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Iron Age - 1708   Cutler

People have been living around the site where Wentworth Castle is located since the Iron Age. However, the earliest record of people living on this site can be found in the census returns compiled in the eleventh century otherwise known as the Doomsday Book. The estate then came under the manorial lordship of the De Lacey family whose main power base was at Pontefract in West Yorkshire. All that remains of the Norman period is a small arch situated in the Stable Block of Home Farm. Apart from this sole remaining primary source little is known about the estate and life here until the middle of the thirteenth century. From this period Stainborough Hall was occupied by the Everingham family that descended from John de Everingham. In 1610 the Everinghams sold the estate to Thomas Cutler for a sum of around £3,000. Uncertainty surrounded the future of the Cutler family when during the English Civil war Sir Greaves Cutler died at the siege of Pontefract Castle leaving heavy debts. However, the family gradually recovered its losses and re-built Stainborough Hall in 1670-72. By 1708 the family again found themselves in debt and this time Stainborough Hall was put up for sale.

Corinthian Temple

Built in 1766 this folly was designed to act as a summerhouse for the second Earl and his family. The building is designed to echo the architectural style of the Palladian Wing with its Corinthinthian columns. The building also reflects the ‘romantic theme’ portrayed in many images of 18th century life. It is conceivable that in the summer one could sit and listen to music being performed at the temple. If viewed from a distance the Foley would have made an impressive sight adding an air of extravagance to the newly designed gardens at Wentworth Castle.

1711 - 1739   Thomas Wentworth

The Wentworth families, so named after the old village, have been a prominent family in this area since medieval times. The family home is situated in Wentworth Woodhouse some 7 or 8 miles from Wentworth Castle. The Family became prominent in the region in the early 1600's when William Wentworth became High Sheriff of Yorkshire. It was however William's son Thomas Wentworth who brought the greatest fame and wealth to the family. A loyal friend and ally to Charles I, Thomas became one of the King's leading generals. For his loyalty he was awarded the title of Earl of Strafford and was also made the first governor of Ireland. It was his loyalty to the King, however, which led to his death. Following the defeat of the Royalists, Cromwell demanded that his enemies sign an oath of loyalty to him. Thomas refused to do this and so in 1641 Cromwell ordered that he be beheaded. The Earldom was then handed to Thomas's son who died without leaving an heir. Thomas Wentworth of Wakefield, the next living descendant of the dead Earl was not awarded the Earldom and instead was given the lesser title of Lord Raby. The family estate at Wentworth however was passed on to his cousin Thomas Watson. Lord Raby was an extremely ambitious man. During his political career he became ambassador to Berlin and was one of the signatories of the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713. From the outset Thomas set his sights firmly on securing the title of Earl of Strafford. In order to achieve this aim, Thomas had to win favor with Queen Anne, and also build himself a house which he could use as a power base. Since Stainborough Hall was now on the market, and as it was situated in the Strafford region, Thomas decided that this would serve as an ideal site to establish a manor and so in 1708 purchased Stainborough Hall for the sum of £14,000. The political party to which Lord Raby belonged was the Tory Party which was the Party in power under Queen Anne. Raby's extreme willingness to please the Queen was always evident and contemporaries often despised him for his sycophantic nature with her. He even built a series of suites suitable for a royal visit just in case the Queen should decide to call in. However, his actions won him favour and in 1711 he was granted the title of Earl of Strafford (of the second creation). In 1714 the Queen died and the balance of power was given to the Earl's opponents, the Whigs. Now out of office, and with more time on his hands, the Earl set about expanding Stainborough Hall and developing its gardens.

1720's   Baroque Wing

Shortly after purchasing Stainborough Hall, Thomas Wentworth embarked upon a project to expand the Hall and its grounds. The Berlin architect Johannes Von Bodt was commissioned to draw up designs for the expansion programme. There was a tremendous rivalry between Thomas Wentworth and his cousin Thomas Watson-Wentworth who was also expanding his family seat at Wentworth Woodhouse. In order to demonstrate his newly acquired power and wealth the Earl’s new wing was to contain the longest room in Europe supported by twin marble pillars. In response to this when the house at Wentworth-Woodhouse was being designed it was to hold the record for having the longest frontage of any house in Europe. The Baroque Wing, which is 178 feet long, was based upon the Palazzo Colonna and was completed in the 1720’s at a cost of ten thousand pounds. The wing consists of three levels with one being built completely underground to act as a reservoir for the Dolphin Basin. The first level is divided into four main areas comprising of the Grand Hall, the Drawing Room, the Dining Room and the State Room. The second level contains the Gallery, which is one spectacular room running the full length of the building, the Billiard Room and Ark Rooms (which held a collection of tapestries). Over the years these rooms have contained some of the finest works of art by artists such as Van Dyke and Rembrandt.

