- Donnington Grove
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Donnington Grove is a Strawberry Hill Gothic mansion, now an hotel and country club, and associated Golf Course at Donnington in the civil parish of Shaw-cum-Donnington, near Newbury, in the English county of Berkshire. It is overlooked by Donnington Castle.
History
Donnington Grove was built for James Pettit Andrews in 1763, who was the half-brother of the lord of Shaw Manor. The Grove was built in a "Strawberry Hill Gothic" style which is a style named after the house created for Horace Walpole at Strawberry Hill in London. Records show that Donnington House was expensive to construct and costly to maintain. 20 Years later Andrews sold the property to William Brummell. It was William who was responsible for turning Donnington Grove into the landscape that it is today and it was here that his famous son, Beau Brummell, grew up. By the time William died, the estate covered 800 acres (3.2 km2), the house and stables had been extended and entrance lodges erected. William Brummell died in 1794 and left the estate to be divided amongst his children. After the estate was requisitioned by allied supplies Ltd in 1940 it was sold on to the Hon. Reginald Fellows and remained in the family until the early 1990s. Donnington Grove Country Club opened in 1993. For some years in the early 2000s, it was called 'Parasampia', but the name has returned to its traditional form.
Donnington Grove Country Club
Golf Course, site of the Second Battle of Newbury
The course opened in 1993 and the architect was Dave Thomas, the Ryder Cup player who was responsible for several courses such as the Brabazon at the Belfry and Bowood in Wiltshire. The course is well known for having a split personality across its 18 holes. The front 9 are on notably higher ground whilst the back 9 are in classic parkland with an abundance of trees and water hazards. Donnington Grove is home to Jonathan Yarwood, a British golf coach who has coached winners on all the professional tours including a major championship. He is based at The Concession Golf Club on the Gulf Coast of Florida and spends his summer at Donnington Grove.
References
Categories:- West Berkshire
- Country houses in Berkshire
- Golf clubs and courses in England
- Hotels in Berkshire
- Gothic Revival architecture in Berkshire
- Sports venues in Berkshire
- Sport in Newbury, Berkshire
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