Audley End House, whose park extends from the town’s
edge to the railway at Audley End, is very much a ‘national
monument’ and by far the country’s largest newly built
mansion of the Jacobean period although what is seen today is, in
fact, only a part of the former buildings.
The mansion is, in fact, the successor to Walden Abbey which was
founded as a Benedictine Priory in 1140 by Geoffrey de Mandeville
and raised later to abbey status. At the Dissolution the abbey passed
into the hands of Lord Chancellor Audley - Sir Thomas Audley, later
created Baron Audley of Walden. His daughter married the Duke of
Norfolk and their son, Thomas Howard, became Earl of Suffolk in
1603 and Lord Treasurer. He began, in 1603, to build a new house
here, on a lavish scale, on the monastic site and partly using the
original materials. As his ‘surveyor’, he employed Bernart
Janssen. This mansion, named Audley End in honour of his grandfather,
was completed in 1616, and was said to be the largest mansion in
England with a square western forecourt that was slightly wider
than the whole present west frontage. In all, the mansion consisted
of four buildings ranged around a central courtyard.
In 1753 the eastern range of the mansion was demolished together
with parts of the south and north ranges but the western facade
today remains largely unchanged. It has a wealth of mullioned windows,
gables, turrets, chimneys and a fine main porch. Faced with Chilmark
and Ketton stone it is of ambitious design with details that may
have been altered or aided by Sir John Vanbrugh who was involved
at Audley End during the early 18th century.
The greatest of the rooms at Audley End is The Great Hall which,
with the grand staircase designed by Sir John Vanbrugh in about
1721, runs up through to the full height of the western range. It
is richly panelled, has a fine plaster ceiling with timber beams
and features at one end a massive and richly decorated wooden screen
of about 1615, a screen that extends up to ceiling height. There
is also a second screen, of stone, as quiet in design as the wooden
screen is flamboyant. The other rooms of the house, many still with
influence of Jacobean design, include the Saloon with its heavily
ornamented fireplace; the drawing room with a Jacobean-style ceiling
added in 1830; the library with its fine chimneyplace; little drawing
room (Biagio Rebecca carried out the paintings in 1769); the Gothic
style chapel and the South Stairs which are one of the most attractive
features of the entire house.
The grounds of Audley End were landscaped from 1763 by Capability
Brown and various buildings and ornaments were added to enhance
the natural buildings of the scene. A circular temple, to designs
of Robert Adams, was built to commemorate the Seven Years War and
the same architect designed, in 1763-4, the three-arched bridge.
Other features include the Palladian bridge of 1783; the Temple
of Concord built in 1791; the Icehouse Lodge and the Springwood
Column erected in 1774 as a memorial to Lady Portsmouth. Of later
design are the various lodges, the stable block and, outside the
Lion Gate, the rather attractively grouped Georgian cottages of
Audley End village, a ‘planned’ community of the late
18th century.
The house and grounds are now cared for by English Heritage. Call
01799 522842 for enty times and prices.
A rather different feature to be found opposite Audley End House
is the Audley End Miniature Railway, a 10 1/4 inch gauge railway
that twice crosses the River Cam on its one mile woodland journey.
Steam and diesel locomotives are used on the trains. Call Saffron
Walden Tourist Information Centre during office hours for information
on the timetable on 01799 524002.
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