Rounton Grange
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Rounton Grange was a country house in East Rounton, a village in North Yorkshire, in England.
The original Rounton Grange was a substantial brick building of unknown date, and described as being of "poor quality". In 1866, it was purchased by Isaac Lowthian Bell, who originally planned to extend the house. In 1872, he decided instead to demolish the house, and commission Philip Webb to build a replacement, in the Arts and Crafts movement style. The new house was completed in 1876. The existing gardens were redesigned and extended, possibly to designs by Webb. Gertrude Bell altered the gardens in the early 20th century, her work including a rock garden constructed in 1907.[1]
The house was designed to be tall and compact, to maximise its impact, and also preserve mature trees nearby. It was a four-storey building with attics, and towers in each corner. It was particularly noted for its interiors, including a dining room designed by William Morris and Edward Burne Jones, and a long gallery was later added to designs by George Jack.[2]
The house proved expensive to maintain, and Bell's descendents moved out in the 1920s. During the Second World War, it was requisitioned to house evacuees, and later Italian prisoners. After the war, the family unsuccessfully tried to sell the house and to donate it to the National Trust, but it was instead demolished in 1954.[2]
