Petworth House

About this place

Petworth House was built in 1688 by Charles Seymour, 6th Duke of Somerset, in West Sussex.

Its interior holds one of the largest collections of paintings in National Trust care, including numerous works by J.

M.

W.

Turner.

Carved wood panelling by Grinling Gibbons lines several of the state rooms.

The National Trust has managed the house since 1947.

History

The house stands on the site of the manor of Petworth and was for centuries the southern seat of the Percy family, earls of Northumberland, before passing to the Seymour dukes of Somerset. George Wyndham, 3rd Earl of Egremont, assembled much of the art collection in the late 18th and early 19th centuries and was a close friend and patron of Turner. Architect Anthony Salvin carried out significant alterations to the house in the 1870s.

Architecture

Petworth House is Grade I listed and dates from the late 17th century, with later 1870s remodelling by Anthony Salvin. The state rooms feature elaborate carved wood decoration attributed to Grinling Gibbons.

Worth knowing

J. M. W. Turner stayed at Petworth as a guest of George Wyndham, 3rd Earl of Egremont, and produced numerous paintings of the house and park that remain part of the collection today.

Gardens & grounds

The surrounding deer park was landscaped by Capability Brown and still supports a large herd of fallow deer.

Facilities