1733   Wentworth Castle

Under the Premiership of Robert Walpole there was a great movement in England to show wealth and power by designing and building great houses and gardens. Walpole himself was a great advocate of this extravagant display of wealth and commented on the good work being undertaken by Thomas Watson-Wentworth and the development of the Wentworth-Woodhouse estate. Not to be outdone in 1727 Thomas Wentworth set about building the mock castle. The site where the castle is located is of significant historical importance since it lies on the site of an Iron Age hill fort that was converted by the Norman Lords into a motte-and bailey castle. The castle was completed in 1734 and from this day on, Stainborough Hall became known as Wentworth Castle. The exact motive behind why Thomas decided to build a castle is unclear. One theory is that it was a playhouse for his children. There can be no doubt however that family rivalry was a key motive, having the address of 'Wentworth Castle' sounded just as grand then as it does today.

1747   Lady Mary's Monument

Lady Mary was the daughter of the 5th Earl of Kingston and Mary Fielding (cousin of Henry Fielding, the author). Regarded by contemporaries as the most colourful woman in England, Mary was a renowned author, traveller, eccentric and socialite. It was Lady Mary who introduced the Prime Minister, Robert Walpole to Molly Skerrett who later became his wife, although when first introduced he was already married. Lady Mary was also regarded as a great beauty until she unfortunately fell victim to smallpox, which left her slightly disfigured. It was her marriage to Edward Montague-Wortley whose family seat is located 5 miles from Wentworth Castle that first brought her into contact with Thomas Wentworth. Lady Mary thought highly of the Earl and often wrote complementary things about him. Shortly after her marriage to Edward, the couple left England for Turkey where Edward was to take up the role of ambassador. It was in the 1720's whilst living in Turkey that Lady Mary discovered that the Turks were able to cure smallpox. She brought this remedy back to England with her and informed the Queen of the discovery. It was decided that the royal children, the future heirs of England should be inoculated against the disease. However, since Lady Mary was female the medical profession was slow to acknowledge her claim and the credit for the cure was given to Dr Jenner in 1759. Lady Mary's marriage to Edward turned out to be a marriage of convenience and in 1739 she planned to elope to Italy with her lover Francesco Algarotti. Unfortunately for Lady Mary, Algarotti decided not turn up to meet her as arranged. By the time he finally arrived in Italy Lady Mary had found a new lover, the young count Ugo Plazzi. She lived in Italy for a further ten years with the Count and it was here that she met William Wentworth who was on his `Grand Tour of Europe'. William was obviously impressed by Lady Mary, and it was a mixture of this admiration, and of her friendship with his father that prompted him to erect the monument in her name in 1747. Following the end of her relationship with the Count, Lady Mary returned to England. It was intended to be a short stay and she would return to Italy, however, she died of cancer in 1762.

1760's   Palladian Wing

Following Thomas's death in 1739 the house and Earldom passed to his son William. Unlike his father William had little interest in politics, mainly due to the fact that the Whigs were now the favoured party of the King. Instead much of William's time was spent planning the expansion of the house and modernising the gardens. Instead of the more formal gardens a park like setting was created with the planting of trees and larger lawned areas. As well as completing the Rotunda, which his father had started to build, further Gothic and Classical Temples were also added to the estate by the Second Earl. In 1759 plans were unveiled for the building of the Palladian wing which was intended to outshine the new Palladian wing built at Wentworth-Woodhouse. During the construction of the wing it is said that the builders discovered the tomb of a knight buried with his armour, presumably one of the Norman owners of the house. When finally completed in 1768 the new Palladian wing, which stands three stories high with its six columns, was described by Horace Walpole, younger son of Robert Walpole PM, and self -proclaimed leader of national taste, as being one of the most beautiful buildings in the world.

1890's   Victorian Wing

The descendants of Thomas Wentworth, the Vernon-Wentworths, were responsible for the last major building works undertaken at Wentworth Castle. In the 1830's Frederick Vernon-Wentworth rebuilt the Church behind the Stable Block. He also added the Conservatory to the house in order to bring Wentworth Castle in line with other great Victorian country houses. The Conservatory was one of the first to use electric lighting. In 1897 Frederick's son Thomas built the last wing of the house which provided the more functional elements of a country house such as a kitchen area, extra bedrooms and bathrooms. In May 1998 another Victorian feature was discovered when a wall in the College's car park collapsed. As the builders were repairing the wall they discovered a stone door frame and steps leading down to what turned out to be an icehouse (an underground room used for keeping food cool). From 1900 little else was added to the house except for electric lighting and other modern facilities.

