Dodington Park

{{Infobox Historic Site

| name = Dodington Park

| image = Dodington House, Gloucestershire 1984 (geograph 5284347).jpg

| caption = Dodington House

| locmapin = Gloucestershire

| map_caption = Location in Gloucestershire

| coordinates = {{coord|51|31|01.5|N|02|21|29|W}}

| location = Dodington, Gloucestershire, England

}}

Dodington Park is a country house and estate in Dodington, South Gloucestershire, England. The house was built by James Wyatt for Christopher Bethell Codrington (of the Codrington baronets). The family had made their fortune from sugar plantations in the Caribbean and were significant owners of slaves. It remained in the Codrington family until 1980; it is now owned by the British businessman James Dyson.

The estate comprises some {{convert|300|acre}} of landscaped park with woods, lakes, lodges, a dower house, an orangery, a church, and a walled kitchen garden. Formal gardens adjoin the main house. The house is Grade I listed on the National Heritage List for England and the landscaped park is Grade II* listed on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens.{{NHLE|num=1000566|desc=Dodington House|access-date=6 October 2017|mode=cs2}}{{NHLE|num=1211169|desc=Dodington House|access-date=6 October 2017|mode=cs2}} The dower house, orangery, and St Mary's Church which all adjoin the house are also each individually Grade I listed, as is the Bath lodge at the southern part of the estate.{{NHLE|num=1211172|desc=Orangery attached to North West of Dodington House|access-date=9 October 2017|mode=cs2}}{{NHLE|num=1290138|desc=Dower House|access-date=9 October 2017|mode=cs2}}{{NHLE|num=1211173|desc=Church of St Mary|access-date=9 October 2017|mode=cs2}}{{NHLE|num=1214012|desc=Bath Lodge|access-date=9 October 2017|mode=cs2}}

The wall, railings and gate piers near the Bath lodge are listed Grade II.{{NHLE|num=1288729|desc=Wall, railings and gate piers about 10 meters West of Bath Lodge|access-date=9 October 2017|mode=cs2}} Chippenham Lodge and its terrace walls and the northern gateway to Dodington Park are listed Grade II*.{{NHLE|num=1135785|desc=North gateway to Dodington Park, sites, quadrant walls and Chippenham Lodge and terrace walls|access-date=9 October 2017|mode=cs2}} The gates and walls surrounding the kitchen garden toward the north of the park are listed Grade II, as is the Garden Cottage.{{NHLE|num=1211469|desc=Walls surrounding former kitchen garden and gates at North end of Dodington Park|access-date=9 October 2017|mode=cs2}}{{NHLE|num=1290031|desc=Garden Cottage|access-date=9 October 2017|mode=cs2}}

Location

Dodington Park is in the parish of Dodington in South Gloucestershire in South West England. The village of Dodington adjoins the western entrance of the estate, which is set on the western edge of the southern Cotswolds. The eastern boundary of the estate is the A46 road, which connects Bath to Stroud, with the northern boundaries bordered by the A432 road from Chippenham to Sodbury. A lane connecting Dodington village to the A46 forms the southern boundary of the estate.

File:Dodington Park, South Gloucestershire, Bath Lodge - geograph.org.uk - 96020.jpg

History

The Codrington family acquired the Dodington estate in the late 16th century, when it was home to a large gabled Elizabethan house and adjoining church. In the 18th century the family became extremely wealthy from their sugar plantations in the British West Indies (see History of the British West Indies) and expanded and developed the estate.{{cite book|author=Matthew Parker|title=The Sugar Barons: Family, Corruption, Empire and War|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EXzgcB-pb2YC|year=2011|publisher=Hutchinson|isbn=978-0-09-192583-3|page=362|access-date=2020-10-07|archive-date=2020-10-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201007200959/https://books.google.com/books?id=EXzgcB-pb2YC|url-status=live}} The grounds of 240 ha were laid out around 1764 by Capability Brown and were modified in 1793 by William Emes and John Webb.

The main house was built by James Wyatt between 1798 and 1816 for Christopher Bethell Codrington.{{cite book|last1=Cooke|first1=Robert|title=West Country Houses|date=1957|publisher=Batsford|pages=150–152}} It is built in the Roman classical style from Bath stone and has a slate roof. Each facade is different, the south front having seven bays separated by Corinthian pilasters. From the north-west corner of the house, a curving conservatory acts as a covered approach to the church, which was also rebuilt by Wyatt. A formal garden was added in 1930.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/arts/features/story/0,,1426458,00.html|title=Lord Muck|author=David Smith|date=27 February 2005|work=The Observer|accessdate=9 October 2017|archive-date=9 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171009194856/https://www.theguardian.com/arts/features/story/0,,1426458,00.html|url-status=live}} The interior of the house features decorative plasterwork by Francis Bernasconi.{{cite book|author1=Geoffrey Beard|author2=Jeff Orton|author3=Richard Ireland|title=Decorative Plasterwork in Great Britain|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O82qCgAAQBAJ|date=6 October 2015|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-317-74288-3|page=206}}

The house was listed as being {{convert|52000|sqft|m2}} in size at the time of its 2003 sale.

