Built / Designed For: Isaac Martin Rebow
House & Family History: The British Army occupied the house and park during World Wars I and II. The Wivenhoe Estate was sold by the Gooch family to the University of Essex in 1962. A famous 1816 painting of Wivenhoe Park by John Constable (see "Images" section) is today in the collection of the National Gallery of Art, Washington. Thomas Hoving called the painting "one of the most beautiful and moving outdoor landscapes ever produced."
House Replaced By: After they sold the old house to the University of Essex, the Gooch family built a new Palladian-style house on another part of the estate in 1964.
Architect: Matthew Brettingham the Elder
Date: 1758-59John 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: 2.S. Vol. I, p. 46, 1854.
Title: Greatest Works of Art of Western Civilization
Author: Hoving, Thomas
Year Published: 1997
Reference: pg. 190
Publisher: New York: Artisan
ISBN: 1885183534
Book Type: Hardback
Title: Burke's & Savills Guide to Country Houses, Volume III: East Anglia
Author: Kenworthy-Browne, John; Reid, Peter; Sayer, Michael; Watkin, David
Year Published: 1981
Publisher: London: Burke's Peerage
ISBN: 0850110351
Book Type: Hardback
House Listed: Grade II*
Park Listed: Grade II
Past Seat / Home of: Isaac Martin Rebow, 18th century; John Gurdon (assumed the name Rebow), 19th century; Rebow family here from 1733 until 1902. Charles Edmund Gooch, early 20th century; Gooch family here until 1962.
Current Ownership Type: School
Primary Current Ownership Use: Hotel
Ownership Details: Owned since 1962 by the University of Essex. Today Wivenhoe House, an upscale hotel staffed by undergraduates in the university's hospitality program.
House Open to Public: By Appointment
Phone: 01206-863-666
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://www.wivenhoehouse.co.uk
Historic Houses Member: No