1948 - Present Day   Northern College

The last person to use Wentworth Castle as a family house was Captain Bruce Vernon-Wentworth. At the turn of the century he was active in enhancing the gardens and maintaining the running of the house. During the Second World War the army occupied Wentworth Castle using it as a military hospital. This legacy can still be seen with the annexe buildings, which served as the main hospital. By 1948 the house and gardens were becoming a huge burden to maintain and much restoration work was needed. Like many other owners of stately homes around this period Captain Bruce Vernon-Wentworth was reluctantly forced to sell the house and surrounding land to Barnsley Corporation for £26,000, which one could argue was a bargain, considering that Thomas Wentworth paid £14,000 for Stainborough Hall in 1708. A new use was soon found for Wentworth Castle as a teacher training college. Following the war there was a national shortage of teachers, and buildings were urgently sought to house the new colleges. Wentworth Castle remained a teacher training college until 1978. By now the crisis for teachers had gone and for a time there was uncertainty about the future of Wentworth Castle. In 1978 the house entered a new phase when it became the Northern College. The idea was derived from the Russell Report of 1973, which recommended that there should be another adult residential college in the North of England. The main focus of Wentworth Castle from this point on was to provide local people with the opportunity to study in an environment that is fully conducive to their needs. Students at the College don't have to worry about paying bills, or cooking meals, they can focus their energies on developing their educational careers and enjoy learning in what is truly a very beautiful and compelling location. Recently the College has received a series of major awards for academic excellence such as the Beacon Award, accredited status and a glowing FEFC inspection report. These awards are keeping Wentworth Castle firmly fixed in the national limelight.

Dolphin Basin

One of the earliest pictorial references made to the Dolphin Basin is the depiction of the new grand entrance to Wentworth Castle by Holzendorf in 1713. In his engraving Holzendorf shows a rectangular basin with a water cascade flanked by two dolphin statues. We can however say for certainty that this is merely an artistic impression of the estate since the Baroque Wing, which is shown in the background, wasn't completed at the time yet is shown as a finished building. A more compelling piece of evidence is the correspondence that took place between the Earl of Strafford and Thomas Thacwray, the man charged with task of designing the basin. In 1714, Thacwray wrote to the Earl commenting on the engineering feat required to make the basin functional. This is what Thacway wrote "…we have had a long drought but ye springs in ye cellar do not seem to fail any at all it springs in on ye side next ye south court and seems to be a good spring so that I do believe there my reservoir be maid in ye other cellar at ye other end of ye house, if your Lordship please. Which will hold a great deal of water…"(LD 1121 item 180 Sheffield archives) It would appear then from this piece of evidence that the decision to build the basin could have been taken at the same as the decision to build the Baroque Wing. The plans drawn up by Thacwray indicate that it was his intention to use the cellar area of the Baroque Wing as a reservoir containing water to a depth of around 4ft 6inches. This water would then, when needed, be forced down-hill via a specially designed channel creating the desired cascade. Whilst it would appear that Thacwray was the engineer of the project the man given the task of actually building the basin was George Arnold. Throughout 1714 a series of correspondents were made between the Earl and Arnold which are now held at the British Library. The following extracts in particular are worthy of note since they give the exact location of the basin and helps us to understand how it would have actually looked. "…I Receved your lordships letter with The draught of the fountaine which I Aprove of evry thing exsepting the uper part of the fountaine which comes up too hey by ten foot towards the house By this last draught: for it is 60 foot from the head of the Octegun and the draught as your lordship sent first is just 50 foot from he octegun and 50 foot from the tarris: for: from the tarris to the head of the octegun is just A: 100: foot: by this and the plan as your lordship was plased to send first: which comes to the Botome of the fountain as your Lordship staked out: which by the judgement of all people will Looke much better from the house…" (Letter dated 4th June 1714 - research done by Lucy Jessop) "…May it please your Excelency I sent A letter in Answer to your Lord Ships About the 4 of June whare I Gave your lordship an: A Count of the Eleyvations in every perticuler from place to place acording as your Lordship desired But for sure it should not come safe I have made bould to send this: from the hall flere to the watter In the Seller is A: 11: foot and from which levell come 3 foot 6 inches Below the uper part or head of the fountain which is 50 foot from the tarris and 50 foot to the head of the octegun: from the head of the octegun to the watter Is 14 foot: and 4 foot as your Excelency proposed should Be the depth of the watter which is 18 foot which is A Grate depth from the tope to the Botom which make me make this proposall: that is: to drope 5 foot perpendicular And then goe forward 5 foot: and then to drope 5 foot more which is ten of the 8: then goe forward 5 foot more And then drop 8 foot to the botome: or it may drop: 4 foot: 9 inches [f 12 r.] And depend 3 inches Evry 5 foot which I shall take Care to devide eaquill which I desire your Lordships Advice in this: from the botome of the fountaine to the new gates is 4 foot 9 inches full in the depending levill" (Letter dated 16th June 1714 - research done by Lucy Jessop) What is confusing about this project is that the artist's engravings whilst in part support the above correspondence in their depiction of the basin, they also differ greatly from one artist to another. In 1723 Buck's view of the estate also shows a rectangular Dolphin Basin identical to that of Holzendorf. Given that Buck's engraving was created about the time of the completion of the Baroque Wing, it is more plausible to assume that this is a more accurate depiction of the site. What is really puzzling however is that another drawing of the estate done in 1730 shows for the first time an octagonal shaped pond without Dolphins. In his view of Wentworth Castle, Badesdales's view is the first to suggest that the shape of the basin was not rectangular but in fact octagonal, as stated by Arnold. It is possible that the Earl changed the shape of the basin from rectangular to octagonal at some point but as yet no evidence exists to prove this. The most likely theory is that the two earlier engravings are simply impressionist. The image you see is based on this later engraving by Badeslade. The calculations for the location and size of the basin are based upon work done by Jean Humphrey (in her MA thesis on Wentworth Castle which is unpublished), and Arnold's calculations. What is known for certain is that within twenty years the basin had been filled in, probably due to problems with water supplies but also to keep the estate more in keeping with modern ideals on garden landscaping.

