The house from a 1909 postcard
Earlier Houses: The current house was built near the site of a previous house, which was heavily damaged during the Civil War.
Built / Designed For: Henry James Pye
House & Family History: Faringdon is a stone house of five bays by two stories with a hipped roof built circa 1780 for Henry Pye. The center bay is raised to two-and-a-half stories with a framed giant arch and there is a fine Tuscan porch with niches. Pye was poet laureate to George III, and is popularly considered as the worst-ever holder of the title. The nursery rhyme "Sing a Song of Sixpence" was sung as a satirical comment of his work. Gerald Hugh Tyrwhitt-Wilson, 14th Baron Berners (1883-1950), inherited the house and was famous for entertaining many distinguished, and sometimes outrageous, visitors, including Nancy Mitford, H.G. Wells, Aldous Huxley, and John Betjeman at Faringdon. In her novel, "The Pursuit of Love," Nancy Mitford based her character of Lord Merlin on Lord Berners, right down to dyeing the doves bright colors!
Collections: Contents from Faringdon House were sold in London by Christie's on April 12, 2018. The painting "Mr. and Mrs. William Hallett" (more commonly known as "The Morning Walk"; see "Images" section) originally hung at Faringdon and is now in the collection of the National Gallery, London. William Hallett was 21 and his wife Elizabeth, née Stephen, was 20 when Gainsborough painted this late portrait in the French manner. In spite of much speculation about the location of the landscape portrayed in the painting, its location is unknown and may be imaginary.
Garden & Outbuildings: There is a fine orangery at Faringdon of three glazed bays with a pediment. Robert Heber-Percy, who succeeded Lord Berners at Faringdon, built a Gothic style swimming pool, complete with stone winged wyverns, and a round tower paved with coins.
Country Life: CXXXIX, 1184, 1246, 1966.
Title: Christie's Magazine
Author: NA
Year Published: NA
Reference: Jun 1999, pg. 67
Publisher: London: Christie's
ISBN: NA
Book Type: Magazine
Title: National Gallery, London, The
Author: Wilson, Michael
Year Published: 1983
Reference: pg. 103
Publisher: London: Charles Letts and Co.
ISBN: 0856671568
Book Type: Softback
Title: Buildings of England: Berkshire, The
Author: Pevsner, Nikolaus
Year Published: 1966
Publisher: London: Penguin Books
ISBN: NA
Book Type: Hardback
House Listed: Grade I
Park Listed: Not Listed
Past Seat / Home of: Henry James Pye, 18th century. William Hallett, 18th century. Gerald Hugh Tyrwhitt-Wilson, 14th Baron Berners, until 1950. Robert Vernon Heber-Percy, 1950-87.
Current Ownership Type: Individual / Family Trust
Primary Current Ownership Use: Other
Ownership Details: Owned by Sofka Zinovieff, granddaughter of Robert Heber-Percy, and let as a luxury house rental.
House Open to Public: No
Phone: 013672-40-240
Historic Houses Member: No