Castle Map

Palace

Beaulieu Palace House

England · 13th century

Founded
c. 1250
Heritage status
Grade I listed building
Location
Beaulieu
Coordinates
50.82°, -1.45°
Links
OpenStreetMap · Wikimedia Commons
Open on the map →Official website ↗Wikipedia ↗
Beaulieu Palace House in England
Photo: Przemysław JahrAutorem zdjęcia jest Przemysław JahrWykorzystując zdjęcie proszę… · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Description

Beaulieu Palace House ( BEW-lee) is a 13th-century house in Beaulieu, Hampshire, United Kingdom. Originally part of Beaulieu Abbey, the estate was bought in 1538 by Thomas Wriothesley, 1st Earl of Southampton, following the Dissolution of the Monasteries. It is still owned and occupied by the earl's descendants, the Barons Montagu of Beaulieu.

Beaulieu Palace House was originally built in the 13th century as the gatehouse of Beaulieu Abbey. Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the estate was purchased by Sir Thomas Wriothesley, later 1st Earl of Southampton, in 1538. The house passed through marriage into the Montagu family and is still owned by the 1st Earl's descendant, the 4th Baron Montagu of Beaulieu.

The house was extended in the 16th century, and again in the 19th century, and is today a fine example of a Gothic country house. The house overlooks Beaulieu River and is surrounded by lawns and walkways. The inside of the house has been kept in a Victorian style.

King James I stayed at six times at Beaulieu during his progresses in south-west England. Stands were built for the royal party to watch football and animal baiting. In August 1613, James gave an audience to the Venetian ambassador Antonio Foscarini at Beaulieu.

Although still home to the current Lord and Lady Montagu, parts of the house and gardens are open daily to the public. It is a member of the Treasure Houses of England consortium. The Palace House is open to the public as part of the visitor attraction known as "Beaulieu", which includes:

The 1936 British Pathé film, Miniature Railway, (ID Number 1222.23), is a 1':40" long feature which shows (Miss.) "Mary Cook" driving the engine around the grounds.

In the film Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont, Mrs. Palfrey takes her new young friends to see the Beaulieu Palace where she used to visit with her husband when they were first married.

Beaulieu, according to the official website, is one of the most haunted places in Britain, with reported sightings going back over a hundred years, and possibly as far as the mid-16th century.

Text adapted from “Beaulieu Palace House” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

In the rankings

Beaulieu Palace House ranks #2,769 of 9,902 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #208 of the 397 mapped in England. Founded c. 1250, it is older than 67% of the atlas's dated landmarks, one of 1134 atlas entries founded in the 13th century. Its Wikipedia articles were opened 3,477 times in the last 60 days, more than 83% of the atlas. 15 more atlas landmarks stand within 25 km. The nearest day-trip guide is Southampton, 10 km away. See how England compares in the castle statistics.

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