Corsham Court

Corsham Court is a magnificent Elizabethan house dating from 1582 and was acquired by Paul Methuen in 1745 to display the now internationally renowned Methuen collection of 16th and 17th century Italian and Flemish Old Master paintings. The collection includes important works by artists such as Van Dyck, Carlo Dolci, Filippo Lippi, Salvator Rosa, Reynolds and Romney. Capability Brown was employed in the 1760’s to enlarge the house, creating the magnificent Picture Gallery and suite of State Rooms. These rooms still retain their original wall-hangings and furniture designed by Chippendale, Thomas Johnson, John Cobb and the Adam brothers.

Surrounding the Court are the stunning gardens and parkland which were also designed by ‘Capability’ Brown. The 13-acre lake which he planned was eventually completed by Humphry Repton nearly 40 years later. Brown built the Gothic Bath House and ha-ha, planted the avenues and numerous specimen trees, some of which survive. The enormous Oriental Plane now has a circumference of over 240 yards. The first Lady Methuen was responsible for the basic layout of the flower gardens, which include delightful herbaceous borders, and the lily pond garden with Indian bean trees. The gardens are particularly admired for the collection of spring bulbs, magnolias and wild orchids.