Heritage

Before his death, the 10th Earl Fitzwilliam placed certain property into charitable trusts. The Fitzwilliam Wentworth Amenity Trust now maintains the bulk of the village, the historic parkland and key buildings. It’s principal objective is to conserve these assets and preserve and improve the rural and visual character and amenities of the Parish.

 

Centered on what is reputedly the largest Georgian house in the British Isles, the heritage at Wentworth is of national significance. The Estate maintains the vernacular character of the village and its surroundings by sympathetic use of traditional methods and materials. Work is carried out by independent contractors who, through years of experience, are familiar with the ideals of the Estate. Helping affirm architectural character, the Estate has produced its own Design Guide.

 

 

The land in front of Wentworth Woodhouse is a Grade II* English Heritage Registered Park. This landscape within a shallow valley was created with help from leading 18th Century designer, Humphrey Repton and incorporates four serpentine lakes. Informed by a heritage landscape assessment and with the support of English Heritage and the Forestry Commission, a scheme of landscape restoration was completed in 2017, removing decades of encroaching scrub vegetation and re-defining water courses. The results are quite striking, water and land merging together in dignified harmony.

 

Dog Kennel Pond as envisaged by Sir Humphrey Repton

 

Alongside the restoration of the parkland, its monuments and follies, the Estate is forever pursuing subtle but effective ways to improve the amenity and preserve the heritage of the locality. The devil is often in the detail and removing modern wires or satellite dishes from the exterior of a building and replacing ironwork with hand-forged alternatives can have a considerable effect.