page_title: Easton Neston house
section_title: Historical
hierarchical_section_title: Easton Neston house / Historical
caption_attribution_description: English: Fermor arms above the Easton Neston Gate at Towcester Race Course. Coade stone, signed by Croggan
context_page_description: Easton Neston is a large grade I listed country house in the parish of Easton Neston near Towcester in Northamptonshire, England. It was built by William Fermor, 1st Baron Leominster, in the Baroque style to the design of the architect Nicholas Hawksmoor. Easton Neston is thought to be the only mansion which was solely the work of Hawksmoor. From about 1700, after the completion of Easton Neston, Hawksmoor worked with Sir John Vanbrugh on many buildings, including Castle Howard and Blenheim Palace, and often provided technical knowledge to the less qualified Vanbrugh. Hawksmoor's work was always more classically severe than Vanbrugh's. However, Easton Neston predates this partnership by some six years.
context_section_description: For the major part of its existence, including into the 21st century, Easton Neston has been a private house and never opened to the public; as a consequence it is little known.
  In March 1876 Empress Elisabeth of Austria visited England and rented Easton Neston House, using its fine stables for her horses. She used Blisworth railway station for travel to London.
  In 2004 Alexander Fermor-Hesketh, 3rd Baron Hesketh, a descendant of the builder via a female line, put the house, and the surrounding estate including Towcester Racecourse, up for sale for an asking price of £50 million. He received no offers and consequently in 2005, he sold the estate piecemeal. A part of the estate, including the main house, some outlying buildings and 550 acres (2.2 km²) of land, were sold for about £15 million to Leon Max, a retail businessman and designer. Lord Hesketh subsequently sold off the farmland and the Gothic village of Hulcote, but retained ownership of Towcester Racecourse. Max plans to use the Wren-designed wing of the house as a headquarters for his European operations, and the Hawksmoor block as his personal residence.
caption: The Easton Neston Gate at Towcester Racecourse, showing the Fermor arms
exif: {}