Weston Park, the ancestral home of the Earls of Bradford, is a imposing red-brick house set in 1,000 acres of beautiful parkland.
The house was built in 1671 by Elizabeth, Lady Wilbraham. She acted as her own architect and Weston Park is one of the earliest English buildings known to have been designed by a woman.
On the death of her husband, the estate passed to their youngest daughter who was married to Richard Newport, 2nd Earl of Bradford. His son, the 3rd Earl, purchased the basis of the collection of Old Master paintings for which Weston Park is reknowned.
In 1762 the male line ended and the estate passed to Sir Henry Bridgeman of Castle Bromwich.
Sir Henry refurbished the interior of the house and engaged 'Capability' Brown to landscape the park. The notable garden buildings added at this time were designed by James Paine.
The title of Earl of Bradford was revived for Sir Henry's son, a friend of the Prince Regent. In 1802 - 08 he commissioned John White to make alterations to the house, and in 1830 - 31 the 2nd Earl engaged Thomas Rickman to made more changes.
In 1866 the 3rd Earl employed William Burn to change the entrance to the east front and to add a new guest wing and orangery. At the same time the formal gardens to the south and west were created.
Further changes to the interior were carried out by the 4th Earl, who inherited in 1898, and by the wife of the 6th Earl in the 1960s.
Today the property is owned and maintained by the charitable 'Weston Park Foundation'.
The alterations to the house over the years have removed most of the original interiors.
The exterior has seen little change.The solid three-storeyed red-brick block has grey sandstone dressings with a balastrade hiding the roof.
A carriage porch gives access to the house on the east front.
The Entrance Hall contains paintings by Stubbs and Ferneley, and beyond this is the Marble Hall which displays some of the family's collection of Chinese porcelain.
The Tapestry Room has a set of Gobelin tapestries dated 1766, originally acquired by Sir Henry Bridgeman for a bedroom.The Drawing Room, the entrance hall of the 1671 house, is hung with family portraits by Lely and others and also contains some French furniture and Bow china.
The Library has a collection of books and contains more portraits including work by Reynolds and Constable.
The Dining Room was created in the west wing in 1866, and embellished by Lady Bradford in 1968. This is now hung with Old Master paintings, including a collection of Van Dyck portraits.
A corridor hung with two works by the Mannerest painter Amiconi leads to two top-lit galleries created from the 19th century billiard and smoking rooms, on the site of the former entrance courtyard.
The first gallery contains a pair of Aubusson tapestries and paintings by Jacopo Bassano and Joseph Vernet. The second gallery has works by Salvator Rosa and Guido Reni and a collection of 17th century Dutch and Flemish paintings.
The Breakfast Room, in the east wing, contains some of the finest paintings in the house including work by Holbein, Antonio Moro and Gainsborough.
To the east of the house is a stable block dated 1688.
The magnificent park, designed by 'Capability' Brown, contains one of the largest and most ambitious garden buildings of its date. James Paine's 'Temple of Diana' was built in 1765. Views over the beautiful undulating landscape surrounding the house.
Other features of the grounds include the Italian Broderie and the Rose Garden on the South Terrace. There are also woodland walks, a Woodland Adventure Playground, a deer park, and a Miniature Railway.
2008 Open: Apr: 5-6,12-13,19-20 & 26-27;May:3-5,10-11,17-18 & 24-31;Jun:1,7-8,14-15,21-22 & 28-29; Jul: everyday except 26th; Aug: everyday except 13-20th; Times: Park & Gardens 11:00-18:30 Last entry 17:00. House 13:00-17:00 Last entry 16:30
Tel: 01952 852100 Weston Park Website
