Built / Designed For: J.R. Scott

House & Family History: Thirlestaine House is a very large early 19th century villa of nine bays in the center of Cheltenham that is noted for its giant central portico with four fluted Ionic columns. The north wing was added 1839-40 and extended circa 1853 and features inset panels in relief copied from the Parthenon. The south wing is of 1845 and was extended 1854-55. The porte cochère on the south facade was rebuilt circa 1948 by Louis de Soissons. In 1838 the 2nd Lord Northwick acquired Thirlestane; he added wings to the house and created the top-lit Picture Gallery for his collection of paintings (very similar to the picture gallery at his primary seat at Northwick Park). After Lord Northwick's death, the house was acquired by Sir Thomas Phillipps, the great 19th century collector of manuscripts, whose collection had overflowed his relatively modest house at Middle Hill, Broadway, in Worcestershire. In 1947 Thirlestane was acquired by Cheltenham College, in whose ownership it remains today. (We are most grateful to Nicholas Kingsley for the information he provided on the history of Thirlestane House.)

Collections: The 2nd North Northwick found, in spite of the addition of the Picture Gallery in 1832, that Northwick Park was too small to contain his great picture collection. Thus, in 1838, he purchased Thirlestaine House for the overflow. His collection included not just paintings, but coins, Greek vases, prints, gems, miniatures, and porcelain, all of which was housed at Thirlestaine. Lord Northwick was a magnanimous man and opened his galleries at Thirlestaine to visitors all through the year. When he died in 1859 without a will, Lord Northwick's property was forcibly divided among his three nearest relatives; consequently, the great sales of the contents of Northwick Park and Thirlestaine House followed, conducted by Phillips in 1859. The sales lasted for over 22 days and included over 1,500 pictures. Sir Charles Eastlake made many important purchases for The National Gallery, London, during these sales. Paintings in the collection included "The Adoration of the Magi" by Gerard David (see "Images" section), "Stoning of Saint Stephen" by Garofalo; "SS Cosmos and Damian" by Fra Angelico; Lorenzo Monaco's "Presentation in the Temple;" and "Robin Hood" by Daniel Maclise. "Lorzeno de'Medici, Duke of Urbino," 1518, by Raphael, once in Lord Northwick's collection, sold at Christie's on July 5, 2007 for £18.5 million (it is today on loan to the Metropolitan Museum of Art).

Comments: Pevsner, in "The Buildings of England: Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and the Forest of Dean," writes of Thirlestane as "the grandest Neo-Greek house in Cheltenham."

Garden & Outbuildings: The 19th century stables have been significantly altered since the school took over in 1947 (they originally contained two Lysicrates turrets, since removed, which were later copied by Sir Albert Richardson on his Jockey Club at Newmarket in 1933). Also extant is a circa 1840 triangular brick garden house studded with Roman sculptural fragments collected by Lord Northwick on his late 18th century Grand Tour.

House Listed: Grade I

Park Listed: No Park

Past Seat / Home of: J.R. Scott, 19th century. John Rushout, 2nd Baron Northwick, 1838-59. Sir Thomas Phillipps, 19th century.

Current Ownership Type: School

Primary Current Ownership Use: School

Ownership Details: Since 1947 Thirlestane has been part of the campus of Cheltenham College.

House Open to Public: No

Phone: 01242-265-600

Fax: 01242-265-630

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://www.cheltenhamcollege.org

Historic Houses Member: No