Newnham Paddox, Warwickshire The seat of the Earl and Countess of Denbigh and Desmond An ingeniously planned new house on a small scale takes advantage of the landscape of a large predecessor demolished in the 1950s, as John Martin Robinson explains
NEWNHAM PADDOX is one of the oldest and also one of the newest of English country seats. The property has descended in the male line of the Feilding family since 1433 and can claim a connection with it by marriage to the Newnhams as far back as the 12th century. Yet Alexander, the present, 12th Earl of Denbigh and his wife, Suzy, only moved into a newly built house, thought to be the fourth manifestation on the site, less than a year ago in July 2023. Their establishment marks a happy stage in a long story.
Typical of many English country houses, the previous building on the site was vastly amplified in the 19th century, leaving it a beached leviathan when the economic tide went out in the 20th century. After intervals of institutional use, it was demolished in 1952 and much of the estate sold. The present owner’s father, Rollo (short for Rudolph, a recurrent family name alluding to a legendary Hapsburg connection), the 11th Earl, erected a flat-roofed ‘Colt’ house in 1982 on the site of the old forecourt. By the time Alexander inherited in 1995, it was in poor condition and in urgent need of renewal.
Replacement seemed the only option, so Lord Denbigh and the estate trustees invited three architectural firms to submit proposals. Of these, Giles Quarme Architects was chosen to design a new house to a tight budget; suitable for modern living, but with enough traditional presence to sit in a historic setting in a Capability Brown park with mature trees, adjoining the Georgian brick stables.
Giles Quarme’s firm is a leading historicbuildings and conservation practice with 40 years’ experience restoring old properties and designing new ones in historic settings. Julian Cripps, who joined the firm in 1987, is now its senior designer and was chiefly responsible for the present house. The drawings were prepared in 2018–19 and—after some careful shrinkage to fit the budget— construction began in 2021 and proceeded rapidly using Midlands craftsmen and locally sourced materials. The finished building is published for the first time in this article.
To appreciate the new house properly, it is necessary to understand what it succeeds. A large house, possibly half-timbered, existed here by the late 16th century. The Feildings were a local landed family until Sir William Feilding (1587–1643) married Susan Villiers. Her handsome brother, George, caught the eye of James I, became a royal favourite and was created Duke of Buckingham. The new Duke promoted the fortunes of his brother-in-law, William, who was ennobled as
