Hammerwood Park
Grade I listed Greek Revival house of the 1790s by Benjamin Latrobe, restored by one family and open on guided tours in summer.
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Over het museum
Hammerwood Park is a Greek Revival country house near East Grinstead in East Sussex. It was built between 1792 and about 1795 for John Sperling to designs by Benjamin Henry Latrobe, his first independent commission, and is among the earliest Greek Revival houses in England. Latrobe later moved to America and worked on the US Capitol and the White House. The temple-like pavilions with Doric and Ionic details and Coade stone capitals were advanced for their time.
In the 19th century the house passed to other families, and in 1865 the architect S. S. Teulon remodelled it. It was requisitioned in the Second World War and then stood derelict. In 1973 the rock band Led Zeppelin bought it with the idea of a recording studio, but the plan came to nothing and the house suffered vandalism and rot before it was boarded up in 1976.
David Pinnegar bought Hammerwood in 1982 and restored it with his family; it has been open to the public since April 1983 and passed to Edward Pinnegar in 2024. Visitors see the house on a guided tour led by the family, followed by tea. The Picturesque parkland around a lake is listed in its own right.
Hoogtepunten
- Early Greek Revival house of 1792-95 by Benjamin Henry Latrobe
- Doric and Ionic detail with Coade stone capitals
- Family-led guided tour with tea in the Library
- Restored from dereliction after a brief ownership by Led Zeppelin
- Picturesque parkland around a lake
Vaste collectie
- Guided tour of the Latrobe house – Family-led tour of an early Greek Revival house of the 1790s, with the story of its decline, the Led Zeppelin episode and its restoration since 1982.
- Beheerder
- Pinnegar family
Toegangsprijzen & kortingen
| Volwassenen | £ 10 |
|---|---|
| Kinderen & jongeren | gratisChildren are free. |
| Studenten | gratisStudents are free. |
Adult admission is payable in cash; the income goes towards maintaining the house.
Toegankelijkheid
- Rolstoeltoegankelijk: geen informatie
- Lift: geen informatie
- Aangepast toilet: geen informatie
- Gehandicaptenparkeerplaats: geen informatie
- Hulphonden welkom: geen informatie
- Tastmodellen / voelbare objecten: geen informatie
- Rondleidingen in gebarentaal: geen informatie
- Informatie in eenvoudige taal: geen informatie
- Audiodescriptie: geen informatie
The steps can be slippery, especially after wet weather, so sturdy footwear is advised. The website gives no further accessibility information.
Kinderen & gezin
Children are admitted free.
Bereikbaarheid & parkeren
The house is 3.5 miles east of East Grinstead and 10 miles west of Tunbridge Wells on the A264 (Holtye Road). The turning is signposted and the house is reached after the village pond and a cricket pitch.
Route plannenService & horeca
Tea and biscuits are served in the Library after the tour. Dogs and picnics are welcome before or after the tour; visitors must take their rubbish away.
Evenementen & zaalverhuur
- Ruimtes te huur
- Bruiloften / trouwceremonies
Venue hire, weddings and events are listed on the website; no details are published.
Aanvragen & detailsJe bezoek plannen
| Rondleidingen | ja · duur ca. 1,5 uur |
|---|---|
| Aanbod voor scholen | ja |
| Goed om te weten | The house can only be seen on the guided tour. School visits are welcome and private visits can be arranged at other times; coaches with more than 20 seats are possible but limited. A guidebook is available after the tour. |
