Audley End, Saffron Walden, England
Record Id: 182
The following is from the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest:
A house of 17th century origins beside a mid 19th century parterre garden, with pleasure grounds by Richard Woods, surrounded by an 18th century park conceived and partly laid out by Lancelot Brown between 1762 and 1767.
DESCRIPTION
LOCATION, AREA, BOUNDARIES, LANDFORM, SETTING
Audley End occupies a rural setting immediately to the west of the Essex town of Saffron Walden. The irregularly shaped site occupies about 240 hectares and is bounded to the north-east by Windmill Hill, to the east by properties on the edge of Saffron Walden, to the south partly by an early 17th century wall (Listed Grade II*) along Audley End Road, and partly by the estate village of Audley End, the River Cam, and Gamages Wood. The boundaries to the west and north-west are formed by farmland. The village of Littlebury lies just beyond the north-west corner of the park. The ground at Audley End slopes down from east and west towards the winding course of the River Cam, which flows from south to north through the park. Audley End House stands about 300 metres to the east of the river, with rising ground further to the east. There are extensive views into and out of the site, particularly from the road which runs through the park to the west of the Cam.
REFERENCES
Country Life, 59 (19 June 1926), pp 872-879; (26 June 1926), pp 916-924; 60 (17 July 1926), pp 94-101; (24 July 1926), pp 128-136
D Stroud, Capability Brown (1975), pp 113-114
J Harris, The Artist and the Country House (1979), p 101
N Pevsner and E Radcliffe, The Buildings of England: Essex (1979), pp 61-65
Architectural History, (1980), pp 1-39
Garden History XV, 1 (1987), pp 44-46
M Sutherill, The Gardens of Audley End (1995)
Audley End, guidebook, (English Heritage 1997)
Maps
N Dubois (?), Scheme for alterations to house and garden at Audley End, c 1725 (DD/BY/P1), (Essex Record Office)
C Bridgeman (?), Plan for Audley End, nd (Bodleian Library Gough Drawings A4 Fol 67R)
E J Eyre, Plan of Audley End park, house and gardens, 1757 (private collection)
T Warren, Survey of Audley End, 1783 (D/DQ/Y/8), (Essex Record Office)
OS 6" to 1 mile: 1st edition published 1881
2nd edition published 1898
OS 25" to 1 mile: 2nd edition published 1897
3rd edition published 1921
Archival items
The Audley End archives, with many plans including those by Brown and Woods, are held in a private collection.
Description written: January 2001
Amended: April 2001
Edited: September 2001
Site designation(s)
English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England Grade I Reference GD1254
Principal building:
great house Created 1605 to 1614
The house was built by Sir Thomas Audley having been given the lands of Walden Abbey by Henry VIII. The Abbey buildings were adapted and the house rebuilt between 1605 and 1614. The house was bought by Charles II in 1668 and subsequently sold to Sir John Griffin in 1745. A suite of Neo-Classical style rooms and a gothic chapel were added, designed by Robert Adam.
Environment
Terrain: The ground at Audley End slopes down from east and west towards the winding course of the River Cam, which flows from south to north through the park. Audley End House stands c 300m to the east of the river, with rising ground further to the east.
Visitor facilities
Opening contact details:
The gardens are open Wednesdays to Sundays between February and October, and open weekends only in the winter months.
Visitor information:
External web site link: http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/audley-end-house-and-gardens/
© Copyright Parks and Gardens Data Services Ltd. 2007