The house from a 1912 postcard
House & Family History: Controversial Conservative politician Jacob Rees-Mogg grew up at Ston Easton. In 1982 the house opened as a hotel. In 2000 Ston Easton was sold for £5 million to von Essen Hotels, which went into bankruptcy in April 2011; the house listed for sale for £5 million in June of 2011. In August 2012 Ston Easton Park and 36 acres were sold for £3 million to James Caan's private equity group, Hamilton Bradshaw (Caan appeared on the BBC's "Dragons' Den" TV series in 2007-10), who upgraded and reopened the hotel. In June of 2020 Ston Easton Park went into bankruptcy again and the hotel was closed. In early 2022 the house, together with 28 acres, was listed for sale for £6 million. In March of 2024 the price for Ston Easton was reduced to £4.5 million.
Collections: A solid ebony four-poster early 19th century bed was sold (for £29,000) by Sotheby's at Prior Park, near Bath, on October 29, 1998, together with other items originally from Northwick, including paintings and clocks. The bed was one of many items up for sale as William Rees-Mogg downsized from his eight-bedroom house at Ston Easton to a smaller house nearby. The bed represents an expensive and unusual example of the use of ebony, which was more commonly used in furniture decoration. The canopy has a gilt wood ball set cornice, while the turned foot posts are leaf carved, reeded, spiral-reeded and fluted, on spiral-reeded legs. The bed is believed to have been commissioned by John Rushout, 2nd Lord Northwick (1770-1859), whose family owned the estate of Northwick. Their fortune was due to the success of Rushout's great-grandfather, a Flemish merchant who traded in London. After John Rushout's death the house and most of its contents were bequeathed to George Spencer-Churchill, a cousin of the Duke of Marlborough. This remained in the Spencer-Churchill family until 1964, when the contents of the house were dispersed in several sales. The bed was sold to the Rees-Mogg family. (This history kindly provided by Allan Taylor).
Garden & Outbuildings: The grounds were landscaped by Humphry Repton in the late 18th century.
Country Life: XCVII, 508, 552 plan, 596, 1945.
Title: Country Life (magazine)
Author: NA
Year Published: NA
Reference: Jul 31, 2003, pg. 105
Publisher: Bath: Future plc
ISBN: NA
Book Type: Magazine
House Listed: Grade I
Park Listed: Grade II
Past Seat / Home of: Hippisley-Coxe family, 1544-1956. Stephen Clark, 1962-64. Lord William Rees-Mogg, 1964-78. Peter Smedley, 1978-2000.
Current Ownership Type: Corporation
Primary Current Ownership Use: Unoccupied
House Open to Public: No
Historic Houses Member: No