If you visit a Postcard Fair and view the "Warwickshire" section you will probably come across an image of a Tudor dream house nestling seductively in a verdant hollow. Many folk will imagine this beautiful dwelling has long since met the fate of so many country houses in the 20th Century and been demolished. It almost was in the late 18th Century, but it has survived in all its glory. It remains in the hands of the descendants of the family who resided at the original house in 1204 - the year the Crusaders sacked Constantinople - the Comptons, later the Earls and more recently, the Marquesses of Northampton. I give you Compton Wynyates, near Tysoe.
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| Published by Frank Packer of Chipping Norton. |
This bewitching building was open to the public for a time and spawned a range of postcards. Some appear to have been commissioned "in house", but a number of independent publishers produced beguiling images too. Booklets were produced for visitors. Eventually, however, the house reverted to a private family property.
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| One of at least two visitor booklets published by the Compton family. |
Thus the house has dropped back into relative obscurity, but half a millennium ago some of the guests were most definitely "A-list". The present house was built in the late 1400's, partly using re-claimed materials from the derelict Fulbroke (now, usually Fulbrook) Castle, near Warwick. The Pevsner Guide describes the enduring appeal of the architecture succinctly:
"the mixture of brick with some half-timber, of windows with cusped and uncusped lights, and the absence of any symmetries ... makes the house so supremely picturesque."
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| Published by F. C. Rickett of Claverdon & Stratford in his "Mercia Series". An identical card was published in the "Antona Series". |
Henry VIII visited his friend Sir William Compton on "several occasions", probably with Catherine of Aragon. Elizabeth I and James I also visited. It will come as no surprise to the reader that the Compton's went on to fight for the King in the English Civil War, but that didn't work out quite so well ...
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| A more modern card by Jarrold's of Norwich including gardens. |
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| Seemingly a self-published view from an amateur photographer. Probably a rare card. |
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| Published by Percy Simms of Chipping Norton By the commencement of hostilities, the Comptons had been elevated to the peerage. The 2nd Earl and three sons fought at The Battle of Edgehill, and in later fighting around Banbury. In 1643 the Earl was killed at The Battle of Hopton Heath, near Stafford. In 1644 the house was beseiged for two days by Parliamentary forces and eventually taken. The Church was destroyed (although rebuilt in 1666 after the Restoration). In 1645 the Comptons led a daring raid to recover the house, fighting their way through to the great court, but they were unable to cross the inner moat and were driven off.  The cards showing the interior are a little pedestrian after the images of the spectacular exterior. This one is rather non-PC by modern standards. The card, by Dennis & Sons (County Series), describes this as the "Banqueting Hall" but the family appear to call it the "Big Hall". Lord Northampton managed to recover his estates but the Comptons hadn't quite finished with their involvement in significant historic events. The sixth son of the 2nd Earl became Bishop of London but was one of the signatories to the invitation to William of Orange to assume the throne, and subsequently performed the ceremony of crowning William and Mary.  Marked as "A Most Famous Tudor House" - unknown publisher A small mystery ... I am unable to identify the publisher of this card (yet). It is marked "B. B. 204" (answers on a postcard please!) The reason I included it was because of the very short message on the back. Posted from Banbury on 3rd September, 1904 to a Mrs Cloney of Warwick, it sadly reads: "Baby is still very poorly, will write tonight." Did the baby pull-through? I sincerely hope so.  And finally - keep 'em peeled ... I hold 46 different views of this stunning building, but there are more out there! Only this week I acquired this uncommon multiview card of "Edge Hills", with Compton Wynyates to the bottom right.  Author: "A Warwickshire Lad" Ian Crow Multimedia crowmultimedia@gmail.com It is a work in progress at the moment, but why not take a look at our postcard and ephemera retail site - with a "Warwickshire" category - on ebay at: |
