Rural estate once owned by Horace Walpole

In my latest blog for Country Life I take a look at the Ilsington Estate in Puddletown, Dorset. It has a history dating back to the 12th century, when it was granted to Norman lord, Richard de Redvers, who came to England with William the Conqueror in 1066.

The estate was granted to the priory of Christ Church in the 13th century, but reverted to the crown at the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 1540s. James I granted it to Henry Hastings, second son of George, fourth Earl of Huntingdon, although it had been held by Henry Hastings during the reign of Elizabeth I. The Hastings family had strong links with royalty, including Henry, third Earl of Huntingdon, who was knight of the garter and had charge of Mary Queen of Scots for a time.

Letters patent from James I - 1615

Puddletown manor, with Ilsington, remained in the Hastings family throughout the 17th century, but by the 18th century it had passed to the son of Sir Robert Walpole, the first Prime Minister. The estate eventually passed to Sir Robert’s youngest son, Horatio Walpole, fourth Earl of Orford, in 1751. Horace Walpole is most remembered for his writings and most prominently for his building of the gothic villa, Strawberry Hill in west London.

Horatio (Horace) Walpole

The Walpole’s were absentee landlords, so for most of this time the estate and Ilsington House was leased. One of the most prominent was General Thomas Garth, principal equerry to George III and it was at this time that the young princesses, Mary, Sophia and Amelia, along with the Duke of York, stayed in Ilsington House.

Ilsington

Puddletown manor continued in the hands of the Walpole family, but in 1861 the Ilsington estate was purchased by John Brymer, Esq. John Brymer was the first resident landlord for centuries and took an active role in the managing of the estate. His son, William Ernest Brymer, inherited Ilsington and was a prominent local personality. He was M.P. for Dorchester and South Dorset and from 1887 was High Sheriff for Dorset.

For more details about the Ilsington estate today visit – Chesterton Humberts

To read the full history go to - The history of the Ilsington Estate – Puddletown