User:Kentwicker/sandbox

Pylewell Park is a country house and park near Lymington in Hampshire, England and is the ancestral home to the Roper-Curzon family. It is listed at grade II*. It occupies 1500 acres including beautiful gardens, church, private beach, a fifteen-acre lake and house gardens of 27 acres.

History
The Domesday Book records the Pylewell estate. It dates back to the 12th century where Knights Templar Preceptor occupied it which was located on the Baddesley Manor site. Sir Richard Worsley lived in Pylewell Ground in 1609. Afterward, the family of Worsley built the house on the present site near Appuldurcombe. During the 17th century, Pylewell estate was fortified to Jacobean Lodge. Ascanius William Senior started leasing this park and by 1787 he eventually bought it.

From 1787 to 1801 Thomas Robbins bought the park and removed most of the formal gardens elements and introduced ornamental walks and informal schemes of parkland. Thomas Weld acquired the estate in 1801 for his son called Joseph. Joseph aged 25 years when he acquired Pylewell and since then he actively dealt with all affairs of the estate up to 1828. As such, he made extensive enhancements to the gardens and farms such as North Park improvements in 1818. Additionally, in 1822 the South Lake was constructed. More improvements continued including the avenue of southern Solent in additional to lay grounds in the formal garden and this occurred in the early eighteen century. By 1854, William Peers of Williams’s Freeman started improving the Weld’s construction as well as the Pylewells grounds. A circular parterre was included in the house of the southeast as more land was bought in the school village of Baddesley.

Before 1874 when William Ingham Whitaker acquired the Pylewell estate, it was owned by nearly four more owners including Mr. Thomas Robins, Thomas Weld, Joseph Weld, and Joseph Worker. As soon as he acquired the estate, he added a new lodge and drive among other important changes to the house. After his death in 1893 his son William Ingham Whitaker, succeeded him and made more significant alterations. In 1903 he married and traveled to Japan. Accordingly, he developed the pleasure grounds with Australasian and Asian plant collections including bridges and a new lily pond. Between 1912 and 1920s he gradually established rhododendrons collection on the lake banks. This is the time in which all the gardens attained their most decorative stage. Although in 1936 the William Ingham Whitaker III inherited the estate, it was demolished in 1951. This happened during wartime where east and west wings of the house and parkland were affected. The nephew of William Ingham Whitaker, Lord Teynham inherited the estate in 1988.

The Roper-Curzon family is one of the oldest English family’s with a long history of political involvement since the Norman Conquest. Obtaining numerous aristocratic titles and royal descendants of Charles II and William the Conquerer. Today, the House of Roper-Curzon and House of Windsor are related through Lady Teynham, Elizabeth Roper-Curzon and Sara Ferguson, Duchess of York.

Modern house
Since 1879, it has belonged to members of the House of Roper-Curzon. Today the David John Henry Roper-Curzon, the eldest son of Lord Teynham, lives in it with his eldest son Henry “Harry” Christopher Roper-Curzon and his other children. The house has a sea aspect as well as countryside sweeping views because it is set in 1500 acres, with a private beach, a 15-acre lake and house gardens of 27 acres.

The Roper-Curzon aristocratic titles
A list of the Noble Titles the Roper-Curzon’s have held:
 * King of England, Scotland, and Ireland
 * Queen of Scots
 * Marquess Curzon of Kedleston
 * Earl Curzon of Kedleston
 * Earl Howe
 * Viscounts Scarsdale
 * Viscounts Howe
 * Viscount Baltinglass
 * Viscount Curzon
 * Baron Teynham
 * Baron Howe
 * Baron Curzon
 * Baron Ravensdale
 * Baron Dacre
 * Baron Dacre of Glanton
 * Baron Scarsdale
 * Curzon baronets
 * Mosley baronets
 * Knighthood

The Roper-Curzon family estates in United Kingdom

 * Pylewell Park
 * Kedleston Estate
 * Trimdon Estates
 * Kent Estates
 * Well Hall
 * Kydbroke
 * Galway Estates
 * Bradford
 * Brambiltighe
 * Chestfeild
 * Dodington
 * Kingsdown
 * Candelwick
 * East Greenwich
 * Bexley
 * Cheselherst
 * Lee
 * Horne
 * Charlton
 * Modingham
 * Norton
 * Esthorne Manor
 * Hyde
 * Woolwich
 * Saint Dunstans