Chippenham Park

Chippenham Park, near Newmarket, has a rich history. The best stretches of wooded country in the Cambridgeshire landscape often turn out to be the remains of 18th century parks surrounding surprisingly little-known country houses. Typical of these is Chippenham Park, which lies between Ely and Newmarket. The house, seen from the park, appears to be a late 19th century red-brick. neo-Queen Anne country house, typical of those built round Newmarket for shooting and racing parties, indeed, the Prince of Wales and his brother the Duke of Cambridge stayed here for a shoot in 1896.

However, the parkland has plantings going back probably 200 to 300 years. To the east of the house stands a handsome late 17th century red brick coach house, and the north court – now the front entrance – still has brickwork of that period.

Chippenham Park has clearly been the subject of considerable alterations and remodelling. In 1985 the estate came to Mr and Mrs Eustace Crawley. It had passed by descent in Mrs Crawley’s family since 1791. At that time, the house appears to have been a compact hunting box, carved out of a more substantial 17th century house in the late 1780s.