Bromesberrow Place
Regency Greek Revival house with an interesting social history.
Bromesberrow Place, Bromesberrow, nr. Ledbury, Gloucestershire HR8 1RZ
Bromesberrow Place is a Regency Greek Revival house with extensive parkland and an interesting social history. Originally built as Hook House in 1768, it was owned by the Yate family before it’s sale in 1811 to Joseph Pitt, a property speculator especially in Cheltenham. In 1818, the renowned economist David Ricardo acquired the house and estate from Pitt for his son Osman and commissioned architect George Basevi to remodel the house in the Regency Greek Revival style. Basevi, who was Disraeli’s first cousin and a pupil of Sir John Soane, was only 25 at the time. He would later become known for his work on Belgrave Square, Pelham Crescent in London and the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge.
The park surrounding Bromesberrow Place was originally laid out in 1768, inspired by Lord Coventry’s ‘Capability’ Brown landscape at nearby Croome Court. In 1993, landscape architects Colvin and Moggridge extended the park to cover 200 acres and some 80,000 trees were planted in the shelter belts. The estate was awarded Winner of the 2023 Georgian Group Architectural Award for the Restoration of a Georgian Garden of Landscape. Almost all the contents of the house date from 1770 to 1845 including Frances, Lady Daresbury’s notable collection of sporting art, family portraits by the Pre-Raphaelite artist John Everett Millais, and significant Old Master Drawings by artists such as Fragonard, Guercino and Tiepolo. There are enduring influences from the Arts & Crafts movement throughout the property.
Upon arrival, visitors are welcomed with tea or coffee and biscuits. The current owner, Gilbert Greenall, presents a thought-provoking talk titled “The English Country house – Grandeur and Decline” followed by a guided tour of the house and gardens. The visit includes the 19th-century camelia house and walled garden within which is also a small vineyard.