1. EXCLUSIVELY BRITISH | September/October 15 125
Words | KATHRYN REILLY
The post-Brideshead struggles of the owners of grand ancestral
homes have long been documented. But for those who get the
balance of family and stately home right, a rich reward awaits.
The Althorp Estate - a prime example - thrives having experienced
some difficult times and a period of public mourning.
he Spencers first put down
roots in the rich grazing land
of Northamptonshire in 1486.
The gently rolling hills and
verdant pastures were crucial
to their livelihood at the time –
sheep farming. And from these relatively humble
beginnings grew a substantial 13,000-acre estate,
in which the family home hides from prying eyes.
Thrust into the public consciousness by Diana
Spencer’s marriage to Prince Charles in 1981, by
1997 it had become a place of pilgrimage. The
Estate opens its doors for 60 days a year, including
its Literary Festival each June. It is a family home,
just as it has been for 19 generations. This time
round, eleven Spencers live here for at least part
of the year: Charles, the Ninth Earl (who inherited
the estate at 27), his wife, Karen, five daughters,
two sons and two step daughters.
The first house was built in 1508 and was reshaped
and improved over the centuries. But time will
take its toll. Now there’s a definite sense that the
house has been mastered – the daunting task of
re-roofing and replacing the complex façade tiles
is complete, and the layout re-jigged to better
facilitate modern family life. Charles Spencer’s
main aim has been to secure the building struc-
turally and financially for his children and their
AHOMEFOR
FIVECENTURIES
T
Althorp's entrance – the
magnificent Wootton Hall
Images:AndrewMackintosh,TomLeighton,JustinCreedy-Smith,JanBialek,AdeyGreeno,KathrynReilly.
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2. EXCLUSIVELY BRITISH | September/October 15126
Two recessed displays house some exquisite miniatures.
‘ ’heirs. This is a living, breathing home, not a museum –
proof of which is demonstrated by the liberal sprinkling of
unguarded family photos seen throughout the house. Still,
balancing 500 years of history with 21st-century demands
is no small feat.
Of course, there are many private rooms that remain just
that. But an occasional glimpse behind the scenes reveals
no major difference in style, front of house to back. The
Marlborough Silver may not be used on the family’s dining
table every day but they are still surrounded by historically
important pieces such as the Washington Chest (pictured
below right), a 17th-century piece once owned by George
Washington’s family before they emigrated to America, a
decoupage screen (pictured above middle) handcrafted
by an ancestor in one of the attic rooms, and an Edward
Burra of Dublin that brightens Earl Spencer’s private study
(pictured on page 152). Back in the public spaces, there’s
plenty to admire. The Wootton Hall (pictured on page 146)
has impressive large-scale hunting scenes on each wall.
The sweeping Picture Gallery is home to the ‘Windsor
Beauties’, Sir Peter Lely’s famous portraits of ten of
Charles II’s mistresses. Elsewhere in the house works by
Reynolds, Stubbs, Van Dyck, Gainsborough and other
great artists hang imposingly. The Saloon (pictured on
opposite page) is a double-height hallway in the centre
of the house that was once the open courtyard where
visitors would dismount from their steeds. It was roofed
over in 1662 and the grand oak staircase added in 1666 –
the shallow, foot-worn steps serve as a reminder of some
of the faces that peer down from the walls. A 16th-century
likeness of Sir Robert Spencer is by Marcus Gheeraerts
the Younger, who also painted Elizabeth I. An unfinished
Kneller of Sarah Marlborough captures the wilful woman
who brought great wealth to the family. Nelson Shanks’
Above: Earl Spencer's office; Decoupage and handmade screens in an Attic Room; Wootton's huge hunting scenes give the
entrance its name. Below: A Sargent portrait in the Library; The Washington Chest, Opposite page: The Saloon's
Spencer Gallery features a pair of portraits of Charles Spencer and Princess Diana.
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3. EXCLUSIVELY BRITISH | September/October 15128
All in all there’s a feeling of complete harmony in this space
‘ ’portrait of the present Earl hangs as a pair with that of his
sister, the house’s most famous daughter.
Onamoreintimatescale,thethree-roomedHollandSuite
iswherethecountryhouseaestheticdominates.The
invitingSouthDrawingRoom(picturedabovemiddle)was
onceanimpracticaldiningroom,distantfromthekitchens,
andthenachintzysittingroomswathedinthepinkfrills
favouredbyRaineSpencer,LordSpencer’sstepmother.
Nowit’sawarmandrestfulreceptionroomresplendent
withplumpsofas,antiquerugs,clashingyetcomplementary
fabricsandworld-classart.Despitetheweightofhistory
–thereare15portraitsbyReynolds–it’saroomthatfeels
comfortableenoughinwhichtolinger.Andyouwouldbe
rewardedfordoingso,notjustfortheenticingviewofthe
fallowdeergrazingorthenoblePalladian-stylestablebuild-
ingsbutforthesmallertreasuresscatteredthroughout.
Two recessed displays house some exquisite miniatures.
(pictured above). Many Spencers are here but so too,
are those they encountered along the way – Nelson,
Newton, Napoleon and many more. Beneath the alcoves
is a pair of display tables containing chatelaines, seals,
cigarette cases, mourning jewels and the ephemera of a
distinguished pedigree. In another corner sits a delicate
18th-century cabinet given to Georgiana, First Coun-
tess Spencer, (pictured right) by her husband and their
children, whose initials are carved into the veneer.
All in all there’s a feeling of complete harmony in this
space. This is a style much imitated and admired but,
in truth, only achievable if you’re lucky enough to have
such a heritage. Next door is the darker Billiards Room
– a place where the family’s sporting associations are
celebrated – then the suite is completed by the Long
Library, another repository for fascinating collections.
A dozen shades of off-white create a clean backdrop for
the many book spines. On the other side of the house,
next to the opulent entertaining space of the
Marlborough Room, the Sunderland Room sports a
slightly more formal version of this English country look.
Despite the adherence to this popular and eminently
appropriate style of décor, Althorp isn’t set in aspic.
Custodian to all these historic collections, Charles
Spencer regards his stewardship as ongoing, and so
some very modern additions sit alongside the old.
Notably, Mitch Griffiths' hyper-real works are genuine
conversation pieces that meld representations of
today’s tribulations with techniques reminiscent of the
Old Masters. They may serve as a metaphor for this
ancient family home, at once rooted in history yet
looking to the future with ambition, resolve and not a
little flourish. For opening times and details about 2016’s
Literary Festival visit spencerofalthorp.com
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Above: Walking sticks in the private hallway; The warm and welcoming South Drawing Room; Rare black
fallow deer; Mourning jewellery, reliquaries and miniatures Below right: Georgiana's cabinet.
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