Shakenhurst viewed through the trees

Image: © Philip Halling Taken: 9 Jun 2007

The front of Shakenhurst dates from 1798 when it was remodelled by Samuel Knight of Kidderminster. The house falls into two grid squares and is divided by the grid line. The house is Grade II* listed. Since this picture was taken, Shakenhurst and its estate of 1324 acres has been sold for a reported £16m, the first time the property has had a change of ownership in around 650 years. The Shakenhurst Estate can be traced back to the Domesday Book when it belonged to Ralph de Toeni. Edward III gave the estate to the de Meysey family in 1349, a family thought to have come to England from Meysey in Brittany with William the Conqueror. Through marriage later the family became Wigley-Meysey. The de Meysey family also held lands in Gloucestershire at Mesyey Hampton. For more information see: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2591599/Sold-16MILLION-Eighteenth-century-manor-home-degenerate-gambler-kicked-Eton-Oxford-died-syphilis.html Historic England description Country house in landscaped park. C17, remodelled 1798. Red brick with plain tiled roof behind parapet and massive brick end and ridge stacks. Three storeys with modillion eaves cornice to front elevation and dentilled eaves cornice at sides and rear. 1:3:1 bays; outer bays break forward and have full-height central bay windows; all windows have gauged flat heads, large keyblocks and stone sills; 15-pane sashes on ground floor, 12-pane sashes on first floor and 6-pane sashes on second floor; central porch has an open pediment on Ionic columns and half-glazed double doors. Interior: main rooms have moulded cornices and doorheads; hall occupies central three bays of ground floor and has a large stone fireplace with Corinthian columns and urn relief; C17 dog-leg oak staircase with three turned balusters per tread; C17 linenfold panelling with fishscale detail retained to rear ground floor similar to that of the choir stalls in the Church of St Bartholomew (qv). The house was the seat of the Wigley family. (BoE, p 76). Source:https://www.historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1081469

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