DiCamillo Companion
DiCamillo Griffin Logo
England

Onslow Park (Onslow Hall)

  • Earlier Houses: Two earlier houses existed on the site of the current (third) 2013 house by Craig Hamilton.

    House & Family History: Onslow Park was the home of the eponymous Onslow family, who finally gave up their ancestral Shropshire acres for Clandon Park in Surrey in the late 16th century. After a succession of owners, including the Morhalls, who brought in Shrewsbury architect Thomas Farnollls Pritchard in the 1760s, Onslow was acquired by Rowland Wingfield in 1770. Wingfield’s family had owned Preston Hall to the north of Shrewsbury, which they sold back to the Corbets, who had owned Preston until the English Civil War and who are today, once more seated at that house. At Onslow, Rowland Wingfield commissioned the Scottish architect George Steuart, best known for his surviving Attingham Park, to design a new house in a severe Neoclassical style. In the event, this was not built; it was left to his son, Colonel John Wingfield, to engage the Shrewsbury architect Edward Haycock, Sr., to refashion Onslow as a Greek Revival mansion with giant Greek Doric portico. Enlarged by the Victorians, Onslow was deemed unwieldy after World War II and was demolished in 1955 (during the war the House was used as French girls' school). It was replaced by a contemporary house of brick with an aluminium roof that served the family for a generation, but which was unloveable as a piece of architecture. This house, too, succumbed to demolition and a new house has now taken the site with far greater aplomb, successfully filling the gap that the loss of the Greek Revival had left. It ranks amongst the most distinguished of early 21st century country houses, designed by Craig Hamilton, an architect who has also undertaken work for HRH The Prince of Wales. Of Palladian inspiration, yet with a hint of Schinkel in its elevations, the house includes features that had been used in the plans of Edward Haycock and George Steuart. Its merit has been recognized by the Georgian Group, who awarded the house "Best New House in the Classical Tradition." Onslow is today the seat of John and Claire Wingfield. (We are most grateful to Gareth Williams for this history of Onslow).

    Collections: There are pieces in the Onslow collection from the 1827 Attingham Park sale and the 2016 Linley Hall sale.

  • Garden & Outbuildings: As of 2019, the Onslow Estate stands at 2,500 acres.

  • Architect: Edward Haycock Sr.

    Date: 18th century
    Designed: Rebuilt House in Greek Revival style for Colonel John Wingfield

    View all houses

    Architect: Craig Hamilton

    Date: 2013
    Designed: Third (current) House for Claire and John Wingfield

    View all houses

    Architect: Edward Haycock Sr.

    Date: Circa 1815
    Designed: Remodeled House in Greek Revival style for John Wingfield

    View all houses
  • Title: Great Drawings from the Collection of the Royal Institute of British Architects
    Author: Harris, John; Lever, Jill; Richardson, Margaret
    Year Published: NA
    Reference: pg. 60
    Publisher: London: Trefoil Books
    ISBN: 0862940362
    Book Type: Hardback

    Title: No Voice From the Hall: Early Memories of a Country House Snooper
    Author: Harris, John
    Year Published: 1998
    Publisher: London: John Murray
    ISBN: 0719555671
    Book Type: Hardback

  • House Listed: Not Listed

    Park Listed: Not Listed

  • Current Seat / Home of: John and Claire Wingfield; Wingfield family here since 1770.

    Past Seat / Home of: SEATED AT EARLIER HOUSES: Onslow family, 16th century. Morhall family, 18th century. Rowland Wingfield, 18th century; John Wingfield, 19th century.

    Current Ownership Type: Individual / Family Trust

    Primary Current Ownership Use: Private Home

  • House Open to Public: No

    Historic Houses Member: No

VISIT AND HELP PRESERVE HISTORIC BRITISH HOUSES

Help preserve Britain’s privately owned country houses by joining Historic Houses. Use code DICAM7 for a £7 discount off a new membership that will give you access to hundreds of historic houses.

Join Now

The DiCamillo Companion does not receive any compensation from the Historic Houses Association.