An Extraordinary Historic Estate
The Great Stair and Library at Burley on the Hill represents one of England’s most significant architectural treasures, offering an unparalleled opportunity to acquire a piece of living history. This exceptional Grade I listed mansion, set within 67 acres of parkland overlooking Rutland Water, embodies centuries of British heritage whilst providing contemporary comfort and distinction.
The Lanscroon Masterpiece
The crown jewel of this remarkable property is undoubtedly the Great Stair, adorned with the only surviving domestic murals by Gerard Lanscroon, the celebrated Flemish Master who decorated Windsor Castle and Hampton Court Palace. These electrifying portrayals of Perseus and Andromeda, painted between 1708-1712, survived the devastating fire of 1908 and remain amongst England’s finest examples of baroque decorative art.
Historic Significance
Mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, Burley on the Hill has witnessed English history unfold. From King James I’s progression to his coronation in 1603 to its use as a Roundhead garrison during the Civil War, every stone tells a story of national importance.
Architectural Heritage
Rebuilt by Daniel Finch, 2nd Earl of Nottingham from 1694, the property showcases the finest elements of English baroque architecture. The surviving State Rooms demonstrate the grandeur and craftsmanship that once made Burley rival England’s greatest houses.
Contemporary Living
Beautifully presented across four floors, the property offers over 12,000 square feet of distinguished accommodation including seven bedrooms, six bathrooms and reception rooms of exceptional character including the Green Drawing Room and Formal Red Dining Room.
Medieval Foundations and Early History
The site of Burley on the Hill has been continuously inhabited since before the Norman Conquest, with its earliest recorded mention appearing in the Domesday Book of 1086. The estate’s strategic position in Rutland, England’s smallest county, placed it at the heart of medieval political and social networks that would shape its destiny for centuries to come.
During the medieval period, the estate belonged to the powerful Despencer family, who established the foundations of what would become one of England’s most architecturally significant houses. The medieval manor house served as the seat of local administration and reflected the feudal structures that dominated English society during this era.
The Buckingham Connection
The estate’s transformation from medieval manor to Renaissance palace began during the Tudor period when it came into the possession of the powerful Villiers family. George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham, the favourite of King James I and subsequently King Charles I. The family acquired the property and began substantial rebuilding works, that would establish Burley’s reputation as one of England’s premier country houses.
The Duke of Buckingham’s association with Burley on the Hill, proved particularly significant during the early 17th century. King James VI of Scotland made his celebrated progression through England following his accession to the English throne as James I in 1603 and Burley on the Hill served as one of his principal stopping points. This royal visit established the house’s credentials as a venue suitable for the highest levels of society and political discourse.
The architectural improvements undertaken during the Buckingham period reflected the contemporary fashion for Italian Renaissance design principles. Incorporating classical elements that would influence subsequent rebuilding campaigns. However, the family’s prominence also made them vulnerable to the political upheavals of the 17th century.
Civil War and Commonwealth Period
The English Civil War dramatically altered Burley’s fortunes when parliamentary forces seized the estate from its Royalist owners. Oliver Cromwell’s Roundheads converted the house into a military garrison, using its commanding position and substantial buildings to control the surrounding countryside. This period saw significant damage to the house’s interior decorations and furnishings, though the basic structure survived intact.
The Commonwealth period represented a hiatus in Burley’s role as a great country house, with its transformation into a military installation reflecting the broader social and political upheavals of the mid-17th century. Archaeological evidence suggests that defensive earthworks were constructed around the house during this period, some traces of which remain visible in the surrounding parkland.
The Finch Era and Baroque Transformation
The restoration of the monarchy in 1660 initiated a new chapter in Burley’s history with the eventual acquisition of the estate by Daniel Finch, 2nd Earl of Nottingham, in 1694. Lord Nottingham, one of the most prominent politicians of his generation, served as Secretary of State under both William III and Queen Anne, making Burley on the Hill a centre of political power during a crucial period in British history.
The Earl of Nottingham’s political prominence and vast wealth enabled him to undertake the most ambitious rebuilding campaign in Burley’s history. Working with leading architects of the day, he created a baroque masterpiece that rivalled the grandest royal palaces. The new house, completed between 1694 and 1708, represented the pinnacle of English country house architecture.
