Compton Verney

Compton Verney is an 18th-century country mansion near Kineton in Warwickshire, standing on the west side of a lake north of the B4086. It was built in 1714 by Richard Verney, the 11th Baron Willoughby de Broke, and later remodelled by Robert Adam for John Peyto-Verney, the 14th baron, in the 1760s. The house sits in more than 120 acres of parkland landscaped by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown in 1769. The estate once covered 5,079 acres before being sold in 1921 to soap magnate Joseph Watson, later the 1st Baron Manton. After passing through several owners, it was restored by the Peter Moores Foundation in 1993 and now operates as Compton Verney Art Gallery. The house is worth visiting for its fine art collections and historic interiors. Its rooms display Neapolitan art from 1600 to 1800, Northern European medieval art from 1450 to 1650, and British portraits including works by Joshua Reynolds. The collection also features Chinese bronzes, British folk art, and the Enid Marx / Margaret Lambert Collection of global folk art. The house itself was first extended in the early 18th century and then remodelled by Robert Adam, whose designs gave it its present U-shape. Earlier, the estate had been home to a medieval manor-house recorded in the 15th century and later extended in the late 16th century. Visitors find a Grade I listed house with elegant interiors designed by Robert Adam, set in landscaped parkland. The art gallery occupies the restored mansion, with rooms arranged around a U-shaped plan. The parkland includes a lake and tree-lined avenues laid out by Capability Brown. The stable block built in 1735 by James Gibbs still stands to the north of the house. Formal gardens once covered 20 acres, with terraces and views down to the ponds. The house’s Great Hall and main apartments reflect its long history from medieval times through the Tudor, Stuart and Georgian periods.