A curved orangery with a black and white stone floor adjoins the west of the house, to which it is directly accessed by glass doors. The 1999 Gloucestershire 1: The Cotswolds edition of the Pevsner Architectural Guides, described the placing of the curved orangery in relation to St Mary's church as a "perfect example of Regency picturesque".{{cite book|author1=David Verey|author2=Alan Brooks|title=Gloucestershire: The Cotswolds|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jN9PAAAAMAAJ|year=1999|publisher=Penguin Books|page=91|access-date=2020-10-07|archive-date=2020-10-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201007201000/https://books.google.com/books?id=jN9PAAAAMAAJ|url-status=live}}

The church of St Mary adjoining the house is listed Grade I.

The Fishing Lodge, listed Grade II, is to the north west of the house.{{NHLE|num=1290029|desc=Fishing Lodge on North bank of lake|access-date=9 October 2017|mode=cs2}} The bridges to the south and the north of the lodge are both Grade II listed, as are the wall and piers to the west of the Fishing Lodge.{{NHLE|num=1211461|desc=Bridge, flanking wall and piers about 25 meters South East of fishing lodge|access-date=9 October 2017|mode=cs2}}{{NHLE|num=1290030|desc=Bridge, flanking wall and piers about 40 meters North East of fishing lodge|access-date=9 October 2017|mode=cs2}}{{NHLE|num=1211431|desc=Wall and piers about 110 meters West of fishing lodge|access-date=9 October 2017|mode=cs2}}

The walls on the bridge and tunnel entries to the north west of the house are listed Grade II.{{NHLE|num=1211177|desc=Walls on bridge and tunnel entries about 120 meters North West of Dodingon House|access-date=9 October 2017|mode=cs2}} The lodge to the north west of the house is listed Grade II, as are its gate piers and their gates.{{NHLE|num=1211176|desc=Lodge about 120 meters North West of Dodington House|access-date=9 October 2017|mode=cs2}}{{NHLE|num=1211334|desc=Gate piers and gates attached to East of Lodge about 120 meters North West of Dodington House|access-date=9 October 2017|mode=cs2}}

The stables are listed Grade I, and a barn to the north of the stables is listed Grade II.{{NHLE|num=1290139|desc=Stables|access-date=9 October 2017|mode=cs2}}{{NHLE|num=1211411|desc=Barn about 12 meters North of stables|access-date=9 October 2017|mode=cs2}}

The walls, piers, and bridge to the west of St Mary's churchyard entrance are listed Grade II, as are the walls and railings and gates attached to the West of the church.{{NHLE|num=1211312|desc=Walls, piers and bridge about 40 meters West of Entrance to Churchyard of Church of St Mary|access-date=9 October 2017|mode=cs2}}

{{NHLE|num=1211174|desc=Walls, piers, railings, gates and overthrow attached to West of Church of St Mary|access-date=9 October 2017|mode=cs2}}

The Summer House to the south of the Dower House is listed Grade II.{{NHLE|num=1211350|desc=Summer House about 30 meters South of the Dower House|access-date=9 October 2017|mode=cs2}} The Cascade Building at the eastern end of the lake is listed Grade II*.{{NHLE|num=1211179|desc=The Cascade Building about 80 meters East of Dodington House and railings|access-date=9 October 2017|mode=cs2}} The ornamental pigeon loft to the east of the cascade building is listed Grade II.{{NHLE|num=1211429|desc=Ornamental pigeon loft about 80 meters East of Cascade Building|access-date=9 October 2017|mode=cs2}}

In the formal gardens to the east of the house, a pair of pedestals and urns are listed Grade II, as are an urn and pedestal to the west of the house.{{NHLE|num=1290132|desc=Pair of pedestals and urns about 10 meters East of Dodington House|access-date=9 October 2017|mode=cs2}}{{NHLE|num=1290135|desc=Urn and pedestal about 30 meters West of Dodington House|access-date=9 October 2017|mode=cs2}} The garden ornaments on the south of the house are listed Grade II as is the balustrade to the west.{{NHLE|num=1211171|desc=Balustrade about 50 meters West of Dodington House|access-date=9 October 2017|mode=cs2}}{{NHLE|num=1211170|desc=Garden ornaments on terrace south of Dodington House|access-date=9 October 2017|mode=cs2}}