Gardens

The gardens and 500 acre landscape surrounding it are, historically, among the most important in the country, having been designated grade I on English Heritages's Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest. They contain rare surviving features, such as the serpentine watercourse and formal wilderness garden, as well as the structures amongst the first of their kind to have been constructed in a garden, such as the mock castle. The Gardens care for three National Plant Collections, under the direction of the National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens. This organisation co-ordinates over 600 National Collections across the British Isles. These are sanctuaries, where old, rare and endangered garden plants, as well as new varieties, are grown together and safely conserved for the benefit of horticulture, science and education. The Gardens will open to visitors again in Spring 2004, when, it is anticipated, the first 5 year phase of construction and restoration work will have begun to recapture some of the sites former splendours.

Gallery Fire Places

Although this room has no particular function, other than to boast about its magnificence at being the longest room in any house in England, over the years the Gallery has been utilised in a variety of ways. Originally it housed several works of art such as Van Dyke’s portrait of Charles I. In the centre of the room there was a full-length portrait of Queen Anne by Sir G. Kneller and one of Philip Herbert, the seventh Earl of Pembroke. Other notable artists on display included Rubens, Titian, Rembrandt, Vanderhelst and Murillo. To illuminate this room there hung a cut glass chandelier of variegated hues with about 30 lights. In winter time the room would also have been used as an exercise room. During the Second World War there are stories of a less illustrious usage when soldiers billeted at Wentworth Castle used the Gallery as a shooting range. Today the Gallery houses the College's Learning Resources Centre. (Taken from a book entitled `Stainborough & Rockley`, Thomas Lister)

Drawing Room & Dining Room

Today these two rooms are converted into one and are referred to as the Blue Room. The Drawing Room is supported by two Sienna marble pillars. Over the fireplace there once hung a painting by Carlo Maratti, of David reclining upon a mound. There were also pieces by Rosa da Tivoli. In the Dining Room hung Van Dyke’s painting of the Earl. There were portraits of Charles II and the Duchess of Newcastle by Peter Lely. There were also portraits of Lady Wentworth and her children by an unknown artist and another of the Czar Peter of Russia by Amiconi. The ceiling is decorated with an autumnal piece, representing the goddess pouring forth her munificence of autumnal fruits and grain. (Taken from a book entitled `Stainborough & Rockley`, Thomas Lister)

