House & Family History: A sweet, and relatively small, early 18th century country house, Rookley Manor is notable for its wonderfully romantic late 18th century Gothick façade. In the early 19th century, when he was the Prince of Wales, King George IV regularly took his mistress, the famous Mrs. Fitzherbert, to Rookley for romantic assignations (George's uncle, the Duke of Cumberland, had rented the house between 1776 and 1783 as a hunting lodge). In the mid-19th century William Makepeace Thackeray wrote "Vanity Fair" (see "Images" section) at Rookley Manor. Thackeray, who had been a friend the 1st Earl of Yarborough, was given temporary residence at Rookley by the 2nd Earl after the death of the 1st Earl in 1846. "Vanity Fair" first appeared between January 1847 and July 1848 in "Punch" magazine as 19 monthly installments and was later sold as an enormously successful single-volume novel. In 2003 "Vanity Fair" was listed at No. 122 on the BBC's The Big Read poll of the UK's best-loved books. In July 2014 the house, together with 10 acres, was listed for sale for £2.95 million.

Garden & Outbuildings: Rookley Manor has two walled gardens and a 300-year-old mulberry tree.

House Listed: Grade II*

Park Listed: Not Listed

Past Seat / Home of: HRH The Duke of Cumberlund, 1776-83. Charles Anderson-Pelham, 1st Earl of Yarborough, until 1846; Charles Anderson-Pelham, 2nd Earl of Yarborough, 1846-62.

Current Ownership Type: Individual / Family Trust

Primary Current Ownership Use: Private Home

House Open to Public: No

Historic Houses Member: No