Rood Ashton House

Rood Ashton House was a country house in the village of West Ashton in the English county of Wiltshire. It was once the home of the 1st Viscount Long, and during his residence it was visited by various members of the British Royal Family, including the Prince of Wales, later Edward VIII. [Memories, Autobiography by Walter Hume Long - 1923]

History

Viscount Long's great grandfather Richard Godolphin Long commissioned architect Jeffry Wyattville to build the house in 1808, replacing an earlier mansion on the estate. It was altered and extended in 1836 by Thomas Hopper, who incorporated some panelling and other material brought from another Long family property, Whaddon House, which had been rescued from the fire there the previous year.

The estate was originally purchased by Edward Long of Monkton in 1597. In the 19th century a considerable amount of money was spent on improving its agriculture, but the Long family saw little return for their expenditure, and the changes in taxation on agricultural land brought about by the Lloyd George government, made it financially unviable.

In 1914 during World War I Viscount Long offered Rood Ashton and another of his properties, Culworth House, Northamptonshire for use as convalescent homes for wounded soldiers and sailors. [The Times, 13 August, 1914; Issue 40603]

Auction

The house and the remaining convert|4100|acre|km2 were put to auction by Lord Long's executors in February 1930, six years after his death. The estate included 17 farms, 21 small holdings, 100 cottages, 2 public houses including The Longs Arms, and a square mile of woodland. convert|2500|acre|km2 were purchased by a syndicate of his tenants, [The Times 13 February, 1930; Issue 45436 ] finally ending 333 years of continuous ownership by the Long family.

Decline

The house was used as military accommodation and a hospital during World War II. In the 1950s it was advertised for sale again, and the agents details listed eleven principal bed and dressing rooms, a further thirty five bedrooms, six bathrooms, two lodges, stabling, parkland, a lake and farm of convert|248|acre|km2 with farm house and buildings, all for ₤35,000. The new owner stripped the house of all its assets, the lead roofing and all internal panelling, fireplaces etc, were put into containers and shipped to the United States, after which time the house, now only a roofless shell, became derelict. In the 1970s the building was demolished except for an eight-bedroomed servant’s wing, which has been restored with reclaimed timbers, and is now a private residence. [Wiltshire Times 12 April, 2002]

Another building of interest is the parish church, St Johns, which contains the family crypt of the Long family.

References

Reflist

See also

*Richard Penruddocke Long.
*

External photo links

*Photo of Rood Ashton House taken in 1900 [http://www.francisfrith.com/search/england/wiltshire/rood+ashton/photos/rood+ashton_45357.htm]
* [http://www.lostheritage.org.uk/houses/lh_wiltshire_roodashtonhouse_gallery.html Lost Heritage | Rood Ashton House]