Built / Designed For: Sir William Pope

House & Family History: Wroxton Abbey is primarily an early 17th century house built on the site of an Augustinian priory. Founded in 1217 by Michael Belet in honor of St. Mary, remains of the priory are incorporated into the North Wing of the House. Wroxton is probably most famous today as the seat of Lord North, prime minister to George III (1770-82) during the American Revolution.

Collections: A cut-glass chandelier, circa 1815, made for Wroxton is today in the collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum, London. A large glass and bronze hall light today in the collection of Pebble Hill Plantation, Thomasville, Georgia, may have come from Wroxton. From the 1660s until 1914 a 1603 painting by Robert Peake the Elder entitled "Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales, with Sir John Harington in the Hunting Field" (see "Images" section) was in the collection at Wroxton. The canvas has been in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, since 1944.

John 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: Vol. II, p. 189, 1853.

Country Life: CLXX, 770, 854, 1010, 1981.

House Listed: Grade I

Park Listed: Grade II

Past Seat / Home of: Sir William Pope, 1st Earl of Downe, until 1631; Thomas Pope, 4th Earl of Downe, until 1668. Frederick North, 2nd Earl of Guilford, until 1685; Francis North, 7th Baron North, until 1790.

Current Ownership Type: School

Primary Current Ownership Use: School

Ownership Details: Today Wroxton College of Fairleigh Dickinson University.

House Open to Public: No

Phone: 01295-730-551

Email: [email protected]

Website: http://www.wroxtonabbey.org

Historic Houses Member: No