2 Nov: 11:00-17:00 Wed-Sun; 1 Jul-7 Sep:11:00-17:00 Mon-Sun; 3 Nov-21 Dec: 12:00-16:00 Fri-Sun; 26 Dec-4 Jan: 12:00-16:00 Mon-Sun; Last entry 30min before close.
Tel: 01476 566116 Belton House Website
