The John Cornforth Memorial Lectures 2025
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Event date February – April 2025 -
Event location London
The John Cornforth Memorial Lectures tell the story of the country house and its estate, as seen through the eyes of the private owner. Proudly presented in association with Christie’s, the lecture series celebrates John Cornforth’s invaluable contribution to architectural history.
John Cornforth (1937–2004) was one of the best known architectural historians of his day and a leading authority on the English country house. Author of numerous books and more than 800 articles in Country Life, where for many years he was Architectural Editor, he shared his time and knowledge with country house owners and the National Trust as well as encouraging and mentoring young curators and architectural historians.
Tickets to attend the events in person are now sold out, but you can still book to join online. A recording will also be available for purchase after the lecture. All proceeds from the sale of tickets, minus the processing fees, will go to the Historic Houses Foundation with charity number 111049.
Lectures

Lady Chichester on Radbourne Hall, Derby
Radbourne Hall, is a Palladian House built between 1738-42. Designed initially by Francis Smith of Warwick it was completed by his son William. The estate has been in the ownership of the same family since the Twelfth Century although names have changed as the inheritance has gone through 4 females over the years. The present house has undergone two recent major restorations, one in the 1950s and one just recently. The house contains a fine collection of paintings by Joseph Wright of Derby some of which were commissioned specifically for the Saloon.

William Staempfli on Glen House, Peeblesshire, Scotland
Built 1855 by the remarkable Scottish Industrialist Sir Charles Tennant, Glen House is one of architect David Bryce’s most notable baronial residences. Set in a uniquely private valley in the Borders near Peebles, the mansion house is the focus of a larger grouping of 19thc buildings, which combine to form a charming model village. Most of the surrounding designed landscape was established earlier in the 18c when a previous smaller house stood on the same site. Still owned by the Tennant family, Glen House stands at the centre of a lively estate with over sixty residents, an organic sheep farm, and diverse flora and fauna. The house itself contains an interesting collection of pictures primarily by Scottish artists. Changes to the interior in the early 20c were designed by Robert Lorimer. William Staempfli will be introduced by Lady Glenconner.

Edward Harley on Brampton Bryan Hall and Castle, Herefordshire
Brampton Bryan Castle and Estate passed to the Harley family in 1309 on the marriage of Margaret de Brampton to Robert Harley. The Brampton Family have held the Estate since the Domesday Book, meaning there has been an unbroken line of family ownership for over 900 years. During the Civil War the castle was defended by Lady Brilliana Harley. Brampton Bryan Hall was built in the 1660s beside the remains of the castle and was largely remodelled in 1740. The medieval deer park survives to the west of the village. The contents of the Hall reflect the history from the earliest days of the castle to the present day. This includes items relating to Lady Brilliana Harley, her grandson Robert Harley (1st Earl of Oxford and Mortimer, Queen Anne’s First Minister), Admiral Rodney and Lord Byron.
Event information

Join us for our lecture series
Wednesday 12 February 2025 | Lady Chichester on Radbourne Hall, Derby
Wednesday 12 March 2025 | William Staempfli on Glen House, Peeblesshire, Scotland, introduced by Lady Glenconner
Tuesday 8 April 2025 | Edward Harley on Brampton Bryan Hall and Castle, Herefordshire
Event times
Reception 6:30pm – 7:00pm
Lecture 7:00pm – 8:00pm
Online lecture 7:00pm – 8:00pm
General enquiries
johncornforth@christies.com
+44 (0) 20 7389 2105
Meet the speakers

Lady Chichester
Annie worked in the art world. She worked with Colin Amery on the Lutyens Exhibition at The Hayward Gallery, with Gervase Jackson-Stops on The Treasure Houses of Britain Exhibition staged in Washington DC and for Sotheby’s for many years. Annie took over the house in 2014 and organised a major award-winning total restoration of the Hall. She now lives there with her husband James and five dogs. She and her son, Edward, oversee the running of the estate and organises tours and functions in the house.

