Island Hall, Cambridgeshire
Multiple dates and times
Island Hall, PE29 2BA
Description
Island Hall is an important mid 18th century mansion, owned and restored by an award-winning interior designer.
Island Hall is located on the banks of the Great Ouse in the centre of Godmanchester. This family home has Georgian rooms with fine period detail and interesting possessions relating to the owners' ancestors since their first occupation of the house in 1800. Godmanchester was, in Roman times, a major settlement at an important crossroads and became one of England's earliest boroughs when it was awarded its charter in 1212. Beyond is Portholme, reputedly the largest water meadow in Britain and an area of outstanding natural beauty.
The Chinese Bridge at Island Hall
Island Hall has approximately one and a half acres of formal garden with a large river frontage and a further two-acre ornamental river island – from which the Hall takes its name – linked to the mainland by a Chinese bridge.
Today Island Hall is home to Grace Vane Percy, her husband and young family. Her father Christopher Vane Percy leads the tours. Eight generations of his ancestors lived in this finely proportioned, intimate, Georgian family house and he was responsible for bringing the family back here. The house has endured much since its World War II requestioning and subsequent compulsory purchase for emergency housing, but following a major fire in the late 1970s, the council felt it was time to release the historic derelict structure. Christopher Vane Percy, one of the country’s leading interior designers, began his restoration in the early 1980s: not only has it been renovated, but also redecorated in the Georgian style. Key features such as the 18th-century cupola over the stables and the Chinese bridge have been reconstructed. The long task of returning to the garden and island to the vision of the “stillest repose” which Octavia Hill enjoyed is now well advanced. She saw the house as a reminder “of what that deep attachment is to an inherited spot of old earth, rich with memories of days long ago”. By some miracle, that attachment has endured, Michael Hall, Country Life.
Even today the work continues. Building on the past, the renovation and restoration, as well as maintenance, are always at the forefront. The house enjoys hosting visitors, not only to support this historic building, but also to share the house and grounds with great pride.
Tickets £29.50 including a sit-down full afternoon tea with sandwiches and Victoria sponge cake.
Wheelchair access to ground floor and grounds. Disabled cloakroom facilities.
- Your illuminating commentary on the house and garden and their history very much added to the pleasure of our visit, and we also enjoyed the tea in such beautiful surroundings, and so charmingly served.
- I went with a friend yesterday afternoon for a tour of Island Hall in Godmanchester. What a wonderful tour we had with Christopher Vane Percy. He was so informative about the history of this stunning house and gardens and also the history about his ancestors and himself. I could have listened to Christopher for hours! The afternoon tea was beautifully presented as well with delicious sandwiches and cake in the lovely setting of the foyer of the house with stunning bone china and linen napkins. A real treat. Ten out of ten for the best tour I have done so far!
- My wife and I thought it was a wonderful tour and much appreciated by all. It is a real home but serves as a vivid framework for your family history and anecdotes. Historic Houses is indeed fortunate to count Island Hall as a member property.
- We wanted to thank you for a most informative and interesting visit to Island Hall yesterday. We enjoyed the mix of your family history with the structure, history and layout of Island Hall and gardens. It was a new experience for us and we enjoyed the afternoon very much.
Please see our cancellation policy below:
If you cancel more than two weeks before the tour is scheduled to take place, we will fully refund your ticket money excluding any phone booking fees. If it’s less than 14 days before a tour, for any reason, we regret that we cannot refund your ticket money unless we can resell your ticket(s). If we cancel at any time, we will fully refund your ticket money. Although we make every effort to avoid it, sometimes a tour has to be cancelled at short notice due to circumstances beyond our control. In this case, we cannot accept responsibility for, or refund, any consequential losses, such as money spent on travel or accommodation.
Location
Island Hall, PE29 2BA