Architectural Excellence: The Lanscroon Decorations
The crowning achievement of Lord Nottingham’s rebuilding campaign was his commission of Gerard Lanscroon, the distinguished Flemish master decorator who had previously worked at Windsor Castle and Hampton Court Palace, to create decorative schemes for the house’s principal rooms. Lanscroon’s work at Burley, executed between 1705 and 1708, represents some of the finest baroque decorative painting in England.
The Great Staircase, featuring Lanscroon’s magnificent ceiling depicting the mythological story of Perseus and Andromeda, demonstrates the sophisticated classical learning and artistic patronage that characterised the English aristocracy during the early 18th century. The iconographic programme reflects contemporary political allegories, with Perseus’s rescue of Andromeda interpreted as a celebration of William III’s deliverance of England from tyranny.
The decorative scheme extends throughout the Great Stair, featuring elaborate historical and allegorical scenes that establish visual narratives connecting the Finch family to England’s broader historical trajectory. These decorations survive as rare examples of continental baroque artistry applied to English domestic architecture.
Architectural Significance
1. Design and Layout
The present house, substantially the creation of the early 18th century, exemplifies the principles of English baroque architecture as interpreted by the circle of Sir Christopher Wren and Sir John Vanbrugh. The main façade, facing south towards Rutland Water, presents a carefully orchestrated composition of classical elements that demonstrate the sophisticated architectural knowledge of its designers.
The entrance front features a seven-bay composition with a prominent central portico supported by Corinthian columns, reflecting the influence of Andrea Palladio’s architectural treatises whilst adapting classical principles to English climatic conditions and social requirements. The rusticated ground floor provides a substantial base for the principal floor, which contains the main state apartments.
2. Interior Arrangements
The interior of Burley on the Hill follows the canonical arrangement of English baroque houses, with a central hall providing access to a sequence of state apartments designed for formal entertainment and display. The Great Staircase serves as the ceremonial heart of the house, its double-height space creating a dramatic architectural experience that prepares visitors for the grandeur of the principal floor.
The state apartments comprise a carefully planned sequence of rooms increasing in privacy and exclusivity, from the relatively public Great Hall through to intimate private apartments. This arrangement reflects the complex social hierarchies and ceremonial requirements of early 18th-century aristocratic life.
3. The Great Staircase
Lanscroon’s ceiling painting transforms the architectural space into a theatrical environment where mythological narratives merge with contemporary political allegory. The Perseus and Andromeda cycle, executed in the grand manner of continental baroque decoration, establishes Burley’s credentials as a house of international significance.
The Devastating Fire of 1908
1.The Churchill Connection
On a winter evening in 1908, Burley on the Hill hosted one of the most distinguished house parties in its history, with Sir Winston Churchill among the guests. The young Churchill, then President of the Board of Trade in Asquith’s Liberal government, was participating in the sort of political and social gathering that had characterised the house for over two centuries.
The fire that erupted during this gathering destroyed the majority of the house’s interior, consuming centuries of accumulated art, furniture, and decorative schemes. Contemporary accounts describe the heroic efforts made to save the Lanscroon decorations in the Great Staircase, with guests and servants forming human chains to carry valuable objects to safety.
2. Preservation and Loss
Remarkably, the Great Staircase and Library survived the conflagration intact, preserving the most architecturally and artistically significant elements of the baroque house. This preservation was partly due to the fireproof construction techniques employed in these areas, with stone floors and vaulted ceilings providing protection against the flames that consumed the timber-floored apartments.
The library’s survival ensured the preservation of one of England’s most significant private collections of 18th-century books and manuscripts, including important political and literary documents accumulated by successive generations of the Finch family. These materials provide invaluable insights into the intellectual and cultural life of the English aristocracy during the Georgian period.
Gardens and Landscape
1. Historical Development
The gardens and parkland surrounding Burley on the Hill reflect successive phases of English landscape design, from formal baroque layouts through to 18th-century landscape park improvements. The original formal gardens, created during Lord Nottingham’s rebuilding campaign, followed contemporary continental models with geometric parterres, terraced walks, and ornamental water features.
Archaeological investigation has revealed the substantial earthworks required to create these formal gardens, including the construction of elaborate terracing on the south front to accommodate the baroque garden design. These earthworks remain visible today, providing evidence of the scale and sophistication of early 18th-century garden making.
2. The Capability Brown Era
During the mid-18th century, the formal gardens were transformed according to the naturalistic principles popularised by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown and his followers. This transformation involved the removal of geometric parterres and their replacement with flowing lawns, strategically placed tree clumps, and serpentine water features designed to create an idealised pastoral landscape.
