Towns & Villages in Herts

Gorhambury

It is in the Parish of St Michaels, St Albans

The Tudor House of Gorhambury
For details of its construction see Bricks: Gorhambury

REMAINS OF GORHAMBURY HOUSE
Hertfordshire 
London: Published by Vernor, Hood & Sharpe, Poultry, Aug 1, 1803
Engraved by J. Greig from a painting by G. Arnald
For the Beauties of England & Wales

St Albans, Gorhambury  Ruins of Lord Bacon's House  card numbered 23285  posted 1902

GORHAMBURY

 Of Sir Nicholas Bacon's mansion of 1568 the porch and masonry of the Hall and one projecting wing survive. The Porch is a would-be classical composition with Tuscan attached colums flanking the entrance arch on the ground floor, and Ionic columns and niches flanking the two-light flanking windows. It led to the screens passage. The dais end of the Hall is marked by a large window.

In 1777 a new house was begun by the third Viscount Grimston. The architect was Sir Robert Taylor. The house is ashlar-faced and has a grand Corinthian portico raised on a plinth with broad outer staircase and three windows on each side ... [The Buildings of England: Hertfordshire]

GORHAMBURY 
(Seat of Lord Viscount Grimston) 
Hertfordshire
Published by Vernor, Hood & Sharpe, Poultry, June 1, 1806
Engraved by J Greig from a drawing by E Shepherd
For the Beauties of England & Wales

Lord Kitchener inspecting the troops on the Gorhambury Estate, September 1914 [The London Gunners come to Town]

Books: Early Stuart Household Accounts

Books: A Gentleman's life in Soho and St Albans, 1660-1689 - The Gorhambury Account Books for Sir Harbottle Grimston and Sir Harbottle Grimston in Herts Past & Present

See also Manor Rental of Gorhambury, St Michaels, St Albans, 1655

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Books on Hertfordshire

The Grimstons of Gorhambury

Norah King

Phillimore, 1983

Hardback, 25 * 19.5 cm, 190 pages, plus plates, family tree, etc.

ABOUT THIS BOOK . . . (from the dust jacket)

THE GRIMSTONS have lived at Gorhambury for more than 300 years, successors there to the famous Bacons. An ancient and well documented family of Yorkshire origin, the Grimstons have preserved their archives love letters, diaries, account-books and paintings on which, with other sources the author has drawn with great skill to produce a vivid and compelling narrative account, both of the family and of their Gorhambury estate and house.

From their pre-Conquest roots in York shire the author follows the family through Suffolk and Essex to their present Hertford shire home to which they came in 1652, a century after Sir Nicholas Bacon had built the Tudor mansion. Her researches have thrown light on the building and of the Bacon's family's time there but her main concern is the Grimstons, who achieved national importance in the 15th century with Edward 'the Ambassador'. Another Edward was Comptroller of Calais when it fell to the French in Queen Mary's time and his escape from the Bastille makes fascinating reading. Lawyer Sir Harbottle Grimston played a leading part in the Restoration and became Speaker of Charles II's first Parliament, whike the 1st Earl of Verulam, whose amusing life-style is recorded, was active in the Reform Bill days of William IV.

The building of Palladian 18th-century Gorhambury by the 3rd Viscount Grimston is recounted together with the lives of the Grimstons who have lived in it, to make a rich tapestry of human achievements and failings sketching back to the Conquest; a part of English history and of Hertfordshire local history as well as a splendidly written family history. Based on more than 40 years work with the family's enormous collection of documents, the book offers much that is new to historians as well as an essential narrative for all connected with the family and a very interesting story for the general reader.