Kingston Lacy

Kingston Lacy
Kingston Lacy house from the south
Map
Alternative namesKingston Hall
General information
TypeCountry house
Architectural styleItalianate architecture
Town or cityWimborne Minster, Dorset
CountryEngland
Coordinates50°48′39.39″N 2°1′56.12″W / 50.8109417°N 2.0322556°W / 50.8109417; -2.0322556
Construction started1663
Completed1665
ClientSir John Bankes
Sir Ralph Bankes.[1]
OwnerNational Trust
Technical details
Structural systemRed brick, later encased in Chilmark stone[1][2]
MaterialRed brick
Floor count4 (2 × main floors; 1 × basement; 1 × attic)
Grounds164 hectares (410 acres) (5 hectares (12 acres) of gardens and pleasure grounds; 159 hectares (390 acres) of park and other ornamented land)[2]
Design and construction
Architect(s)Roger Pratt
Other designersInigo Jones (Interiors)
DesignationsGrade I listed
Renovating team
Architect(s)Charles Barry
Website
Kingston Lacy @ National Trust
Listed Building – Grade I
Official nameKingston Lacey House
Designated18 March 1955
Reference no.1119511

Kingston Lacy is a country house and estate near Wimborne Minster, Dorset, England. It was for many years the family seat of the Bankes family who lived nearby at Corfe Castle until its destruction in the English Civil War after its incumbent owners, Sir John Bankes and Dame Mary, had remained loyal to Charles I.

The house was built between 1663 and 1665 by Ralph Bankes, son of Sir John Bankes, to a design by the architect Sir Roger Pratt. It is a rectangular building with two main storeys, attics and basement, modelled on Chevening in Kent. The gardens and parkland were laid down at the same time, including some of the specimen trees that remain today. Various additions and alterations were made to the house over the years and the estate remained in the ownership of the Bankes family from the 17th to the late 20th century.

The house was designated as a Grade I listed building in 1958 and the park and gardens are included in the National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens at Grade II. The house was bequeathed to the National Trust in 1982 after the death of Henry John Ralph Bankes, along with Corfe Castle.[3] The house and gardens are open to the public.

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference NT Kingston Lacy was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference EngHerList was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "The Bankes Family". Wimborne Cemetery. Retrieved 10 February 2021.