Widcombe Manor is a

grade I listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...

Georgian house in Widcombe, Bath, England, built in 1656 and then rebuilt in 1727 for Philip Bennet the local MP. The crest of the Bennet family can be seen surmounting the two pedestals at the entrance gates. The manor is located on Church Street adjacent to St Thomas à Becket Church. The house has a south-facing front which is in its original condition. In around 1850, the west front was altered and now includes a bay window and stone balconies at the first floor windows. The fountain in front of the house is Italian and thought to date from the 15th century. It was installed in its present position in the early twentieth century. It is also Grade I listed. The property was acquired in 1839 by Major-General William Clapham, husband of Ellen Jones-Parry, and brother-in-law of Lt. Gen. Sir Love Jones-Parry. In 1880, the manor was let to

Viscount Weymouth A viscount ( , for male) or viscountess (, for female) is a title used in certain European countries for a noble of varying status. The status and any domain held by a viscount is a viscounty. In the case of French viscounts, the title is so ...

, who became

Thomas Thynne, 5th Marquess of Bath Thomas Henry Thynne, 5th Marquess of Bath (15 July 1862 – 9 June 1946), styled Viscount Weymouth until 1896, was a British landowner and Conservative politician. He held ministerial office as Under-Secretary of State for India in 1905 and ...

Longleat House Longleat is a stately home about west of Warminster in Wiltshire, England. A leading and early example of the Elizabethan prodigy house, it is a Grade I listed building and the seat of the Marquesses of Bath. Longleat is set in of parklan ...

. It was then inherited by Deputy Lieutenant

William Corbet Yale William Corbet Yale-Jones-Parry (1825 – 1909) was a barrister-at-law, magistrate and Justice of the Peace from Denbighshire, Wales. He graduated from Worcester College, Oxford, Oxford and served as Deputy Lieutenant under Lord Lieutenant Willia ...

of Madryn Castle, born Jones-Parry, member of the

Yale family Yale University is a private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, and one of the nine colonial colleges char ...

. It was transmitted to his daughter, Margaret Jones-Parry in 1917, and thereafter to his son, Col. James Corbet Yale, born Jones-Parry, heir of Plas-yn-

Yale Yale University is a private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, and one of the nine colonial colleges ch ...

.The Bath Chronicle
20 May 1909, Thu ·Page 3 The house was home to

Horace Annesley Vachell Horace Annesley Vachell (30 October 1861 – 10 January 1955) was a prolific English writer of novels, plays, short stories, essays and autobiographical works. Early life and education Vachell was born at Sydenham, Kent on 30 October 1861, elde ...

who based his novel ''Golden House'' on the property. From 1955, it was the home to the entrepreneur and inventor Jeremy Fry.

Princess Margaret Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon (Margaret Rose; 21 August 1930 – 9 February 2002) was the younger daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. She was the younger sister and only sibling of Queen Elizabeth II. ...

of the

House of Windsor The House of Windsor is the reigning house of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms. The house's name was inspired by the historic Windsor Castle estate. The house was founded on 17 July 1917, when King George V changed the na ...

and Earl Tony Armstrong-Jones were frequent visitors, and it was the location of the 1972 Widcombe Manor Festival at which

Hawkwind Hawkwind are an English rock band known as one of the earliest space rock groups. Since their formation in November 1969, Hawkwind have gone through many incarnations and have incorporated many different styles into their music, including hard ...

were scheduled to play. The façade was closely replicated on a South Australian home by Hennessey Builders in 2000.105 Milan Terrace Aldgate SA 5154
realestateview.com.au. Accessed 11/12/2022.

Gallery

Widcombe Manor House, Bath (geograph 2810372) restored.jpg Widcombe Manor House, England, Rijksmuseum.png Widcombe House, Later Renaissance Widcombe Bath Plate 89 0070.jpg Widcombe Manor House and church - geograph.org.uk - 2810339 restored.jpg

References

{{Reflist 1656 establishments in England Grade I listed buildings in Bath, Somerset History of Bath, Somerset Yale family Houses completed in 1727