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THE STORY
Built in 1710 for the aristocratic Orlebar family and modelled on the original Buckingham Palace, Hinwick House is a grand Grade I listed Queen Anne country house set in 38 acres of magnificent parkland… Read more >
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1671 - 1733
RICHARD ORLEBAR
Born in 1671, Richard Orlebar and his wife Diana Astry began construction on Hinwick House in 1710. The house was completed in 1714 and it became the principal family home of the Orlebar family…
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THE HISTORY
Since it's construction in 1714 Hinwick House has been witness to numerous transitions and transformations. In 1859 the Victorian Wing was added to the main house, to provide accommodation for staff and the services required by the family…
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THE RESTORATION
Hinwick House has recently been through a 2 year program of sympathetic repair and restoration. With over 120 skilled artisans and craftsman working day and night, lovingly restoring the house to the height of its formal glory…
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OUR FRAGILE WORLD
To this day – over 300 years since it was first built – Hinwick House retains many of its original features, dating back to its initial construction. While Hinwick House remains a family home, numerous features of the house and estate now require special care and preservation.
The family that currently owns Hinwick House believes that they are simply the current custodians of a great piece of England's incredible heritage. Hinwick House must therefore be preserved with great loving care so that the generations to come may derive the same joy from its beauty, as those that have done so before them.
THE ORLEBAR CHAIR
Located at the head of the long dining table in the Formal Dining Room, the Orlebar chair is a regal animal skin chair, taken from the Althorp furniture collection from the family seat of Earl Spencer. As an enduring mark of respect for the Orlebar family, the chair may only ever be occupied by a member of the Orlebar family. On many recent occasions, Charles Orlebar has presided over dinner in the formal dining room, seated at the head of the table in the Orlebar Chair.
THE QUEEN VICTORIA COLLECTION
The Master Bedroom Suite at Hinwick House is named after Queen Victoria – Queen of England and Empress of India – and features a prized collection of Victorian antiques and historically important items. Given the historical connection of the family that currently owns Hinwick House with British Colonial India (3 members of the extended family were knighted by Queen Victoria under the colonial 'Raj' in India), the Queen Victoria Suite contains an array of fragile artefacts, including original signed letters and edicts from Buckingham Palace, a framed royal depiction of her coronation and numerous portraits and paintings depicting Queen Victoria and her reign across the commonwealth.
THE CHURCHILL ROOM
As an ode to the greatest British statesman of all time, one of the most remarkable rooms at the house is named after Winston Churchill and is called the Churchill Room. There are numerous items of historical interest in the room, including letters written by Churchill and original editions of all mainline newspapers announcing the news on the day that Winston Churchill died.
THE DIANA FRIEZE
Carved into the side of the exterior facade of Hinwick House – facing the village of Hinwick – is the famous Diana frieze. It was commissioned by Richard Orlebar to honour his wife Diana Astry, whose bountiful dowry in marriage is rumoured to have paid for the construction of Hinwick House. Featuring the Greek goddess Diana astride her chariot, the frieze depicts the glory of the scene, captured for posterity in this historic depiction.
THE STAG HEAD TROPHY COLLECTION
Honouring the tradition of keen country sport connected with the house, The Great Hall at Hinwick House features a remarkable collection of Stag Heads, mounted along the stone walls of the imposing Great Hall. The impressive Stag trophies, coupled with the pair of Indian Lions featured in the family dining room, completes the picture of a house connected with glorious hunting, stalking and other noble country pursuits.
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