Conservatory 7

After inheriting this estate, indirectly from the aristocratic Earls Strafford, the Vernons, as gentry, would have been keen to enhance their status. A conservatory, particularly of this size and quality, was seen as a most desirable adjunct to any Victorian estate. It was commissioned by Thomas Vernon Wentworth (as they now styled themselves) from Crompton & Fawkes of Chelmsford and was completed between 1886 and 1891. Its positioning, on the same elevation as the Corinthian Temple and on the same axis as the Palladian Wing continued the Strafford’s love of relating the positioning of house and garden structures one with another. What better way to enhance their social standing and demonstrate their affluence, taste and interest in the latest engineering and scientific developments? The north wall, with a doorway giving access to the small greenhouse to the rear, is built of ashlar sandstone in a conventional manner, as is the fine, perimeter cill wall. The cast and wrought iron, on the other hand, make this a ‘machine age’ building, being prefabricated, modular and having many post-stressed elements. It has structural gutters and hollow columns acting as rainwater pipes after the manner of Paxton, which are reputed to replenish a subterraneous watering system. Internally only eight of its twenty-eight columns support a three bayed, hipped, ridge and furrow roof with a central clerestory and semi octagonal bay (see photo 1). The whole covers an area of approximately 325 square meters (larger than 1 1/2 tennis courts) and encloses a volume of over 1550 cubic meters (a volume greater than 17 London double-decker buses). The spandrels have fine Moorish motifs with the Arabesque theme used in the heating grills and taken onto the floor with the repeat geometric pattern of the tiling scheme (see photos 2 & 3). This, coupled with the plain Dorical columns and pedimented door casings (see photo 4), lends a feel of the Byzantine. Centrally disposed within the south bay is a pitched structure supported on lattice girders (see photo 2 & 7) which, when glazed, would have protected occupants from dripping condensation. Ventilation is provided both by roof vents in the clerestory and on the pitches operated mechanically by a rack and pinion system and centre hung opening lights with casement stays to the vertical glazed panels. The asymmetric porch and elevated, covered walkway (see photo 5) are later additions, contemporary with the Victorian Wing and are built largely out of timber with cast iron ridge embellishments and spandrels. There are wooden conduits and also switches that are remnants of the electric lighting scheme from the late 19th century, that made this one of the first garden structures to be lit by electricity. This, grade 2 star, conservatory is in, largely, original condition, in its original location, in a Grade 1 garden setting. Its collapse, due to the lack of remedial works, would be a travesty, whereas, its restoration would not only save a fine and important building, it would also enhance and benefit the gardens and house as a whole. There is enough of the original lighting system left for a replica system to be installed. This and the restoration of the landscaping would make it possible, when lit at night and juxtaposed, as it is, by the Palladian Wing, to view the southerly aspect of Wentworth Castle with the novelty and enchantment that Thomas Vernon Wentworth, surely, intended. (See photos 6 & 7 for plates taken Circa 1895) © (Author Steve Jones)

Billiard Room

As well as containing the billiard table, this room also housed the family portraits painted by Sir Joshua Reynolds.

Grand Hall

Although now used as a dining room over the years this room would have been used as the main reception area of the Baroque Wing. The ceiling contains paintings by the French artist Clermont, and are a depiction of the seasons. The central painting is as yet undetermined and needs to be researched. Other artwork also displayed in this room included a full-length portrait of Thomas Wentworth on horseback, portraits of the prince and princess of Orange and some views of Rome by Canaletto.. There were also portraits of the Kings of Prussia, Poland and Demark which were given to Thomas by their majesties in 1705 as a token of their esteem to him when he was Lord Raby ambassador extraordinary at Berlin.

Queen Anne Suite

Also referred to as the Queen Anne suite, these rooms were intended for the reception of the Monarch should she call upon the Earl. We know that Queen Anne never used these rooms since she died before they were completed. Notable works of art displayed in these rooms included a full-length portrait of Sir Philip Sidney by Sir Antonia More.

Stables

Due to the rural isolation of the site it has been a necessity for all inhabitants of the area to become self-sufficient. Although at this stage little is known about this aspect of life on the estate we still retain a legacy of the farming activities that took place here with the Home Farm Complex. Under the recently approved Heritage Lottery Project the intention is to bring the majority of the Home Farm buildings into sustainable use, to provide residential accommodation for Northern College students. Former Animal Houses 1& 2 and the upper floor of the Arched Barn will be converted to study bedrooms. The lower floor of the Arched Barn will provide a multi-use learning centre. The former Piggeries and Milking Parlour will provide a college aerobics, dance and drama studio. The upper floor of the Long Barn will be converted to a college bar, conference and social space.

Great Staircase

At the end of the Long Gallery is the Great Staircase. The Italian Staircase as it has come to be known was the creation of two men, Atari and Bagutti and as well as the elaborate plasterwork there are also busts of eight Roman emperors adorning the stairwell. To further reflect his new found power and status, the Earl also had embossed into the ceiling the Royal Garter, an honour that had been bestowed upon him.