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One of England`s most beautiful Victorian country houses, Brodsworth Hall was reopened by English Heritage in 1995 following a major programme of restoration and conservation. When Charles Thellusson acquired Brodsworth in the early 1860s he at once commissioned Chevalier Casentini, whom he had met in Italy, to build him a suitably impressive house.

The result is formal, Italianate, four-square and lacks any fanciful detail. Casentini`s designs were executed by a little-known English architect, Philip Wilkinson. It is said that Casentini never came to Yorkshire to view what he had designed, fearing the cold and a setting wholly different from the pastoral landscape and blue skies he had drawn. At the same time, a new garden incorporating both formal and informal features was created, all contained within magnificent parkland.

If the exterior of the house seems a little pompous, the interior is Brodsworth`s chief glory. The Entrance Hall, with its gold, red and marbled walls, is a prelude to the splendours of the inner halls and reception rooms. Another of the house`s remarkable features is the processional succession of white marble statues which runs from the Entrance Hall to the pillared South Hall. Of all the sculptures, Argenti`s Sleeping Venus is particularly memorable.

Rich, decorative schemes appear everywhere in the house. The Drawing Room, with a dividing screen of Corinthian columns, red silk damask on the walls, chandeliers and gilding, is a grand monument to Thellusson`s ambitions.

The Dining Room contains some of the finest paintings in the house. Away from the finery of the reception rooms are the more intimate spaces of the Library and Morning Room. Each has original wallpaper, a hand-painted pattern of roses and trellises resembling leather wallcoverings.

When Brodsworth was first built and occupied, it amply fulfilled its role as a grand residence. Parties were conducted in sumptuous style, and in the evenings the gentlemen would relax in the Billiard Room, which has survived remarkably intact.

The servants were housed in a wing abutting the house`s main block. Their domain, the Victorian Kitchen, is delightful. Its `Eagle Range` by Farr and Sons of Doncaster and its grained dressers still contain a vast range of cooking utensils.

Gradually, after World War I, with spiralling costs, parts of the house were shut away and, almost inadvertently, house and contents were preserved for the future.

The gardens are now largely restored to their original design.

They include croquet lawns and a large formal flower garden; a quarry garden and a formal rose garden, with a special collection of old rose varieties.

Voted winner of the NPI Awards 1999 for the Northern Counties.

Exhibitions at Brodsworth include: `Family Life`, `Serving the House`, `The Gardens` and `Before Britannia` a history of yachting during the Edwardian period and beyond. However, do find out more current information about Brodsworth by visiting their Website.

Opening Times - 2010::

Summer
House:
1st April - 30th September: Tuesday - Sunday & Bank Holidays, 1 - 5 pm
1st October - 1st November: Saturdays & Sundays, 12 - 4 pm

Gardens & Tearoom:
1st April - 1st November: daily, 10 am - 5.30 pm

Winter
Gardens, Shop, Tearoom & Servants Wing only:
2nd November - 31st March; Saturday & Sunday, 10 am - 4 pm
Closed 24th - 26th December & 1st January
Last admission 30 minutes before closing

Admission Prices - 2010:

House & Gardens:
Adult - £8.50
Child (5 - 15yrs) - £4.30
Child (under 5 yrs) - Free
Concession - £7.20
Groups (11+) - 15% discount

Free admission for tour leaders and coach drivers

Gardens only:
Adult - £5
Child (5 - 15yrs) - £2.50
Child (under 5yrs) - Free
Concession - £4.30

More information on the garden can be found on The Gardens Guide.

All Photographs - 'Copyright English Heritage'.