West Wycombe Park is a country house built between 1740 and 1800 near the village of West Wycombe in Buckinghamshire. It was conceived as a pleasure palace for the 18th-century libertine and dilettante Sir Francis Dashwood, 2nd Baronet. The house is a long rectangle with four façades that are columned and pedimented, three theatrically so. It is a Grade I listed building and was given to the National Trust in 1943.
About West Wycombe Park in brief
West Wycombe Park is a country house built between 1740 and 1800 near the village of West Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, England. It was conceived as a pleasure palace for the 18th-century libertine and dilettante Sir Francis Dashwood, 2nd Baronet. The house is a long rectangle with four façades that are columned and pedimented, three theatrically so. It is a Grade I listed building and was given to the National Trust in 1943 by Sir JohnDashwood, 10th Baronet, an action strongly resented by his heir. Today the house is still the home of the Dashwood family and is open to the public during the summer months. The mansion is set within an 18-century landscaped park containing many small temples and follies, which act as satellites to the greater temple, the house. The Greek Doric of the house’s west portico is the earliest example of the Greek revival in Britain. The principal floor became a series of reception rooms, each with a designated purpose, creating separate withdrawing, dining, music, and ball rooms. The Baroque concept of the principal floor, or piano nobile, with a large bedroom suite known as the state apartments, was gradually abandoned in favour of smaller, more private bedrooms on the upper floors. The late 18th century was a period of change in the interior design of English country houses. It became common to arrange public rooms on the lower floor and more private rooms above it.
The building is one of the most theatrical and Italianate mid-18th century buildings in England. Its façade replicate in undiluted form not only the classical villas of Italy on which Palladianism was founded, but also the temples of antiquity on which Neoclassicism was based. It has been described as ‘the most theatrical, Italianate and theatrical building in England’ and is a ‘must-see’ for architectural history enthusiasts. It’s one of only a handful of Palladian country houses in the UK, along with Holkham Hall, Woburn Abbey and Ragley Hall, and is the only one in the south of England to be a National Trust Grade II listed building. The National Trust is a not-for-profit organisation, which helps to maintain and maintain the house and its grounds. For confidential support call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see www.samaritans.org for details. In the U.S. call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 1-800-273-8255 or click here for details on how to get in touch with the National suicide prevention Lifeline. In Europe, the Lifeline can be found at the Sotheby’s Samaritans, which is based in the town of Loughton, Essex, on the edge of the South Bank of the River Thames, and in the City of London on the East End of London.
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This page is based on the article West Wycombe Park published in Wikipedia (as of Nov. 14, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
