Petworth House
Petworth House is a dominating aristocratic palace surrounded by a stunning landscape and deer park beautifully set in the Sussex countryside. The National Trust, who maintain it, claim it contains their finest art collection. In fact, the whole place may be regarded as masterpiece in its own right.
Petworth was originally built in the 12th century. For the first 500 years or so of its history, it was the domain of the Percy family, who owned the title Earls of Northumberland. Shakespeare fans will recognise this name popping up across his history plays. Having passed to the Somersets, another influential clan in 1682, it found its way into the ownership of the Wyndham family who still reside here.
Petworth is like the Grand Tour in exhibition form. The interiors are classically decorated with each room containing a number of authentic antiques. One particular highlight is the extraordinary room created by the talented 18th century wood carver Grinling Gibbons. The landscape was designed by the great 'Capability' Brown, who was responsible for creating the backdrop for so many of England’s stately homes. On many occasions the English artist Turner deemed it 'Petworthy' of a subject for painting.