The relationship between the house and its surrounding landscape exemplifies the English genius for combining architecture and nature in harmonious compositions. The views from the principal rooms encompass carefully orchestrated prospects across Rutland Water, creating visual narratives that connect the domestic interior with the broader countryside.
3. Contemporary Parkland
Today’s parkland retains many features from successive design campaigns, creating a palimpsest landscape that reflects changing tastes and requirements over three centuries. The deer park, established during the medieval period and enhanced during subsequent centuries, maintains populations of fallow and red deer that contribute to the landscape’s historic authenticity.
The gardens immediately surrounding the house combine formal elements with naturalistic plantings, creating outdoor rooms that extend the house’s architectural vocabulary into the landscape. Specimen trees, many planted during the 18th and 19th centuries, provide vertical accents that structure views and create seasonal variety.
Cultural and Social Significance
1. Political Importance
Throughout its history, Burley on the Hill has served as a venue for significant political gatherings and social events that have shaped British history. Lord Nottingham’s position as Secretary of State ensured that the house frequently hosted cabinet meetings and diplomatic receptions during crucial periods including the War of Spanish Succession and the Act of Union with Scotland.
The house’s role as a political centre continued through subsequent generations, with its owners maintaining close connections to government and court circles. The survival of extensive correspondence and political documents in the library provided historians with invaluable insights into the mechanics of 18th and 19th-century British politics.
2. Artistic Patronage
The Finch family’s patronage extended beyond architecture and decoration to encompass literature, music, and the visual arts. The house served as a gathering place for writers, artists, and intellectuals, contributing to the broader cultural flowering of the Augustan age.
The library’s collections reflected this intellectual engagement, containing first editions of major literary works alongside political and philosophical texts that document the development of Enlightenment thought in England. These materials establish Burley’s significance not merely as an architectural monument but as a centre of cultural production and intellectual exchange.
3. Social History
The domestic arrangements preserved at Burley on the Hill provide exceptional insights into the daily life of the English aristocracy during the Georgian period. The survival of detailed household accounts, staff records, and inventories enables historians to reconstruct the complex social hierarchies and economic structures that sustained great country houses.
The house’s role in local community life extended far beyond its function as a private residence, with the estate providing employment for hundreds of local people and serving as a focus for agricultural improvement and innovation. This broader social significance establishes Burley’s importance within the history of rural England.
Contemporary Status and Conservation
1. Current Condition
Following the 1908 fire, Burley on the Hill was partially restored to serve as a family residence, with the surviving baroque elements carefully preserved and the damaged areas rebuilt to compatible standards. The house today represents a fascinating case study in historic building conservation, demonstrating how damaged historic structures can be successfully adapted for contemporary use whilst preserving their essential character.
The Great Staircase and Library remain in exceptional condition, with Lanscroon’s decorative paintings recently subject to expert conservation treatment that has revealed the full brilliance of the original colour schemes. These conservation efforts ensure that future generations will continue to experience the baroque magnificence that made Burley one of England’s most celebrated houses.
2. Modern Usage
Today, Burley on the Hill functions as a private residence whilst maintaining its role as a cultural and educational resource. The house regularly opens for architectural and historical tours, enabling the public to appreciate the surviving baroque decorations and understand the broader historical significance of the estate.
The property’s conversion into luxury residential accommodation has been carefully managed to respect the historic fabric whilst providing modern amenities appropriate to 21st-century living. This sensitive approach to adaptation demonstrates how historic houses can remain viable whilst preserving their architectural and historical integrity.
3. Conservation Challenges
The ongoing conservation of Burley on the Hill presents typical challenges associated with the maintenance of baroque decorative schemes and historic building fabric. The house’s exposed hilltop position subjects it to severe weather conditions that require constant vigilance and expert maintenance to prevent deterioration.
Climate change presents new challenges for the preservation of historic interiors, with changing temperature and humidity patterns affecting the stability of painted decorations and historic materials. Contemporary conservation practice employs sophisticated monitoring systems and preventive conservation techniques to address these emerging threats.
*This comprehensive overview of Burley on the Hill draws upon extensive historical documentation, architectural analysis, and conservation records to present the full significance of this remarkable English country house. The property continues to serve as both a private residence and an important cultural resource, ensuring that its historical legacy remains accessible to future generations.*