Antony House
{{Short description|Grade I listed historic house museum in Antony, United Kingdom}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2023}}
{{Infobox historic site
| name = Antony House
| native_name =
| native_language =
| image = File:Mansion - panoramio (10).jpg
| caption =
| type =
| locmapin = Cornwall
| coordinates = {{coord|50.38529|-4.22723}}
| location = Antony, Cornwall, England
| area =
| built = 1718–1729
| architect =
| architecture =
| governing_body =
| owner = National Trust
| designation1 = Grade I
| designation1_offname = Antony House
| designation1_date = 21 July 1951
| designation1_number = {{listed building England|1311081}}
| designation2 = Historic garden
| designation2_offname = Antony
| designation2_date = 11 June 1987
| designation2_number = {{listed building England|1000647}}
}}
Antony House is an early 18th-century property in the care of the National Trust. It is located between the town of Torpoint and the village of Antony in the county of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is a Grade I listed building.
The house is faced in silvery-grey Pentewan stone, flanked by colonnaded wings of mellow brick and overlooks the River Lynher. It was built for Sir William Carew, 5th Baronet between 1718 and 1724, and ever since has continued as the primary residence of the Carew family, who have owned the estate since the mid-16th century. Sir John Carew Pole, 12th Baronet gave the house and formal gardens into the care of the National Trust in 1961, on the understanding that the family could continue to reside there. Sir Tremayne Carew Pole, 14th Baronet, and his wife Charlotte currently live there with their two children.
The house and gardens are open to the public between March and October.
Collections and furnishings
File:Thomas Coventry.jpg by Cornelis Janssens van Ceulen]]
Antony House hosts a splendid collection of portraits, including a portrait of Charles I of England at his trial, (Charles I granted a baronetcy to the Poles in 1628). The collection contains some of Sir Joshua Reynolds' works, and a portrait of Rachel Carew, believed to have inspired Daphne du Maurier's novel My Cousin Rachel.{{cite web|url=https://www.dumaurier.org/menu_page.php?id=108|title=Review of My Cousin Rachel|last=Willmore|first=Ann|year=2004|work=Daphne du Maurier website|access-date=21 August 2023}}
Rooms are heavily panelled in Dutch Oak and contain fine collections of 18th-century furnishings and textiles.{{cite web|url=http://www.plants.info/gardens/antony-house.htm |title=Antony House & Garden |accessdate=2009-07-18 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090401231202/http://www.plants.info/gardens/antony-house.htm |archivedate=2009-04-01 }}
Gardens and estate
The grounds were landscaped by Georgian garden designer Humphry Repton and include the formal garden with the National Collection of Day Lilies.[http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-antony/ Anthony House] National Trust {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070911113412/http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-antony/ |date=2007-09-11 }} In the early 19th century, yew hedges and topiary were added to the formal landscaping. Adorning the gardens are stone carvings from North West India, a Burmese temple bell brought to Antony by General Sir Reginald Pole Carew, statuary and more recently acquired modern sculptures, including the Antony Cone water sculpture by William Pye.{{cite web|url=http://www.williampye.com/sculpture-5.php?id%3D30 |title=William Pye - Antony Cone |accessdate=2009-09-29 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090424075716/http://www.williampye.com/sculpture-5.php?id=30 |archivedate=2009-04-24 }} This echoes the grand spectacle of the topiary yew cone nearby, which is almost as tall as the house itself. Other sculptures include Jupiter Stone by Peter Randall-Page{{cite web|url=http://peterrandall-page.com/cv/wheretosee.htm |title=Peter Randall-Page, where to see his sculptures |accessdate=2009-05-25 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090402062813/http://peterrandall-page.com/cv/wheretosee.htm |archivedate=2009-04-02 }} and Hypercone by Simon Thomas.{{cite web|url=http://simonthomas-sculpture.com/gallery_larger.php |title=Gallery |publisher=Simon Thomas Sculpture |date= |accessdate=2018-10-29}}
Other notable features include a black walnut tree, cork tree, a Japanese ornamental pond and knot garden. The dovecote dates from the 18th century, while a folly has been added recently in the estate grounds.
= Antony Woodland Garden =
This informal woodland garden of {{Convert|60|acre|ha}} is owned by the Carew Pole Garden Trust and noted for its rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias and magnolias. It is recognised by the International Camelia Society as a "Garden of Excellence".{{Cite web |title=Antony Woodland Garden, Plymouth |url=https://internationalcamellia.org/en-us/europe-gardens-of-excellence/antony-woodland-garden-plymouth |access-date=2024-01-26 |website=internationalcamellia.org |language=en-us}} There are walks down to the River Lynher.{{Cite web |title=About Us |url=https://antonywoodlandgarden.com/about/ |access-date=26 January 2024 |website=Antony Woodland Garden}} The Bath House situated in the Wilderness area of the garden is from the 18th century.{{Historic England|num=1159499|desc=Bath House|access-date=26 January 2024}}
Film location
Filming for the 2010 Disney film production of Alice in Wonderland, directed by Tim Burton, took place in the grounds of Antony House in September 2008.{{cite web|url=http://www.gardensofcornwall.com/site/outdoor-kids/antony-house-and-garden-p133063 |title=Gardens in Cornwall |publisher=Gardensofcornwall.com |date= |accessdate=2018-10-29}} The estate was also used as a location for a Rosamunde Pilcher TV movie by German company ZDF with director Dieter Kehler.{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0444936/|title=Dieter Kehler|publisher=IMDB|accessdate=29 October 2018}}
References
{{Portal|Cornwall}}
{{reflist}}
External links
{{commons category|Antony House}}
- [https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/antony Antony information at the National Trust]
- [http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/Cornwall/Antony/ GENUKI page]
- {{NHLE |num=1311081}}
- [https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Wikidata%3AWikiProject_sum_of_all_paintings%2FCollection%2FAntony_House Wikidata list of paintings on show at Antony House]
Category:Grade I listed buildings in Cornwall
Category:National Trust properties in Cornwall
Category:Historic house museums in Cornwall
Category:Houses completed in 1721
Category:Country houses in Cornwall
Category:Grade I listed houses
Category:1721 establishments in England
Category:Grade II* listed parks and gardens in Cornwall