Spencers, (also known as Spencer Grange and Spencer Farm), Great Yeldham, England

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Brief description of site

A multi-layered landscape developing from a modest 18th century layout, through aggrandisement in the 19th century, to its present form with design by Tom Stuart-Smith.

Brief history of site

The earliest recorded layout of Spencers is on Chapman and Andre of 1777. It was acquired in 1769 by Mrs Sarah Chambers and in 1783 Mrs Chambers sold Spencer Farm to Gregory Lewis Way and by 1799 some change is recorded on the Ordnance Surveyors' Drawings. The land to the south of the approach has been taken into the garden area with four clumps of planting within the section by the road. Spencer Farm was inherited by Rev Lewis Way in 1799: Lewis died in 1835 but his widow lived there until 1882. The long ownership of Spencers by the Way family ended in 1920 when the property was purchased by Andrew Duncan. From 1937 Spencers has been associated with the Courtauld family with a short break in 1960 when it was bought by Lord and Lady Denham. In 1978 Spencers became the home of Lord and Lady Butler (previously Mrs Courtauld)and the present owners, Mr and Mrs William Courtauld commissioned garden designs from Tom Stuart-Smith, who has worked intermittently at Spencers for some years.

Location information:

OS Landranger Map Sheet Number:	167	Grid Ref:	TL 758 394
Latitude:	52.02515	Longitude:	0.5609513

Key information:

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