Mentmore Towers

Mentmore Towers stands in the Vale of Aylesbury, built between 1852 and 1854 for Baron Mayer de Rothschild. Sir Joseph Paxton and George Henry Stokes designed the house in the Jacobethan style, blending Elizabethan and Jacobean influences. The mansion was meant to display the Rothschilds’ fine art collection and serve as a grand country home. Its ridge-and-furrow glass roof imitates a Renaissance palazzo courtyard, while interiors draw from Italian Renaissance and French gilded styles. The exterior closely resembles Robert Smythson’s Wollaton Hall. The estate became the first of several Rothschild homes in the region. The house is recognised as one of the greatest Victorian-era mansions and was later home to Hannah Primrose, Countess of Rosebery, and her husband, the 5th Earl of Rosebery. The estate’s stud farms produced five Epsom Derby winners, including Ladas and Blue Peter. During the Second World War, the British government stored part of the national art collection at Mentmore, including the Gold State Coach and works from Hampton Court. The house’s interiors reflect its dual role as a private home and a showcase for art and racing heritage. Visitors find a Grade I-listed mansion with formal gardens and 80 acres of parkland. The central hall’s glass roof and grand staircase remain key features, alongside drawing rooms decorated in French gilded styles. The estate’s outbuildings include the former gas house, where the royal coach was stored during the war. Nearby cottages designed by George Devey add to the village’s character. Though uninhabited today, the house retains its historic grandeur and ties to Rothschild wealth and British aristocracy.