Though spanning eight centuries of history, styles and stories as far back as the Middle Ages, Southwick is today known for its Victorian and Edwardian heritage. Increasingly focused on the arts and education, the house and grounds will soon reopen for visitors, special events and activities.
Three interconnected families have owned Southwick Hall. The Knyvets, in the Middle Ages, are recorded as the earliest: a dynasty of wealthy wool merchants, among them a Lord Chancellor to Edward III. Then, from the 1440s right through Tudor, Stuart and Georgian times: the Lynnes, who included scientists, lawyers and an MP who, in 1587, was a bannerol bearer at the funeral of Mary Queen of Scots following her execution at nearby Fotheringhay. It is thought that her execution warrant may be hidden in the walls at Southwick.
From the 1840s to the present day Southwick has been in the Capron family – starting with George, a renowned lawyer whose clients included the third Marquess of Hertford (thought to be the model for Thackeray's Lord Steyne in Vanity Fair). He added the Victorian stable block, and the estate included a home farm, where evacuees, Land Girls and even Prisoners of War worked during the war. The present owner, Christopher Capron, was Head of BBC Television's Current Affairs programmes and responsible for the visit of the Russian author Alexander Solzhenitsyn.
Southwick Hall, with its natural affinity for the arts and literature, is also home to a number of artists and musicians, and is aiming to become a charitable and educational Trust. A choice of spaces, indoors and out, will be available for rehearsals, tuition and performance, as well as for exhibitions, filming, photography and meetings.
