Stokesay Court

This family home, with a stunning oak-carved, double-height, galleried Great Hall, rose to fame as the setting for the Tallis House in the film Atonement starring Keira Knightley and James McAvoy.

The house was built in 1889 for John Derby Allcroft, a wealthy Victorian manufacturer, entrepreneur and philanthropist, who had made his fortune in the glove-making business in partnership with the Dent brothers. Designed by Thomas Harris, the house was at the cutting edge of technology when it was completed in 1892, only six months before owner John Derby Allcroft’s death. Equipped with a large boiler and under-floor heating, the house was one of the first private homes in England to have integral electric light, powered by large lead batteries. Much of the early technology has been preserved, nowadays mostly for display. The visitor will discover an unusually unaltered and intact interior for a house of this period.

In WW1 the house became an Auxiliary Military Hospital for convalescent soldiers. Stokesay Court’s remarkable hospital archive contains around 300 letters from soldiers and their families, and many official hospital documents. After WW2 the house fell into gradual decline. John Derby Allcroft’s granddaughter Jewell and her biographer husband, Sir Philip Magnus lived in one wing.

In 1994 a major contents sale took place following Jewell’s death, and in 1995 her niece, Caroline Magnus, moved in and began restoring the house and refurnishing the interiors. The work is still ongoing.

Today’s visitors get a glimpse of the Victorian past as well as experiencing the present-day revival. There are also behind the scenes views of Atonement’s setting and artefacts from the film.

The landscaped gardens and grounds contain a fountain, grotto, woodland walks and a series of pools connected by cascades, rills and steps.

Tours that are scheduled will be listed below. If none are scheduled yet, please check back later, or find other tours you might enjoy on our tours listing page here.