Ampthill
Houghton House
Places > Ampthill > Historic Buildings > Houghton House
Houghton House was built for Mary, Countess of Pembroke in
1615. Mary was the sister of Sir Philip Sydney, a famous poet and
courtier. The architect may have been John Thorpe but there is some debate
over this. It is possible that the Countess of Pembroke also used the
services of Inigo Jones to help complete the west front with its Doric
columns and the centre of the north front.
The house was designed as a hunting seat rather than a stately home and for this reason it is quite small, with moderately sized rooms. Altogether there would probably have been about forty rooms.
The house is brick built with stone facings and high towers at each of the four corners. It has three stories.
When the Countess died Houghton House was given to the King who gave it to the Bruce Family (Earls of Elgin).
In 1738 the estate was purchased by the Duke of Bedford and in 1754 his son, the Marquis of Tavistock, took up residence there. Unhappily, three years later the Marquis was killed in a hunting accident. The Duke of Bedford lost interest in Houghton House as a result of this and the house was later unroofed and dismantled.
Many of the finer parts of the house were sold and the staircase and some of the panelling can now be seen in the Swan Inn in Bedford.
Sources:
- The story of Houghton House by Mary S. F. George
Further Reading:
- The mansion of the fair, the story of Houghton House part 1. by Mary S.F. George in Bedfordshire Magazine Vol. 1 No. 5 p.169
- Proud dwelling desolate, the story of Houghton House part 2. by Mary S.F. George in Bedfordshire Magazine Vol. 1 No.6 p.209
- A noble company, the story of Houghton House part 3 by Mary S.F. George in Bedfordshire Magazine Vol. 1 No. 7 p.261
Search the library catalogue to discover whether these titles are in stock at your local library.
Houghton House, by Bedfordshire Libraries, 2004.
Page last updated: 16th May 2016