Betteshanger School moved to Dodington Park for the duration of the Second World War.{{cite news|title=Personal|url=http://find.galegroup.com/ttda/infomark.do?&source=gale&prodId=TTDA&userGroupName=wes_ttda&tabID=T003&docPage=article&searchType=BasicSearchForm&docId=CS17380904&type=multipage&contentSet=LTO&version=1.0|accessdate=26 February 2018|work=The Times|issue=48507|date=8 January 1940|page=1|url-access=subscription|via=The Times Digital Archive|archive-date=7 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201007201005/https://galeapps.gale.com/apps/auth?userGroupName=wes_ttda&origURL=https%3A%2F%2Fgo.gale.com%2Fps%2Fi.do%3Faction%3Dinterpret%26id%3DGALE%7CCS17380904%26v%3D2.1%26u%3Dwes_ttda%26it%3Dr%26p%3DTTDA%26sw%3Dw&prodId=TTDA|url-status=live}} Dodington Park was opened to the public in the 1950s due to the increasing financial pressures on the Codrington family of maintaining the estate. The Times listed the house as open from 1 May to 30 September in the summer of 1955 with entry costing 2s and 6d.{{cite news|title=Summer openings of English country houses|url=http://find.galegroup.com/ttda/infomark.do?&source=gale&prodId=TTDA&userGroupName=wes_ttda&tabID=T003&docPage=article&searchType=BasicSearchForm&docId=CS67720316&type=multipage&contentSet=LTO&version=1.0|accessdate=26 February 2018|work=The Times|issue=5320OB|date=28 March 1955|page=4|url-access=subscription|via=The Times Digital Archive|archive-date=7 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201007201003/https://galeapps.gale.com/apps/auth?userGroupName=wes_ttda&origURL=https%3A%2F%2Fgo.gale.com%2Fps%2Fi.do%3Faction%3Dinterpret%26id%3DGALE%7CCS67720316%26v%3D2.1%26u%3Dwes_ttda%26it%3Dr%26p%3DTTDA%26sw%3Dw&prodId=TTDA|url-status=live}} The house received financial grants for maintenance from the Ministry of Works in 1955.{{cite news|title=Memory of Keane and Kemble|url=http://find.galegroup.com/ttda/infomark.do?&source=gale&prodId=TTDA&userGroupName=wes_ttda&tabID=T003&docPage=article&searchType=BasicSearchForm&docId=CS171660326&type=multipage&contentSet=LTO&version=1.0|accessdate=26 February 2018|work=The Times|issue=53132|date=6 January 1955|page=10|url-access=subscription|via=The Times Digital Archive|archive-date=7 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201007201019/https://galeapps.gale.com/apps/auth?userGroupName=wes_ttda&origURL=https%3A%2F%2Fgo.gale.com%2Fps%2Fi.do%3Faction%3Dinterpret%26id%3DGALE%7CCS171660326%26v%3D2.1%26u%3Dwes_ttda%26it%3Dr%26p%3DTTDA%26sw%3Dw&prodId=TTDA|url-status=live}}

An adventure playground for children, a carriage museum and a narrow-gauge railway had been built on the site to attract visitors by the 1970s. The local council denied planning permission to build a pleasure park in 1982, with the decision costing the immediate loss of 20 staff. In the wake of the decision, Sir Simon Codrington said that "Every generation of Codringtons since the sixteenth century has fought tooth and nail to keep the estate" with Sir Simon and his wife being reduced to occupying only a single bedroom and kitchen in the house with an electric fire for heating.{{cite news|last1=Seton|first1=Craig|title=Historic house jobs lost|url=http://find.galegroup.com/ttda/infomark.do?&source=gale&prodId=TTDA&userGroupName=wes_ttda&tabID=T003&docPage=article&searchType=BasicSearchForm&docId=CS35359586&type=multipage&contentSet=LTO&version=1.0|accessdate=26 February 2018|work=The Times|issue=60978|date=2 November 1982|page=25|url-access=subscription|via=The Times Digital Archive|archive-date=7 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201007201027/https://galeapps.gale.com/apps/auth?userGroupName=wes_ttda&origURL=https%3A%2F%2Fgo.gale.com%2Fps%2Fi.do%3Faction%3Dinterpret%26id%3DGALE%7CCS35359586%26v%3D2.1%26u%3Dwes_ttda%26it%3Dr%26p%3DTTDA%26sw%3Dw&prodId=TTDA|url-status=live}}

