Gatcombe Park
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| Gatcombe Park | |
|---|---|
.jpg) The house from the park, in 2009 | |
| Location | Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire |
| Coordinates | 51°41′36″N 2°10′25″W / 51.6933°N 2.1736°W |
| OS grid reference | ST880994 |
| Built | 1774 (re-modelling in 1820) |
| Architect | Francis Franklin for original building; George Basevi for 19th century reconstruction |
| Architectural style(s) | Neoclassical |
| Owner | Anne, Princess Royal |
Listed Building – Grade II* | |
| Official name | Gatcombe Park House |
| Designated | 28 June 1960 |
| Reference no. | 1091099 |
| Official name | Gatcombe Park House gardens and parkland |
| Type | Grade II |
| Designated | 28 February 1986 |
| Reference no. | 1000765 |
Listed Building – Grade II | |
| Official name | Stables and Coach House 80M east of Gatcombe Park |
| Designated | 24 March 1988 |
| Reference no. | 1172412 |
Listed Building – Grade II | |
| Official name | Pyramid Monument 300M south of Gatcombe Park |
| Designated | 24 March 1988 |
| Reference no. | 1091100 |
  Location of Gatcombe Park in Gloucestershire | |
Gatcombe Park is a country house between the villages of Minchinhampton (to which it belongs) and Avening in Gloucestershire, England. Originally constructed in the 1770s, it was rebuilt from 1820 by George Basevi for the economist David Ricardo. Since 1976 it has been the country home of Anne, Princess Royal. Gatcombe is a Grade II* listed building. Parts of the grounds open for events, including horse trials and craft fairs.
Gatcombe Park is between the villages of Minchinhampton and Avening in Gloucestershire in South West England. Highgrove House, the country residence of Anne's brother, King Charles III, is located 6 miles (9.7 km) away in the parish of Doughton, near Tetbury. The first cousin of their mother, the late Queen, Prince Michael of Kent, owned nearby Nether Lypiatt Manor for 26 years from 1980.[1]
History
The manors of Minchinhampton and Avening formed the basis of the later Gatcombe Park estate. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries they were granted to Lord Windsor, whose family sold most of the land to Philip Sheppard in 1656.[2] The core hillside land of the former estates, which was chiefly within the parish bounds of Gatcombe, was left in the will of Samuel Sheppard, who died in 1770, to his brother Edward.[2] Edward, a clothier, had a new house built from 1771 to 1774.[3] The house and estate were purchased in 1814 by the speculator and theoretical economist David Ricardo, MP, and altered to the designs of George Basevi (a relation), c.1820.[2] It features Bath stone construction, and comprises five main bedrooms, four secondary bedrooms, four reception rooms, a library, a billiard room and a conservatory; staff accommodation and its steep-sloping grounds are a separately listed (Grade II) parkland.[4]
