Gorhambury House
Palladian house by Sir Robert Taylor with a fireplace designed by Piranesi.
St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL3 6AH
Facilities
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Cafe / restaurant
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Easily accessible without car
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Free parking
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Mostly wheelchair accessible
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Parkland / open spaces
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Shop
Gorhambury House was commissioned by James Grimston, the 3rd Viscount Grimston and constructed in the years 1777-84 by Sir Robert Taylor.
The house is Grade II* Listed and is built in a neo-Palladian style. It is one of the largest houses completed by the architect who is known for his work on The Bank of England and smaller villas surrounding the City of London.
The spiral cantilevered staircase and double height hall are features of his work. It was built following the falling into disrepair of Old Gorhambury and many of the same bricks were used. Further extensions were made to Gorhambury in 19th century.
The main rooms in the neo-Palladian section of the house contain a collection is historic and academic comprising: Bacon and Grimston family portraits; a gallery of the great; two Piranesi fireplaces and other articles collected from the Grand Tour.
Further highlights include 17th-century painted glass windows, commissioned by Francis Bacon and salvaged from Old Gorhambury and the earliest English pile carpet.
The house has been lived in by the Grimston family since its construction. Viscount and Viscountess Grimston live at Gorhambury with their young family.
Please note: The information on the Historic Houses website is advisory, but please always check the website of the house or garden you intend to visit before travelling.
Due to major refurbishment works at Gorhambury, public access to the 18th-century rooms is suspended until further notice.
However, we have scheduled a programme of ‘Gorhambury In Focus’ talks and activities at House from April to October. Please see our website for further details.
This house is not part of the Free for Members scheme, but is one of many houses on our website that we support to promote their tours, weddings, filming and other commercial offerings. To see all the places you can visit as a Historic Houses member, please visit our ‘Free for Members’ listings page here. Or to find out more about how the membership scheme works and how it supports our work to protect independent heritage, visit our page here.
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