The estate was put up for sale in October 1983 by estate agents John D. Wood and had sold by the following February at undisclosed price, with offers over £1 million having been sought previously.{{cite news|last1=Warman|first1=Christopher|title=Property Buyers Guide|url=http://find.galegroup.com/ttda/infomark.do?&source=gale&prodId=TTDA&userGroupName=wes_ttda&tabID=T003&docPage=article&searchType=BasicSearchForm&docId=CS486772058&type=multipage&contentSet=LTO&version=1.0|accessdate=26 February 2018|work=The Times|issue=61673|date=23 October 1983|page=29|url-access=subscription|via=The Times Digital Archive}}{{cite news|last1=Warman|first1=Christopher|title=Property Buyers Guide|url=http://find.galegroup.com/ttda/infomark.do?&source=gale&prodId=TTDA&userGroupName=wes_ttda&tabID=T003&docPage=article&searchType=BasicSearchForm&docId=CS486772303&type=multipage&contentSet=LTO&version=1.0|accessdate=26 February 2018|work=The Times|issue=61758|date=15 February 1984|page=29|url-access=subscription|via=The Times Digital Archive|archive-date=7 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201007201032/https://galeapps.gale.com/apps/auth?userGroupName=wes_ttda&origURL=https%3A%2F%2Fgo.gale.com%2Fps%2Fi.do%3Faction%3Dinterpret%26id%3DGALE%7CCS486772303%26v%3D2.1%26u%3Dwes_ttda%26it%3Dr%26p%3DTTDA%26sw%3Dw&prodId=TTDA|url-status=live}} The Codrington archives which documented three generations of the family and their relationship with agriculture and slavery in the West Indies for two centuries were sold in the late 1970s.{{cite book|author=Michael Wood|title=In Search of England: Journeys Into the English Past |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qAva0pzKe9oC&pg=PA292|year=2001|publisher=University of California Press |isbn=978-0-520-23218-1 |pages=292–293}} Dodington Park was the subject of the final episode of the 1981 BBC 2 series Arthur Negus Enjoys in which Arthur Negus and architectural historian John Martin Robinson visited the house.{{cite news|title=Choice|url=http://find.galegroup.com/ttda/infomark.do?&source=gale&prodId=TTDA&userGroupName=wes_ttda&tabID=T003&docPage=article&searchType=BasicSearchForm&docId=CS419662061&type=multipage&contentSet=LTO&version=1.0|accessdate=26 February 2018|work=The Times|issue=60978|date=13 July 1981|page=25|url-access=subscription|via=The Times Digital Archive|archive-date=7 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201007201033/https://galeapps.gale.com/apps/auth?userGroupName=wes_ttda&origURL=https%3A%2F%2Fgo.gale.com%2Fps%2Fi.do%3Faction%3Dinterpret%26id%3DGALE%7CCS419662061%26v%3D2.1%26u%3Dwes_ttda%26it%3Dr%26p%3DTTDA%26sw%3Dw&prodId=TTDA|url-status=live}}

Post Codrington

Dodington Park was sold in 1993 to Michael Percival Kent, a Bath based residential homes and commercial developer, for a negotiated price believed to be around £800,000. {{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/property/house-and-home/property-the-manor-is-reborn-wealthy-buyers-are-rediscovering-the-advantages-financial-and-social-of-1504063.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190507150418/https://www.independent.co.uk/property/house-and-home/property-the-manor-is-reborn-wealthy-buyers-are-rediscovering-the-advantages-financial-and-social-of-1504063.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=7 May 2019|title=Property: The manor is reborn: Wealthy buyers are rediscovering the advantages, financial and social, of owning an estate, says Anne Spackman|author=Anne Spackman|date=13 November 1993|work=The Independent|accessdate=9 October 2017}}

It was subsequently bought in 2003 by the British inventor and businessman James Dyson for a price believed to be £20 million.{{cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/royal-family/article/dyson-bags-a-bigger-estate-than-the-queen-ttg6js3zrfl|title=Dyson bags a bigger estate than the Queen|author=Nicholas Hellen and Josh Boswell|date=28 December 2014|work=The Times|access-date=9 October 2017|archive-date=29 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191029171639/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/dyson-bags-a-bigger-estate-than-the-queen-ttg6js3zrfl|url-status=live}} The estate was believed to be 300 acres at the time of the 2003 sale. Dyson constructed an underground swimming pool underneath the orangery without planning permission in 2011. The existence of the pool was subsequently revealed to South Gloucestershire planning officers in 2015 after a tip off, and Dyson was forced to retrospectively apply for planning permission, which was granted in October 2016.{{cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/article/dyson-in-hot-water-over-marble-pool-ds52kkprs|title=Dyson in hot water over marble pool|author=Simon de Bruxelles|date=26 October 2016|work=The Times|access-date=9 October 2017|archive-date=30 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161230233907/http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/dyson-in-hot-water-over-marble-pool-ds52kkprs|url-status=live}}

Dodington Park

Location

History

Post Codrington

References

Further reading