Nostalgia on Tuesday: Hall for love

Kiplin Hall's existence today is mainly the result of Bridget Talbot's connection with the place. After falling in love with Kiplin during her youth she later returned and fought to safeguard the building's heritage for future generations at a time when many houses were falling victim to their own opulence.
Kiplin Hall Summer 2016Kiplin Hall Summer 2016
Kiplin Hall Summer 2016

The National Trust rejected the opportunity to save the house in the late 1950s on the grounds that Kiplin had no history. Yet the hall provides an insight into the lives of Jacobean government official George Calvert, who later founded the US state of Maryland, and 18th century British Consul to Livorno Christopher Crowe. Neither was of particularly noble birth, but they managed to rise to their positions through determination, integrity and reliability.

The land at Kiplin was in various hands until 1619 when George Calvert bought 800 acres there. He had been born on the estate as his father had leased a portion of the property in the late 1500s. He had been educated at York and Oxford, later becoming private secretary to Sir Robert Cecil, Secretary of State for King James I. Owing in part to the patronage of the former and his own demeanour, Calvert was able to rise through the court hierarchy to hold some of the most important positions. He was knighted in 1617 and was given a large estate in Ireland as a reward for his services. When he finally resigned from the service of the King, Sir George Calvert was made Baron Baltimore of County Longford, Ireland.

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Before Sir George left his position, he began the task of building a grand house on his land at Kiplin. The architect is unknown but the belief is that Sir George and a contemporary at the Royal Court designed the building, which used features in fashion at the time with a few personal touches added. The exterior used red brick decorated with stone and masonry of different colours and the roofs were of lead. A rectangular shape was used for the main building and square projecting towers were added to the centre of each face of the house. Inside, on the ground floor, a long gallery, running east to west, split the space into two sections either side, which in turn were divided into two rooms by a main wall containing the chimney breasts. Unfortunately, little information has survived as to the original layout of the remainder of the house.

1780 Cuit the Edler1780 Cuit the Edler
1780 Cuit the Edler

Kiplin’s role as seat of the Calvert family appears to have diminished over successive generations and, by at least the early 1700s, Charles Calvert, third Baron Baltimore, was in residence at Woodcote Park, Surrey. After he and his son died within two months of each other, Charles Calvert inherited the lands and titles in 1715. Several years later in 1722 he sold Kiplin to his stepfather, Christopher Crowe, who resided in Italy for over ten years during his early life. As a result he had a collection of art and remodelled the house to accommodate these pieces. Other changes included the addition of a central staircase, the north wing and walled garden. Crowe and his son – also Christopher, who inherited the house in 1749 – bought more land for the estate and by the start of the 19th century Kiplin was at the heart of 4,500 acres.

Kiplin stayed with the male line of the Crowe family until 1818 when Robert Crowe (the grandson of Christopher Crowe senior) died and the house went to his daughter Sarah Carpenter. She was married to John Carpenter, fourth Earl of Tyrconnell, and both lived there until their deaths, making small alterations to Kiplin during their lifetime. The estate was bequeathed to a relation of the Earl, Walter Talbot – second son of the 18th Earl of Shrewsbury – who was a career naval man, rising to become Admiral, and he was required to change his name to Carpenter in order to receive the inheritance. During his time at Kiplin, a number of changes were made, such as the addition of a gatehouse, stables and the entrance hall was remodelled.

After Walter Carpenter’s death in 1904, Kiplin was taken over by his daughter, Sarah, who began selling off portions of the estate. In 1907 she married Christopher Turnor and moved away, leaving the house to be occupied by tenants. By 1930 there were just 120 acres of the land owned by the family left and this process did not look like ceasing. Then, in 1937, Bridget Talbot bought Kiplin and the surrounding buildings from her cousin, Sarah Turnor. Before the First World War the former had been involved in a number of good causes and during the conflict she worked with wounded soldiers in Italy and refugees in England and Turkey. Afterwards, she campaigned for the preservation of her aunt’s home at Ashridge House, Hertfordshire, and this was successful.

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From 1938, Bridget Talbot was the driving force behind the preservation of Kiplin and, had she not been completely dedicated to this task, then the hall would almost certainly not have survived today.

American direct descendents of  George CalvertAmerican direct descendents of  George Calvert
American direct descendents of George Calvert

Attempts made to market the hall as a place for tourists to stay did not succeed and the National Trust was unwilling to accept responsibility for the hall’s upkeep, as it was not deemed historically significant, even though Kiplin was granted Grade I listed status in 1953.

When Miss Talbot died in 1971 the estate passed to the Kiplin Hall Trust, which had been formed in 1968 to make sure the hall did not suffer the same fate many others in a similar situation.

Subsequently, grants were obtained from the Historic Buildings Council and from private donors to allow the first steps to be taken towards restoring the hall to former glories.