The Entrance Facade from the Jan 15, 1881 issue of "The Illustrated London News"
The Garden Facade from the Jan 15, 1881 issue of "The Illustrated London News"
Side Facade from the Jan 15, 1881 issue of "The Illustrated London News"
Built / Designed For: Sir Gilbert Heathcote, Lord Mayor of London.
House & Family History: Sir Gilbert Heathcote, the builder of Normanton, was a very wealthy man (at his death, his estate had an estimated value of £700,000, worth approximately £1.3 billion in 2016 inflation-adjusted values using the labour value commodity index). Sir Gilbert was a founder of the Bank of England, was knighted in 1702, became lord mayor of London in 1710, and was a member of Parliament for many years. In January of 1881 Lord Aveland hosted the Prince and Princess of Wales (later Edward VII and Queen Alexandra) at Normanton.
Collections: The Tapestry Drawing Room at Grimsthorpe Castle is hung with yellow Soho tapestries woven by Joshua Morris, circa 1730, for Sir Gilbert Heathcote for the State Bedroom at Normanton. The tapestries came to Grimsthorpe (another of the family's seats), with much furniture and pictures, after the demolition of Normanton in 1924.
Garden & Outbuildings: The Stables and various farm buildings survive in the Park.
John Bernard (J.B.) Burke, published under the title of A Visitation of the Seats and Arms of the Noblemen and Gentlemen of Great Britain and Ireland, among other titles: Vol. I, p. 231, 1852.
John 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: XXXIII, 198 plan, 1913.
Title: Grimsthorpe Castle Guidebook
Author: Knox, Tim
Year Published: 1996
Publisher: Lincolnshire: The Grimsthorpe and Drummond Castle Trust
ISBN: 0952794500
Book Type: Light Softback
Title: Treasure Houses of Britain, The - SOFTBACK
Author: Jackson-Stops, Gervase (Editor)
Year Published: 1985
Reference: pg. 212
Publisher: Washington, DC: National Gallery of Art (New Haven: Yale University Press)
ISBN: 0300035530
Book Type: Softback
Title: England's Lost Houses From the Archives of Country Life
Author: Worsley, Giles
Year Published: 2002
Reference: pg. 9
Publisher: London: Aurum Press
ISBN: 1854108204
Book Type: Hardback
House Listed: Demolished
Park Listed: Destroyed
Past Seat / Home of: Sir Gilbert Heathcote, 1st Bt., 18th century; Gilbert John Heathcote, 1st Baron Aveland and 5th Baronet, 19th century; Gilbert Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 2nd Earl of Ancaster, until 1924.
Current Ownership Type: Demolished
Primary Current Ownership Use: Demolished
House Open to Public: No
Historic Houses Member: No