Corsham Court

Over het museum

Corsham Court began as a manor house completed in 1582 by Thomas Smythe, built on an E-shaped plan that still forms the core of the building. Earlier records place a royal residence at Corsham as far back as 978. In 1745 the house was bought by the younger Paul Methuen, cousin and godson of the diplomat Sir Paul Methuen. Sir Paul had collected Italian, Flemish, Dutch and French paintings, and the house became their setting. Paul Methuen had the north front remodelled in the Palladian style by Nathaniel Ireson and, from 1760, brought in Lancelot Capability Brown to design a new picture gallery in the shape of a triple cube and to landscape the park and gardens.

After 1795 the house was enlarged again for Paul Cobb Methuen, who chose the architect John Nash on the recommendation of Humphry Repton. Nash designed gothic additions, including an octagonal saloon, and building began in 1797. Later work followed in the nineteenth century. Over the years, paintings have been sold from the collection to meet costs, but important works remain, together with furniture by Chippendale and mirrors by Adam made for the picture gallery.

The Methuen family still owns Corsham Court. The state rooms and the gardens are open to visitors in the afternoons, and part of the estate is used by Bath Spa University. The collection includes works by Fra Filippo Lippi, Carlo Dolci, Salvator Rosa and Sir Joshua Reynolds, and Van Dyck's The Betrayal of Christ, which is owned by Bristol Museums and displayed at the Court.

Hoogtepunten

• Methuen picture collection of Italian, Flemish, Dutch and French masters
• Picture gallery designed by Capability Brown as a triple cube
• Annunciation attributed to Fra Filippo Lippi and works by Carlo Dolci and Salvator Rosa
• Reynolds portraits of the Methuen children in the State Dining Room
• Gothic additions by John Nash and parkland landscaped by Capability Brown

Vaste collectie

• State Rooms and Methuen picture collection – Georgian state rooms with a collection of Old Master paintings, furniture by Chippendale and Nash's gothic interiors, including the triple-cube picture gallery.

Beheerder

Methuen family

Toegangsprijzen & kortingen

Historic Houses members are admitted free on showing a current membership card.

Toegankelijkheid

• Deels rolstoeltoegankelijk
• Lift
• Aangepast toilet: geen informatie
• Gehandicaptenparkeerplaats
• Hulphonden welkom: geen informatie
• Tastmodellen / voelbare objecten: geen informatie
• Rondleidingen in gebarentaal: geen informatie
• Informatie in eenvoudige taal: geen informatie
• Audiodescriptie: geen informatie

The State Rooms are on the ground floor, which is higher than the entrance level, and a platform lift is provided to reach it. A pushed wheelchair is available free of charge in the State Rooms, but motorised wheelchairs cannot be used inside the house. Disabled visitors can ask the guard at the front gate for directions to parking or drive up to the front of the house.

Kinderen & gezin

A family ticket for 2 adults and 2 children is available. The website lists no specific children's activities.

Bereikbaarheid & parkeren

Corsham is signposted off the A4, about 4.5 miles west of Chippenham (junction 17 of the M4).

Service & horeca

Postcards, slides and a colour guidebook with a list of the paintings are sold at the cash desk in the State Rooms.

Evenementen & zaalverhuur

Voor zover wij weten verhuurt het museum geen ruimtes voor externe evenementen.

The Court is not licensed for civil wedding ceremonies and is generally not available for receptions or similar functions.

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