Newbold Verdon Hall

Sir Thomas Crewe, Speaker of the House of Commons, had purchased the estate in 1625, after which it was passed down to Nathaniel Crew, who died in 1721 with no children. He left the estate to his great-nephew James Montagu, MP for Chippenham and Camelford.^[2][3]

James made many improvements to the house and grounds. On his death in 1748 the property passed to his cousin, the diplomat Sir Edward Wortley-Montagu, MP of Wortley Hall, Yorkshire. He died in 1761 and his wife, the celebrated writer Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, a year later, left Newbold Verdon (but no money) to their errant son, the traveller Edward Wortley Montagu. He sold the house in 1767 to pay his gambling debts and moved to live in the Middle East. The house was afterwards owned by the Cradock-Hartopp family until the 20th century.^[4]

By the 19th century, however, the building was being used as a rented farmhouse and renamed Hall Farm. In 1965 it belonged in turn to Mr. J.G. Selkirk and his son Ian.