The Palladian south facade from a circa 1914 postcard
The Tudor north facade from a 1789 engraving
House & Family History: Milton Hall is the largest private house in Cambridgeshire (the largest house in the county is Wimpole Hall, which is owned by the National Trust). Milton's interiors were the inspiration for the interiors of Manderley in Daphne du Maurier's famous 1938 novel, "Rebecca" (Menabilly in Cornwall was also an inspiration for Manderley). Du Maurier stayed at Milton Hall in 1917, when she was 10 years old (during this time the house was being used as a military hospital during World War I). In the 1950s, 20 years after the publication of "Rebecca," du Maurier wrote to the 10th Earl Fitzwilliam and told him that the interiors of Manderley were based on her recollections of the rooms of Milton during her stay there during the Great War.
Collections: Milton today houses many pieces of furniture removed from Wentworth Woodhouse, another Fitzwilliam seat.
Garden & Outbuildings: Milton has fine gardens and pleasure grounds, including 19th century flower gardens (sited on site of 17th century formal gardens). Humphry Repton landscaped the pleasure grounds in 1791 for the 4th Earl Fitzwilliam. During World War II the stableblock was occupied by the Czechoslovakian army. Later in the war the British Special Operations Executive trained in the grounds and woods prior to being dropped by parachute behind enemy lines in France in the days leading up to the Normandy landings.
Architect: Humphry Repton
Date: 1791Architect: Unknown (designed by an unknown architect)
Date: ElizabethanJohn Preston (J.P.) Neale, published under the title of Views of the Seats of Noblemen and Gentlemen in England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, among other titles: Vol. III, 1820.
Country Life: XXXII, 638, 1912. CXXIX, 1148, 1210 plan, 1270, 1961.
House Listed: Grade I
Park Listed: Grade II*
Current Seat / Home of: Sir Philip Vyvyan Naylor-Leyland, 4th Bt.
Past Seat / Home of: Sir William FitzWilliam, 16th century; William Fitzwilliam, 1st Baron Fitzwilliam, 17th century; William Fitzwilliam, 3rd Earl Fitzwilliam, 18th century; The Hon. George Wentworth-Fitzwilliam, 19th century; William Thomas George Wentworth-Fitzwilliam, 10th Earl Fitzwilliam, 20th century; Fitzwilliam family here from 1502 until 1979.
Current Ownership Type: Individual / Family Trust
Primary Current Ownership Use: Private Home
House Open to Public: No
Historic Houses Member: No