Bramham Park
OS grid reference:- SE 407 414
Bramham Park is an eighteenth century baroque mansion which is situated at Bramham, between Leeds and Wetherby, in West Yorkshire.
The house was constructed in 1698 for Robert Benson, 1st Baron Bingley, the architect is unknown. Robert Benson died without a male heir and the estate was inherited by his son-in-Law George Fox-Lane (circa.1697-1773) and has remained in the ownership of Lane's descendants since then. It remains a private residence in the ownership of Nick Lane Fox. The interior of the building was completely restored in the early part of the twentieth century, having mostly been abandoned after a disastrous fire which occured in 1828. An area of the grounds is retained as gardens and is open to the public, visitors can tour the house, but only in pre-arranged parties.
The parkland which surrounds the house contains ornamental canals, cascades and tall beech hedges. A number of ornamental structures stand in the park which are Grade I listed buildiings and include- The Chapel (pictured above right) which stands at the back of the house, which was built around 1760 for George Fox Lane. Originally built as a Palladian Temple it was later used as an Orangery, a summerhouse and in around 1906 was consecrated as a chapel. The Gothic temple is situated to the south of the house and dates to eighteenth century. In 1907 it was converted into a water tower to supply spring water to the house.
The Open Temple was probably also built in the early eighteenth century, the Ionic Temple or Rotunda, is located in the Black Fen pleasure ground, the Black Fen lies a mile from the house. From the Ionic Temple six straight paths lead to other features of the parkland. The park is the setting for the Horse Trials and the Leeds Festival.
Historic Buildings of Yorkshire