Built / Designed For: Admiral John Byng

House & Family History: Wrotham is a Palladian house designed by Isaac Ware in 1754 and built for Admiral John Byng (fourth son of Admiral Sir George Byng), who was famously executed in 1757 after the failure of his inadequately equipped expedition to relieve Minorca from the French. He was tried by his own government for cowardice and negligence of duty, for which there was a mandatory death sentence. This act of judicial murder prompted Voltaire's famous phrase "In this country it pays well, from time to time, to kill an Admiral to encourage the others." Wrotham is today still owned by the Byng family and is the largest privately-owned house in the Home Counties. The House is used frequently for the filming of movies and television programs. In the autumn of 2009 Simon Cowell held his 50th birthday party at Wrotham, with entertainment by Earth, Wind and Fire and nearly 400 guests, including Kate Moss, Ryan Seacrest, and Randy Jackson.

Collections: Pieter de Hooch's "Courtyard of a House in Delft" was sold at Christie's on December 11, 1992 for £4.4 million. A Boulle cabinet-on-stand, made in Paris circa 1680, and once in the collection at Wrotham, is today in the collection of the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. The giltwood cabinet features Egyptian style monopodia supports that were added circa 1795 and is an example of the highest level of furniture produced by Andre-Charles Boulle for the court of Louis XIV.

Garden & Outbuildings: Wrotham is set in a park of 2,500 acres.

Vitruvius Britannicus: C. V, pls. 45, 46, 1771.

Country Life: XLIV, 404, 458, 462 [Pictures], 1918.

House Listed: Grade II*

Park Listed: Grade II

"Love in a Cold Climate" (1980 or 2001? - TV mini series). "Lady Chatterley's Lover" (1981). "Hart to Hart" (1983 - TV series, in the episode "Harts and Hounds"). "Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense" (1984 – in the episode "The Late Nancy Irving," as the hospital). "Half Moon Street" (1986). "Gothic" (1986). "White Mischief" (1987). "Inspector Morse" (1989 - TV series, episode 3.1, as Hanbury House in the episode "Ghost in the Machine"). "Agatha Christie's Poirot" (1989 - TV series, in episode 1.3, "The Adventure of Johnnie Waverly," as Waverly Court, the country home of Marcus Waverly). "Lovejoy" (1990 – TV series, in the episode "The Italian Venus," Wrotham was Careyholden House). "Jeeves and Wooster" (TV series - in the 1990 episodes "The Hunger Strike" [aka "How Does Gussie Woo Madeline?"] and "Brinkley Manor" [aka "Will Anatole Return to Brinkley Court?," aka "The Matchmaker," aka "Jeeves' Arrival"] Wrotham was used for the interiors of Brinkley Court) and in the 1991 episodes "Jeeves in the Country" [aka "Chuffy"] and "Kidnapped!" [aka "The Mysterious Stranger"]), Wrotham was Chuffnell Hall). "King Ralph" (1991 - as exteriors of Buckingham Palace). "Peter's Friends" (1992). "Lady Chatterley" (1993 - TV movie, as Ragby Hall, home of Sir Clifford and Lady Constance Chatterley). "Jeeves and Wooster" (1993 – TV series, in episode "The Delayed Arrival" [aka "Arrested in a Night Club"] Wrotham was used for the interiors of Brinkley Court). "Princess Caraboo" (1994). "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" (1995). "Stick with Me, Kid" (1995 - TV series). "Victoria and Albert" (1997 or 2001? - TV). "The Governess" (1998). "The Broker's Man" (1998 - TV series, episode 2.4, "Kith and Kin"). "Coming Home" (1998 - TV mini series, as Nancherrow). "The Scarlet Pimpernel" (1999 - TV mini series, as Blakeney Manor). "Blackadder Back & Forth" (1999). "Nancherrow" (1999 - TV mini series, as Nancherrow). "The Cazalets" (2001 - TV series). "Gosford Park" (2001). "Bridget Jones's Diary" (2001 - as Darcy family home). "The Way We Live Now" (2001). "Daniel Deronda" (2002 - TV mini series). "Nine Lives" (2002). "What a Girl Wants" (2003). "Byron" (2003 - TV mini series, as the home of Sir Ralph Milbanke). "Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silk Stocking" (2004 - BBC TV movie, as interiors of the Duke of Narborough's London home and as the exterior of the palace where the ball took place). "D-Day 6.6.1944" (2004 - TV movie). "Trial & Retribution VIII" (2004 - TV program). "Vanity Fair" (2004 - as the interior of the Gaunt House). "The Line Of Beauty" (2006 - BBC TV mini series, as Lord Kessler's house, the scene of Toby Fedden's 21st birthday party, and the pool scenes at the Fedden's French holiday home of Le Manoir). "Spooks" [aka "MI-5"] (2006 - TV series, episode 5.4, as Havensworth Hotel exteriors). "The Culture Show" (2007 - BBC TV series, episode 6.8, "British Film Special," segment on the movie "Gosford Park"). "Sense and Sensibility" (2008 - TV mini series, as Norland exteriors). "Bones" (2008 – TV series, during two-hour episode when the principal characters visit England). "Poirot" (2008 - TV series; in the episode "The Third Girl" Wrotham is Cross Hedges). "Marple: They Do It with Mirrors" (2009 - TV series, as some interiors of Stoneygates). "The Queen" (2009 - TV mini series). "Spooks" [aka "MI-5"] (2010 - TV series, Vol. 9, Episode 2, as Robert Westhouse's home). "Jane Eyre" (2011 - as Gateshead House). "Hysteria" (2011 - as the location for Dr. Granville's engagement party). "Downton Abbey" (2012 - TV series, as interiors of Duneagle Castle). "Great Expectations" (2012 - as site of ball where Estella dances). "Mr. Selfridge" (2013 - TV series, as the interiors of Lady Loxley's London house). "The Riot Club" (2014 - as the country estate). "Kingsman: The Secret Service" (2014). "And Then There Were None" (2015 - TV movie, for the below stairs and kitchen scenes). "The Crown" (2016-20 - TV series, as the room in Buckingham Palace where the queen has audiences with her prime ministers; as Gatcombe Park, Princess Anne's country house; and as interiors of Princess Margaret's apartment at Kensington Palace). "The Aeronauts" (2019 - for fair scene). "Belgravia" (2020 - TV series, as Lymington Park, Lord and Lady Brockenhurst's country house).

Seat of: Robert Byng

Past Seat of: Major General George Byng, 3rd Viscount Torrington, 18th century.

Current Ownership Type: Individual / Family Trust

Primary Current Ownership Use: Private Home

Ownership Details: Available for functions and movie location filming.

House Open to Public: By Appointment

Phone: 02084-410-755

Fax: 02084-499-359

Email: info@wrothampark.com

Website: http://www.wrothampark.com

Historic Houses Member: No