Leigh Court

Infobox building
building_name = Leigh Court
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architectural_style = Palladian
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location = Abbots Leigh, Somerset
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owner = Business West
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coordinates = coord|51|28|11|N|2|39|35|W|type:landmark_region:UK
start_date = 1814
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architect = Thomas Hopper
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Leigh Court is a Grade II* listed buildingcite web|url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/Details/Default.aspx?id=33407|title=Leigh Court|work=Images of England|publisher=English Heritage|accessdate=2008-10-11] in Abbots Leigh, Somerset, England.

The original 1558 building was a mansion house for a family of Bristol merchants and was visited by Charles II during his escape to France following defeat at the Battle of Worcester.

The original house was demolished and rebuilt in the early 19th century and occupied by the Miles Baronets until it was sold and used as a hospital. It is now used as office accommodation, conference and meeting rooms, and as a venue for civil wedding services.

Original building

The original Leigh Court was a Tudor mansion built by Sir George Norton of Bristol in 1558. His son, also George Norton, unknowingly hosted Charles II at the home during his escape to France in 1651. He arrived on the evening of 12 September, staying at the home of Mr and Mrs George Norton, who were friends of the Kings's travelling companion, Jane Lane. The Nortons were unaware of the King's identity during his three-day stay.

A description of the house appears in the book "The Escape of Charles II, After the Battle of Worcester" by Richard Ollard: [cite book|last=Ollard|first=Richard|title=The Escape of Charles II, After the Battle of Worcester|publisher=Hodder and Stoughton|date=1966]

"Abbots Leigh was the most magnificent of all the houses in which Charles was sheltered during his escape. A drawing made in 1788, only twenty years before it was pulled down, shows a main front of twelve gables, surmounting three storeys of cowled windows; a comfortable, solid west country Elizabethan house."

While staying at Abbots Leigh, Charles deflected suspicion by asking a trooper, who had been in the King's personal guard, to describe the King's appearance and clothing at the Battle of Worcester. The man looked at Charles and said, "The King was at least three inches taller than you." [Count Grammont. " [http://books.google.com/books?id=M8kMAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA464#PPA466,M1 Memoirs of the Court of Charles the Second and the Boscobel Narratives] ", edited by Sir Walter Scott, Publisher: Henry G Bohn, York Street, London, 1846. Chapter: King Charles's escape from Worcester: (The Kings own account of his escape and preservation after the Battle of Worcester as dictated to Samuel Pepys at Newmarket on Sunday, October 3d, and Tuesday, October 5th, 1680). p.466] [J. Heughs (ed) (1857). [http://books.google.com/books?id=MrYBAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA166 The Boscobel Tracts: Relating to the Escape of Charles the Second After the Battle of Worcester and his subsequent adventures] , William Blackwood and Sons. p.166 ]

Rebuilding

The original building was demolished around 1812 after the estate, compromising of some 250 acres, was sold to Sir Philip John Miles in 1811, and rebuilt by Thomas Hopper in 1814, based on plans which had previously been drawn for Pytminster House in Wiltshire. [cite web|url=http://www.friendsofbmga.org.uk/2008/09/15/guided-tour-of-leigh-court-abbots-leigh/|title=Guided Tour of Leigh Court, Abbots Leigh|publisher=Friends of Bristol Galleries, Museums and Archives|accessdate=2008-10-11] Philip Miles died in 1845 leaving Leigh Court to his eldest son, William Miles, for whom the Miles Baronetcy of Leigh Court, Somerset was created in 1859. In 1884 the Miles family entertained the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII. [cite web|url=http://www.abbotsleigh.org.uk/vcspics.htm|title=Abbots Leigh Village Character Statement|publisher=Abbots Leigh|accessdate=2008-10-11]

Externally the architectural style of Leigh Court is Palladian and built of Bath stone. The interior style is Greek Revival and decorated in impressive 19th century décor, with many of the original features still intact. The mansion housed a collection of over forty paintings including many classic old masters -Titian, Poussin, Michelangelo, Raphael, Rubens and Van Dyke, [cite book|last=Young|first=John|coauthors=Philip John Miles|title=A Catalogue of the Pictures at Leigh Court, Near Bristol|publisher=W. Bulmer and W. Nicol|location=London|date=1822|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=bWgGAAAAQAAJ&dq=Leigh+Court+hospital&source=gbs_summary_s&cad=0] however these were sold between 1884 and 1898. The Great Hall which has a double staircase still contains an original pipe organ built by Flight and Robson of London. In addition to being played manually, it could originally be set to play the overture and a duet (Ah Perdona) from Mozart’s Clemenza di Tito.cite web|url=http://www.leighcourt.co.uk/pdf/Leigh%20Court%20History.pdf|title=A brief history of Leigh Court at Abbots Leigh|work=Leigh Court|publisher=Business West|accessdate=2008-10-11] The grounds were originally landscaped by with Humphrey Repton. [cite web|url=http://www.goblincombe.com/?page=47|title=Abbots Leigh |work=Goblin Combe Environment Centre|accessdate=2008-10-11] At the turn of the 19th century a two acre walled garden was built to provide food for the estate.

The house remained in the Miles family until 1917 when it was sold to Rev. H. N. Burden of Clevedon Hall, as part of his national network of institutions for those with mental handicap or Psychiatric illness. cite journal|last=Jancar|first=J|date=1987|title=The History of Mental Handicap in Bristol and Bath|journal=Bulletin of the Royal College of Psychiatrists|volume=11|pages=261-264|url=http://pb.rcpsych.org/cgi/reprint/11/8/261.pdf] cite book|last=Evans|first=William|title=Abbots Leigh - A Village History: Manor, Estate and Community|publisher=Abbots Leigh Civic Society|date=2002|isbn=978-0954387501] The National Health Service accepted management of Leigh Court hospital from 1957 until 1985.

Current use

In 1988 Leigh Court was sold to a private company and with successive owners the house has been converted for use as office accommodation, conference and meeting rooms. It is also approved by North Somerset council as a venue for civil wedding services. [cite web|url=http://www.n-somerset.gov.uk/Community/Births+deaths+marriages+and+life+events/approvedpremises/leighcourt.htm|title=Leigh Court|work=Approvded premises|publisher=North Somerset Council|accessdate=2008-10-11] Business West (formerly the Bristol Chamber of Commerce and Initiative) assumed ownership in 2004 and it is now their head office.

A not for profit organic farm has been established based on the walled garden,cite web|url=http://www.leighcourtfarm.org.uk/page2/page2.html|title=History|publisher=Leigh Court Organic Farm|accessdate=2008-10-11] and buildings within the old estate are used by a charity providing mental health services and by the Macmillan Lymphoedema Service. [cite web|url=http://www.nhs.uk/ServiceDirectories/Pages/Hospital.aspx?id=5QJ65|title=Macmillan Lymphoedema Service|publisher=National Health Service|accessdate=2008-10-11]

References

External links

* [http://www.leighcourt.co.uk/ Leigh Court]