| Summary : Audley End House was built between 1603 and 1614 by Thomas Howard, first Earl of Suffolk, on the site of Walden Abbey (see record no. 373672). Howard's grandfather, Sir Thomas Audley, initially acquired the Abbey after its dissolution in 1538 by King Henry VIII and adapted the buildings for his own use. The house built by Howard was three times the current size and one of the largest country houses in England at the time. In 1668 King Charles II bought the house as a base for attending Newmarket races but in 1701 it was returned to the Suffolk family by William III. By 1745, however, the Suffolk line had died out and Audley End House was sold to the Countess of Portsmouth for use by her nephew, Sir John Griffin Griffin. During the 18th century, the house underwent several major alterations and much of the present house structure dates from after 1762 when a vast rebuilding and restoration programme was carried out, which included interior work by Robert Adam. The Jacobean style interior, as seen today, dates from a refurbishment carried out in the 1820s by the third Baron Braybrooke. In the Second World War, Audley End House was requisitioned for a number of military uses, primarily as Special Operations Executive "Station 43", for training Polish agents. In 1948 it was sold to the Ministry of Works. It was opened to the public in 1950.Audley End House is three storeys high, ashlar faced and has a copper roof. The entrance elevation faces west and has a two storey central block with porches either end, set forward of a seven window range. The north and south ends have tower shaped blocks and turrets at the corners with round-headed openings, swept copper capping and weather-vanes. The eastern, or rear, elevation features a central, seven window range with a ground floor arcade and central doorway. The wings projecting from either end have a central, full height bay window facing east, and a similar window to each of the inner elevations. |
More information : TL 52473815: Audley End [NR] (1)
Audley End House is Listed Grade I. (2)
This is a scheduled monument. (3)
Audley End House was built by Sir Thomas Audley on the site of Walden Abbey by 1544. Construction of the present house took place between 1603-1616 and was designed by Bernard Johnson. It was built around two courtyards and was set within a park and formal gardens. In 1669 the house was sold to King Charles II and by 1670 the Court had been established here. The house was now known as the New Palace and was used by sovereigns until 1701 when it was returned to the Suffolk Family. Changes to the house started from 1721 when Sir John Vanburgh was employed to remodel the house and included the demolition of the western courtyard. The eastern range of buildings was demolished in 1749. Much of the present house structure dates from after 1762 when much rebuilding and restoration took place and included interior work by Robert Adam. Additional work took place in 1825. (4-8)
This is a scheduled monument. (9)
Audley End is three storeys high, ashlar faced and has a copper roof. It was built on a U-shaped plan and all windows are ovolo moulded with mullions and transoms. The entrance elevation faces west and has a two storey central block with porches either end, set forward of a seven window range. The north and south ends have tower shaped blocks, turrets at the corners with round-headed openings, swept copper capping and weather-vanes. The eastern, or rear, elevation features a central, seven window range with a ground floor arcade and central doorway. The wings at either end have a central, full height bay window facing east, and a similar window to each of the inner faces of both wings.
Audley End, as it stands today, is the second house to have been built precisely round the cloister of Walden Abbey, granted by Henry VIII in 1538 to Sir Thomas Audley. The first house was constructed within the church, the north range and claustral buildings to the south. The second house, built by Thomas Howard, Lord Treasurer to James I, overlies the earlier building but had a second, larger outer court to the west. This was entirely demolished by the late 18th century except for the two surviving porches on the west front that appear to belong to the outer court and were built in a second phase of construction, probably to designs by John Thorpe. Research suggests that the two porches were for the king and queen respectively, and that they originally led to two similar sets of royal apartments. Later work includes the total removal in the 18th century of the east range of the inner court that contained the long gallery, council chamber and original chapel. Also, a loggia on the south side was infilled, as it appears today. The house was owned for a short while by King Charles II and has had owners who have retained the Jacobean style in much of the later refurbishment. In 1948 it was sold to the Ministry of Works. (10)
Part of a palatial country house constructed between 1605-14 and built for the first Earl of Suffolk, Lord Treasurer to King James I. Charles II bought it in 1668 and used it as a base when he visited the races at Newmarket. The house returned to the Suffolks in 1701. The house has been reduced in size and refurbished several times, this includes the 1721 work by Sir John Vanbrugh and the 1770s work by Robert Adam. A restoration was carried out in 1825-36. The 3-storey house is U-shaped in plan, it is faced in ashlar with copper roofs. (11)
A country house constructed between 1605-1614. The house was sold to Charles II in 1668 and extensive works to the took place soon after by Christopher Wren. Improvements to the house during the early 18th century included part demolition in 1721 by Sir John Vanbrugh. Parts of the house were also demolished by John Phillips and George Shakespear circa 1752. Extensive rebuilding and repairs to the house took place from 1763 with construction of the kitchen court from 1762-87 and work by Robert Adam during the 1770s. Henry Harrison restored the house in 1826. (12)
Additional information (13)
Sir Thomas Audley, Lord Chancellor, was granted Walden Abbey by Henry VIII in 1538. After acquiring the dissolved abbey he adapted the buildings for his own use.