William Staempfli
William Staempfli is an American architect who settled in the UK nearly twenty years ago and subsequently married noted sustainable-finance innovator the late Teresa Tennant, OBE. His long career working with the built environment began as a planner in the New York City parks system then followed by architectural practice also in New York with a focus on strategic planning and large-scale civic and commercial projects. Today Bill’s professional life is focused entirely on Glen Estate, a rural enterprise in the Scottish Borders encompassing property lettings & development, farming, forestry and hospitality. He lives at Glen House.
Edward Harley CBE
Edward worked in the City and was a partner of Cazenove and Co. He is a past President of the Historic Houses Association, and he recently stood down from the Acceptance in Lieu Panel after 10 years as chairman. He is a trustee of several historic houses, including Burghley, and Receiver General of the Duchy of Cornwall and on The Prince’s Council. He is Lord-Lieutenant of Herefordshire and is a patron of a number of organisations in the county. He manages the estate at Brampton Bryan with his wife Victoria; their four daughters all live and work in London.
Past lectures

Lady Caroline Percy on Syon Park, London
Syon is one of the last great historic houses of London and holds a wealth of art within its spectacular neo classical interiors, decorated by Robert Adam. The park and gardens, designed by Capability Brown, feel like deep countryside, while barely 9 miles from Charing Cross.
Syon is the London home of the Dukes of Northumberland and has been in the Percy family for almost 350 years. The house was built on the site of a former Abbey and, since its medieval origins, has played a significant role in English history over the centuries.
The interiors and park are open to the public and are available for filming, weddings and events.

Robert Parker on Browsholme Hall, Lancashire
Built in 1507 by the Parker family, Browsholme Hall is the oldest surviving family home in Lancashire. Robert Parker inherited the property unexpectedly from a distant cousin in 1975 in a neglected condition. Although open to visitors since 1958, it was not until 2010 that a Grade II listed barn was restored as a venue for tourism, private functions and community events that created the financial foundation to support the Hall, gardens and parkland.

Sarah Callander Beckett on Combermere Abbey, Cheshire
Established in 1133 as a Cistercian monastery, Combermere Abbey has a fascinating and complex 890-year-old history. Since the Dissolution in 1538, it has only been owned by two families: the Combermeres and the Crossleys. In 1820, the early Tudor residence was dramatically altered to reflect the then-popular Gothic style, with the landscape designer William Eames significantly changing the park. After a severe decline in the Combermere family's fortunes, the abbey was sold to Sir Kenneth Crossley — the current owner's great-grandfather. On inheriting the estate in 1992, Sarah Callander Beckett embarked on a 30-year restoration programme, saving the building from decay and transforming it into a thriving hospitality and events venue.

Lady Proby on Elton Hall, Cambridgeshire
Elton Hall is an extraordinary, romantic, part-Gothic historic house nestled in the beautiful countryside on the Cambridgeshire/Northamptonshire border, that has been in the Proby family for 400 years. Sir William and Lady Proby moved to Elton Hall in 1980 and since then Lady Proby has been involved in restoring the house and opening it to the public.

The Hon James and Lady Cara Willoughby on Birdsall House, North Yorkshire
Birdsall House has been the home of the Willoughby family since 1729. The first Birdsall House was built circa 1540 and was redeveloped into the existing Georgian style in the 18th and 19th centuries. The original Tudor house was converted into a much grander Georgian style house, with a new wing added in 1775 which gave the family new State Rooms; the Oval Room and the Ballroom. The Willoughby family originally came from Nottinghamshire and built Wollaton Hall where they lived for 450 years until it was sold after World War I.
The family currently offers an ever-increasing range of activities and opportunities at the Estate for visitors to enjoy.

James and Claire Birch on Doddington Hall, Lincolnshire
Situated in the beautiful Lincolnshire countryside, Doddington Hall was built by Robert Smythson, one of England’s foremost Elizabethan architects. Continuing 400 years of unbroken family occupation, Claire Birch and her husband James took over the management of Doddington Hall in 2006, and have started a number of commercial ventures including an award-winning farm shop and café, to fund the continued improvement and restoration of the Hall.

The Earl of Devon on Powderham Castle, Devon

The Hon Henry and Martha Lytton Cobbold on Knebworth House,
Hertfordshire
