The primary aim of the Trust is to enable the long term conservation of all that Robert Stayner Holford, a visionary Victorian and his son George Lindsay Holford created at Westonbirt. The Trust also aims to make Westonbirt more accessible through mixed media to a wider audience than has been previously possible. The Holfords of Westonbirt Trust was established in 2006 by Lady Bland.
Lady Bland was at school in Westonbirt House in 1960, These happy schooldays left her with a vocational appreciation of architecture and landscape. Since Lady Bland has been involved in numerous successful restoration projects, notably the Theatre Royal in Bath. This passion has led her to gather together an eminent group of Patrons and Trustees and the support of Westonbirt School.
The Trust, with the support of English Heritage, has commissioned Nicholas Pearson Associates to produce a Conservation Management Plan (CMP). This management plan will provide the basis for developing proposals for the future conservation of the historic core of the Westonbirt estate, which includes the main house (which for the last 80 years has been used by Westonbirt School), the Pleasure Grounds, parklands and the adjacent Westonbirt Arboretum now managed by the Forestry Commission. The CMP will also give holistic approach to issues, priorities and standards to be considered when working with a Grade 1 listed landscape. Financial support for the conservation work will come from generous private donations and grant funding.
About
the Holfords
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The Westonbirt estate came to the Holford family by means of marriage
in the middle of the seventeenth century. As Masters of Chancery based in
London, they initially managed the estate as absentee landlords.
At the beginning of the nineteenth century George Peter Holford (d.1839) completely
remodelled the property, replacing the old manor with a Regency house. However,
it was his son Robert Stayner Holford (1808-1892), who, backed by wealth from
the original legal practice but especially from lucrative shares in the New River
Company (which supplied London with fresh water), developed the property much
further, to what it is today. R S Holford amassed enormous collections of art
and trees, his two great passions. Apart from building himself Dorchester House
in London, he also completely rebuilt the house at Westonbirt in order to display
his many art treasures; likewise he developed extensive pleasure grounds and
a huge arboretum to accommodate his collection of trees.
R S Holford married into an artistic family of collectors when he wed, in 1854,
Mary Ann Lindsay (d.1901). They had three daughters, Margaret, Evelyn and Alice
and one son, George. The daughters married, respectively, the third Earl Morley
of Saltram; the banker Robert Benson; and the fourth Earl Grey of Howick.
George Lindsay Holford (1860-1926) inherited the property and continued to expand
his father’s tree collection. As Equerry to various members of the Royal family,
he spent much time at Court. He married, late in life, Susannah Menzies (d.1943)
but died childless, in 1926. Westonbirt passed to his nephew, the fourth Earl
Morley who sold off most of the estate but who retained the arboretum until his
death in the 1950s.
WestonbirtBACK
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Robert Stayner Holford (1808- 1892) was a prodigious and cultured
Victorian businessman whose extraordinary history and accomplishments have
largely been forgotten. Holford was passionate about architecture, and employed
Louis Vuilliamy to design and build a fine Italianate palazzo in Park Lane,
with the aim of setting a new standard of architecture in London.
He was a scholarly collector of Old Masters, rare books, manuscripts and was
one of the most learned judges of talent in the country at a time when Art was
growing into an important part of British cultural identity. RS Holford and his
son, Sir George Holford (1860 – 1926) subscribed to international seed and plant
collecting expeditions and were the creators of the world-famous arboretum
Westonbirt at their Gloucestershire residence.
Although Dorchester House was demolished in 1929 to make way for the new
hotel and the Holford’s Art and Library collections were sold in the 1920s,
Westonbirt House and the Arboretum remain a testament to the
quality of the family’s achievements. Westonbirt House has been a boarding school
since 1928 and is regretably little known to the public.
LandscapeBACK
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The early nineteenth century park and garden were laid out by George
Peter Holford (d.1839) with advice from the picturesque improver William Sawrey
Gilpin. It was George’s son, Robert Stayner Holford who, upon inheriting
the property in 1839, enlarged the park and expanded the gardens, assisted
by the landscape gardener William Broderick Thomas and the Victorian firm of
Pulham. Planting large areas of woodland on previously arable ground
(initially for game cover – the Duke of Beaufort’s hunt was based at the adjacent
estate of Badminton), Robert Holford laid the bones for his extensive arboretum
(which included the ancient Silkwood).
During his lifetime (1808-1892) Robert Holford amassed a huge collection of trees, many of which were new introductions into the country. Rather than planting his trees according to a scientific scheme, he positioned them in an aesthetic fashion, thus continuing to adhere to the style of planting promoted by the W S Gilpin. Robert Holford also built up an important collection of orchids which his son George (1860-1926) developed to even further heights.
After the latter’s death in 1926 the arboretum continued to develop in the hands of his nephew, the fourth Earl of Morley, and under the guidance of its first curator W J Mitchell, aided by the botanist A B Jackson. Over the past fifty years, the arboretum has been successfully managed by the Forestry Commission.
The parkland has long since been divided between different owners but survives largely intact. The gardens too survive in their entirety although the planting has suffered from a degree of ‘benevolent neglect’ and the tree collection reached maturity some time ago. Little remains of the walled kitchen gardens with their glasshouse ranges, the exception being the Palmhouse (now the school’s music room) and adjacent Camellia House, recently restored with assistance from the Holfords of Westonbirt Trust.
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The early nineteenth century park and garden were laid out by George
Peter Holford (d.1839) with advice from the picturesque improver William
Sawrey Gilpin. It was George’s son, Robert Stayner Holford who,
upon inheriting the property in 1839, enlarged the park and expanded the
gardens, assisted by the landscape gardener William Broderick Thomas and
the Victorian firm of Pulham. Planting large areas of woodland on
previously arable ground (initially for game cover – the Duke of Beaufort’s
hunt was based at the adjacent estate of Badminton), Robert Holford laid
the bones for his extensive arboretum (which included the ancient Silkwood).
During his lifetime (1808-1892) Robert Holford amassed a huge collection of trees, many of which were new introductions into the country. Rather than planting his trees according to a scientific scheme, he positioned them in an aesthetic fashion, thus continuing to adhere to the style of planting promoted by the W S Gilpin. Robert Holford also built up an important collection of orchids which his son George (1860-1926) developed to even further heights.
After the latter’s death in 1926 the arboretum continued to develop in the hands of his nephew, the fourth Earl of Morley, and under the guidance of its first curator W J Mitchell, aided by the botanist A B Jackson. Over the past fifty years, the arboretum has been successfully managed by the Forestry Commission.
The parkland has long since been divided between different owners but survives largely intact. The gardens too survive in their entirety although the planting has suffered from a degree of ‘benevolent neglect’ and the tree collection reached maturity some time ago. Little remains of the walled kitchen gardens with their glasshouse ranges, the exception being the Palmhouse (now the school’s music room) and adjacent Camellia House, recently restored with assistance from the Holfords of Westonbirt Trust.
Get
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There are many rewarding ways to get involved with
The Holfords of Westonbirt Trust.
Why not share your memories and memorabilia from your time spent at Westonbirt; may be your family worked for the Holfords, perhaps you were a pupil here or were you stationed here during the Second World War. What ever your association we would love to hear from you.
Have you some time to spare, would you like to get involved in the conservation
of this truly fascinating place, then contact us to talk about opportunities
for volunteering.
For more information on
The Holfords of Westonbirt Trust, please contact;
The Administrator Email: admin@holfordtrust.com
Tel: 01666 88137£
The Holfords of Westonbirt Trust
Westonbirt House
Westonbirt
Tetbury
Gloucestershire
GL8 8QG