Parnham House is a sixteenth-century
Grade I listed house located about 1 mile (1.6 km) from
Beaminster in
Dorset, England.[1]Historic England describes the house as "exceptionally important".[2] In April 2017 the house was badly damaged by fire.[3]
History
The drive leading up to Parnham House.
The original house on the site was built in the 1400s[4] and completely rebuilt in 1552 for
Robert Strode and his wife,
Elizabeth Gerad.[5] It is one of Dorset's oldest stately homes, and the 16th-century hall and kitchen wing remained until 2017.[6] The house covers an area of 37,000 square feet (0.85 acres).[7] The house belonged to the Strodes for more than 200 years.[8] During the
English Civil WarSir John Strode's widow, Lady Ann Strode, mother of junior Lord
John Strode, was killed while trying to protect the house from
Roundheads under the authority of
Thomas Fairfax.[9][10] In 1810 the house was remodelled by
John Nash. His renovations included winding staircases and stone-mullioned windows.[8][9]
After the War the house was used as a country club and nursing home.[8] The house was purchased by
John Makepeace for £90,000 in 1976,[17] and he used it for his School for Craftsmanship in Wood, which focused on teaching woodworking and business skills.[2][18]Fred Baier was a teacher at the school.[18] The grounds at the southern end of the house were landscaped in 1978 under a job creation scheme, to mark a visit to the school by the
Duke of Edinburgh.[19] In 2001 Makepeace sold the house to an Austrian
hedge fund manager.[2][8][5][6][10]
In April 2017 the house was badly damaged by fire, the cause of which is still undetermined. The entire interior and contents were lost.[2][9][8][5] The house's owner, Michael Treichl, was arrested on suspicion of arson. In June 2017 Treichl was found dead in Switzerland, and the police investigation was concluded in October 2017 with no other suspects.[28] In 2018
Historic England said that the house was "at risk of collapse".[29] In 2018 the house was put up for sale for £3 million.[30] The house was sold in 2020 [7][31] for £2.5 million to James Perkins to be developed as "a base for 'adventure' stays and visits".[32] In September 2021, the house was given an events licence. The money raised was expected to be used towards the house's renovation, which is estimated to cost around £40 million.[33] On 5 August 2022, plans for the site's restoration were approved by authorities.[34]