Culham Court

Earlier Houses: An earlier house was damaged by fire in the 18th century and replaced by the current house.

Built / Designed For: Robert Mitchell

House & Family History: Culham Court is a house of red brick with five bays, the three center bays of which are pedimented and project slightly; to the north there is a fine Venetian doorway. There is disagreement about the architect of Culham, with three major contenders: Stiff Leadbetter, Sir William Chambers (per John Martin Robinson), or Sir Robert Taylor (per Marcus Binney). The current Culham was built by Richard Mitchell in 1770-71, after a fire damaged the previous house. Mitchell purchased the estate in 1760, after he married an Antigua sugar-estate heiress. In 1804 Culham was visited by George III and Queen Charlotte, together with their daughters. In 1997 it was sold, with an asking price of £6.5 million. In 2006, after extensive renovations, the house and 650 acres were put up for sale for £25 million.
Garden & Outbuildings: In the 1940s Viscount Hambleden gave protective covenants over land on both sides of the river to the National Trust, thereby permanently protecting the landscape. In the late 20th century Felicity and Michael Behrens employed Raymond Erith to design garden terraces overlooking the river, as well as a flint-faced swimming pool pavilion with a Pompeian-red mosaic interior. The Nicoll family engaged John Sales (former gardens advisor to the National Trust) to enhance the formal garden terraces.
Architect: William Oldham Chambers

Date of Birth: 1723
Date of Death: 1796
Nationality: British
Notes: Chambers was born in Goteborg, Sweden, to English parents. He was sent to England for his education and returned to Sweden when he was 16, where he worked for the Swedish East India Company between 1740 and 1749. His work for the company took him to the Far East three times, giving him an unparalleled first-hand knowledge of Asian architecture, a unique qualification among European architects of the day. Chambers made enough money in the Far East to retire at any early age and pursue the practice of architecture. He studied architecture in Paris and Italy, staying in the latter for five years. In 1755 he returned to England, where he began his architecture practice. In 1757 Chambers was appointed architectural tutor to the young Prince of Wales (later George III), which resulted in royal favor for the rest of his life. Chambers's publications included the very influential "Treatise on Civil Architecture" (1759), which became the standard work on the classical tradition, and "Designs of Chinese Buildings, Furniture, Dresses, Machines and Utensils" of 1757. In 1767 he became architect to the Office of Works, followed by appointment as the comptroller of the Works in 1769. Chambers was essential in the formation of the Royal Academy and designed its new home, Somerset House, possibly his most famous work. He was made a knight of the Polar Star by the King of Sweden.

Date: 1770-71
Designed: May have designed House for Robert Mitchell
(Attribution of this work is uncertain)
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Architect: Robert Taylor

Date of Birth: 1714
Date of Death: 1788
Nationality: British
Notes: Taylor was architect to the Bank of England from 1765 until 1788.

Date: 1770-71
Designed: May have designed House for Robert Mitchell
(Attribution of this work is uncertain)
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Architect: Raymond Charles Erith

Date of Birth: 1904
Date of Death: 1973
Nationality: British
Notes: Erith was an English architect known for his restorations in the Classical style. He formed the partnership Erith & Terry with his pupil Quinlan Terry. Erith was noted for his renovation of the interiors of numbers 10, 11, and 12 Downing Street for the government of Harold Macmillan in the 1960s.

Date: Late 20th century
Designed: Garden Terraces overlooking the river, as well as a flint-faced swimming pool pavilion with a Pompeian-red mosaic interior.

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Architect: John Sales

Date of Birth: ?
Nationality: British
Notes: Late 20th century garden designer. Former Gardens Advisor to The National Trust.

Date: Late 20th century
Designed: Enchanced formal garden terraces

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Architect: Stiff Leadbetter

Date of Birth: ?
Date of Death: 1766
Nationality: British
Notes: Active 1719-66

Date: 1770-71
Designed: May have designed House for Robert Mitchell
(Attribution of this work is uncertain)
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Title: Buildings of England: Berkshire, The
Author: Pevsner, Nikolaus
Year Published: 1966
Publisher: London: Penguin Books
ISBN: NA
Book Type: Hardback
House Listed: Grade II*

Park Listed: Not Listed
Past Seat / Home of: SEATED AT EARLIER HOUSE: Neville, 16th century. SEATED AT CURRENT HOUSE: Robert Mitchell, 18th century. William Herbert Smith, 4th Viscount Hambleden, late 19th century. Let to Sir William Barber, Bt., and Dame Martha Barber, 1895-1930s. Cecil King, mid-20th century. Felicity and Michael Behrens, 1949-96. Patrick and Annabel Nicoll, 1997-2006.

Current Ownership Type: Individual / Family Trust

Primary Current Ownership Use: Private Home
House Open to Public: No

Historic Houses Member: No

House, Family & Collections History

Gardens, Outbuildings, Chapel & Church History

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