Between 1603 and 1614, the house was rebuilt by Thomas Howard, first Earl of Suffolk and grandson of Sir Thomas Audley. One of the largest mansions in England at the time, it was three times the current size. By 1618 however, the Earl of Suffolk was in vast debt and the house fell into disrepair. It was bought by Charles II in 1668, but returned to the Suffolk family in 1701 by William III.
Audley End House was sold in 1745 to the Countess of Portsmouth, who bought the house for her nephew and heir, Sir John Griffin Griffin. While the house was in his possession he commissioned extensive alterations, including a Gothic chapel and a suite of rooms designed by Robert Adam. He also employed 'Capability' Brown to redesign the grounds.
In the 1820s the house was refurbished in the Jacobean style by the third Baron Baybrooke. (14)
The Second World War brought many changes to Audley End, in 1940 prior to it being requisitioned the grounds and estate were fitted with a system for detonating the bridges on the estate in case of invasion. Two young members of the family owning the house were killed whilst on active service. From the spring of 1941, the house and grounds were requisitioned for military uses. Temporary use was made of the house or grounds by the Rifle Brigade and the Royal Artillery. However its main wartime use was by the Polish branch of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) as "Station 43" (and possibly for a short time as "STS 61"- a number shared by a similar institution at Gaynes Hall). Its then highly secret function was as the principle training site for Polish agents from 1942-1944, and in 1943 it was exclusively under Polish SOE control. The agents were known in Polish as the "Cichociemni" - "the Silent and Unseen". In addition to courses in "Underground Warfare", rooms were used as workshops for producing faked documents and authentic clothing for use by the agents once on missions. SOE left the house in 1944 as a command centre was established in Italy, although it was not officially decomissioned until 1945. In the main driveway is a memorial dedicated to the 108 Polish soldiers who died in service. Source 16 contains details of training, the specific planned use of space in the house and covers the actions that the agents carried. (15-16)
Audley End House opened to the public in 1950. (17)
A possible part of the Medieval Abbey and early Audley End House is visible as a cropmark on aerial photographs taken in 1951, before the parterre garden was restored. The site comprises a ditch which forms an L-shape centred around TL 5251 3817. It may mark the location of robbed out partitions in the eastern range as marked on Winstanley's general ground plan of 1688 (see Archive Material). (18)
Following the death of Henry, the tenth earl of Suffolk, the estate of Audley End was subdivided between a number of recipients, including Elizabeth, Countess of Portsmouth and her sister, Mrs Anne Whitwell. The house did not pass to the sisters, however Lady Portmouth purchased it, along with surrounding parkland, in 1751.
This source is a detailed guide to the history of Audley End House which was built between 1603 and1614. The guide provides information on each room open to the public and what can be seen on a visit to the house. It contains many photographs as well as plans of the house and grounds. (19)
The Audley End guidebook published in 2010 provides detailed information on the history of Audley End House and Gardens. It provides a tour of the rooms that are open for public viewing and includes many photographs, plans and illustrations. Furthermore, there are features on the experiences of servants at Audleys End, 'Capability' Brown and the landscape of Audley End, early Royal visitors to the house, as well as its role as the headquarters of the Polish Section of the Special Operations Executive during the Second World War. (20)
This article investigates the history of a set of tapestries which had been in store at Audley End since 1979 and recently (2007) undergone conservation. See source for further details. (21) |