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6 unusual facts about Crichel House


Baron Alington

He was the son of Henry Sturt, great-grandson of Humphrey Sturt by his wife Diana (through which marriage Crichel House in Dorset came into the Sturt family), daughter of Sir Nathaniel Napier, 3rd Baronet, and the Honourable Catherine, daughter of the third Baron of the 1642 creation.

Crichel Down affair

Much of the land in question was part of the estate of Crichel House, owned by the 3rd Baron Alington.

Crichel House

The Bastard family collaborated to enlarge the shell of Crichel in 1771-73; the new interiors were designed by James Wyatt (1772–80), with painted decor by Biagio Rebecca, chimneypieces by John Devall, and furniture by John Linnell (1778–79) and Ince and Mayhew (1768–78).

Humphrey Sturt stopped short of moving St Mary's Church, which remains today.

Humphrey Sturt, of Horton, in Dorset, acquired the estate in 1765 on his marriage with Diana, the aunt and heir of Sir Gerard Napier, the 6th and last baronet and extensively remodelled the house.

Moor Crichel

Unusually the parish church of St. Mary is in the grounds of Crichel House and not accessible to the public.



see also