Introduction
The gardens lie immediately around the house with the main part on the east front. A north wall shelters the lawns and incorporates a summerhouse. There is also a yew walk and numerous outbuildings. All are now part of Marwell Zoological Park.
To the south were extensive outbuildings, including a brick well-house, stables, a coach house and garages and a walled kitchen garden with a variety of espalier and wall fruit trees and glasshouses.
- Visitor Access, Directions & Contacts
Telephone
01962 777407Website
https://www.marwell.org.uk/zoo/Access contact details
The site is open daily from 10am-6pm. The last admission is 90 minutes before closing. For details please see: http://www.marwell.org.uk/planning_your_day/times_prices.asp?css=1 T: 01962 777407
Directions
http://www.marwell.org.uk/planning_your_day/directions.asp?css=1
Other Websites
- History
Marwell Hall is an ancient estate first recorded in a Domesday reference and owned by the Church and Corpus Christi College, Oxford, till the Reformation. A 14th-century house was probably re-built in the early-16th-century by the Seymour family and later owned by the Brett and Dacre families.
The present house was re-built in 1816 by Mr William Long in Tudor style and incorporating parts of the old house. It stood in about 7 acres of well-wooded grounds.
From 1867 to 1933, the Hall was owned by the Standish family and during World War 2, when a Mr and Mrs Hayes lived there, it was used as an airfield for fighter aircraft.
In 1969, the Hall and 417 acres of land were sold to John Knowles. He opened a zoo in 1972 but made the Hall his home until 1980, when it became the offices for Marwell Zoological Park. Today Marwell Zoological Park is world-famous and has become a major tourist attraction. There are many new buildings on the site and a new entrance with car parks.
- Features & Designations
Designations
The National Heritage List for England: Listed Building
- Reference: Marwell Hall
- Grade: I
Site of Nature Conservation Importance
Features
- Glasshouse
- Summerhouse
- Garden Wall
- Kitchen Garden
- Description: There is a walled kitchen garden with a variety of espalier and wall fruit trees and glasshouses.
- Lawn
- Orchard
- Plantation
- Description: Sheltering plantations.
- Walk
- Description: There is an ancient Yew Walk to Whaddon Lane.
- Espalier
- Description: There is a walled kitchen garden with a variety of espalier and wall fruit trees and glasshouses.
- Garden Terrace
- Description: To the north of the house are terraced lawns with cedar trees.
- Stable
- House (featured building)
- Description: The present house was re-built in 1816 by Mr William Long in Tudor style and incorporating parts of the old house.
- Latest Date:
- Key Information
Type
Park
Purpose
Educational
Principal Building
Domestic / Residential
Survival
Extant
Open to the public
Yes
Civil Parish
Owslebury