Pixton Park

Pixton Park
Location within Somerset
General information
Town or city	Dulverton, Somerset
Country	England
Coordinates	51°01′58″N 3°31′56″W / 51.0329°N 3.5323°W / 51.0329; -3.5323
Completed	c1760

Pixton Park is a country house in the parish of Dulverton, Somerset, England. It is associated with at least three historically significant families or dynasties: the Acland baronets, the politicians and diplomats the Herberts, and the Waughs, a series of writers. The Grade II* listed building was built around 1760 for the Acland family and later altered by the Earl of Carnarvon.^[1]

History

Dyke

Arms of Dyke of Somerset: Or, three cinquefoils sable. As seen in east window of Lynch Chapel,^[2] Bossington, Somerset, erected in 1884-5 by Sir Thomas Dyke Acland, 11th Baronet (1809–1898).^[2] These are also the arms of the Dyke Baronets of Horeham, Sussex^[3]

Pixton was the seat of the Dyke family.^[4]

• John Dyke (d.1699) of Pixton, who died intestate.^[5] The will dated 1700 of his wife Margaret (d.1703) survives, which provides a partial pedigree of the family.
• Edward I Dyke (will dated 1728), eldest son and heir, of Pixton. He married Elizabeth Blackford (d.1736), daughter of Richard Blackford of Dunster, a Master in Chancery. In her widowhood she became the heir of her infant relative Henrietta Blackford (d.1733), heiress of Holnicote in Somerset.^[6]
• Edward II Dyke (d.1746) of Pixton, eldest son and heir. He was Warden of the royal forest of Exmoor and Master of Staghounds, which pack later became the Devon and Somerset Staghounds, which he kenneled at Holnicote in the north of Exmoor and at Jury and Highercombe, both near Pixton towards the south of Exmoor.^[7] He married Margaret Trevelyan, a daughter of Sir John Trevelyan, 2nd Baronet (1670–1755), of Nettlecombe in Somerset, and widow of Alexander Luttrell (1705–1737) of Dunster Castle. Edward inherited Holnicote and estates in Bampton from his brother John Dyke (d.1732), who died without progeny. Edward died without progeny and bequeathed Pixton to his niece Elizabeth Dyke (d.1753), whom he appointed his sole executor, daughter and sole heiress of his brother Thomas Dyke (d.1745) of Tetton. The bequest stipulated that Elizabeth and her husband Sir Thomas Acland, 7th Baronet (1722-1785) should adopt the additional surname of Dyke. Edward Dyke bequeathed his Bampton estates to his nephew Edward Smyth, son of his sister Grace Dyke, on condition he should assume the surname and arms of Dyke. Several portraits of Edward II Dyke exist: two which were at Pixton in 1909 and two at Dunster Castle. Five portraits of his wife Margaret Trevelyan survive, four at Dunster Castle^[8] and one at Nettlecombe Court.^[9]

Acland

• Sir Thomas Dyke Acland, 7th Baronet (1722-1785) of Killerton, Devon and Petherton Park in Somerset, who acquired Pixton by his marriage to the heiress Elizabeth Dyke (d.1753). In 1846 he took over mastership of the Staghounds following the death of Edward Dyke.^[10]
• Col. John Dyke Acland (1747-1778), eldest son and heir apparent, who predeceased his father. He was a Tory MP and a soldier who fought in the American War of Independence. He lived at Pixton Park with his wife Lady Harriet Fox, a remarkable woman in her own right, and died there in 1778^[11] He gave Pixton and Tetton to his daughter Elizabeth "Kitty" Acland as part of her marriage settlement on her marriage to into which family those estates passed.

Herbert

• Henry George Herbert, 2nd Earl of Carnarvon, husband of Elizabeth "Kitty" Acland. The Herbert family was prominent in the political and intellectual life of Britain throughout the nineteenth century.
• Henry John George Herbert, 3rd Earl of Carnarvon (1800–1849), eldest son and heir, was a writer, traveller and politician.
• Henry Howard Molyneux Herbert, 4th Earl of Carnarvon (1831–1890), eldest son and heir, was a leading member of the Conservative Party, a cabinet minister and eventually Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. He redesigned the Pixton estate.
• Col Molyneux Herbert, heir, buried in the memorial chapel in Brushford Church.
• Aubrey Nigel Henry Molyneux Herbert (1880–1923), second son of the 4th Earl by his second wife, Elizabeth Howard of Greystoke Castle, Cumberland, sister of Esme Howard, 1st Baron Howard of Penrith. Aubrey was a diplomat, traveller and intelligence officer, associated with Albanian independence and was twice offered the Throne of Albania. He was given Pixton Park by his mother, with 5,000 acres (20 km²).^[12] Aubrey and Mary Herbert had four children before he died at the age of 43.
• Auberon Herbert (1922–1974), (son), who died unmarried. His sister Laura Herbert married the novelist Evelyn Waugh, and their son Auberon Waugh was born at Pixton Park in 1939.^[13] In World War II the estate was used for child evacuees.

Bell

In about 1990 the mansion house Pixton Park, but not most of the surrounding grounds, was purchased by Timothy F. Bell, a retired City of London financier, and his wife Beatrice, who still reside there in 2016.^[14][15]

Estate

At one time the estate had a herd of Sika Deer (Cervus nippon), and was used for pheasant rearing.

The stables to Pixton Park were built in the mid 18th century and are now a private dwelling.^[16] In 2007 the stables were bought by Richard Caring, the owner of Annabel's nightclub and The Ivy restaurant, and subject to a planning application for a "Winter Palace".^[17][18][19]

Pepperpot Castle in Upton, which is also known as Haddon Lodge, was built by Lady Harriet Acland, during the long period of her widowhood, 1778–1815, as a lodge to the drive to connect Pixton Park in Dulverton where her daughter the Countess of Carnarvon lived, with her own estates near Wiveliscombe.^[20]

South Haddon Cottage, which was built in 1830, formed part of the estate.^[21]

Two gate lodges were built to the estate. No 1 Jury Lodge^[22] and No 2 Jury Lodge^[23] In 1870 the Earl of Carnavon resited the entrance to Pixton Park and created a new driveway, more convenient for guests arriving by train from Dulverton railway station, and added a new lodge.^[24] Towards Brushford the River Barle is crossed by the New Bridge dating from 1870, which led to Pixton Park,^[25]

Further reading

• Exmoor Oral History Archive: reminiscences of Jean Gabb, a housmaid at Pixton

References