Elton Hall

Sir and William and Lady Proby welcome you to Elton Hall, the romantic house which has been the family home for over 350 years.

Elton Hall stands in the midst of unspoilt landscaped parkland, on a site where there has been a house since the Norman Conquest. Sir Peter Proby, Lord Mayor of London and Comptroller of the Royal Household, was granted land and property at Elton by Queen Elizabeth I. His grandson, Sir Thomas Proby, completed the main house in 1666, incorporating the medieval chapel and gatehouse. In the eighteenth century John Proby was created the first Earl of Carysfort in recognition of his services as a politician and diplomat. He and his successors enlarged the house and gave it the eighteenth century character that it has today.

Elton Hall is a fascinating mixture of styles, reflecting the taste and interests of succeeding generations. Every room contains treasures - magnificent furniture and fine paintings from early fifteenth century Old Masters to the remarkable pre-Raphaelite work of Alma Tadema and Millais. Great British artists are well represented by Gainsborough, Constable and Reynolds.

The Drawing Room was formed out of the mediaeval chapel and last decorated in a grand French manner in 1860. It is hung with wonderful family portraits by Reynolds, Hoppner and Romney. The room is furnished with 18th Century French furniture and clocks.

The Library is one of the finest in private hands and includes the unique Henry VIII's Prayer Book in which you can see the writing of the Tudor king and two of his wives.

You can see the State Coach, used by the Carysforts to attend Queen Victoria's Jubilee Celebrations, which now stands in the old kitchens.

The stunning Gardens have been created in recent years and include the Rose Garden planted with nearly a thousand roses, the Knot Garden, the Sunken Garden, herbaceous borders and an arboretum. A new Gothic Orangery and Garden has been built to celebrate the millennium.