Landscape designers and gardeners, such as Richard Woods and Robert Marnock, have also had a lot of influence on what we see here today. A number of characters stand out in the history of the Bretton Estate as being of particular interest. Sir William's son, Sir Thomas Wentworth, created a lot of the parks and gardens around his father's mansion, including having the River Dearne dammed and the lakes dug out.
He is said to have been quite eccentric and often entertained guests on and around his lakes with firework displays, mock naval battles and plenty of alcohol.
His illegitimate daughter, Diana Beaumont, more than doubled the size of the mansion in the early 19th century and had many glass houses and conservatories built, including what became known as the 'Far Famed Dome Conservatory', considered to be the largest of its kind in the world.
Diana was a very domineering woman who fell out with almost everybody that she met, including her son Thomas Wentworth Beaumont who, on inheriting the estate, auctioned off everything that reminded him of his mother. While he lectured there, he got thinking about how his students could engage children in great works and opened an exhibition in the grounds.
The irony is that it is because of the rusty metal that the park has been pieced back together into its original Capability Brown-inspired form after it was parcelled up after the Second World War. Over the years, Murray has bought acres with a lottery grant, done deals with farmers and other private landowners and taken over management of some more that was owned by the council.
Now the sculpture park has acres to play with, featuring five indoor galleries including a chapel reopened as a new space with an exhibition by Chinese artist Ai Weiwei. We are trying to hold on to history but at the same time trying to ensure it exists in the 21st century. There is a balance of nature and art but also the past, present and future.
Sculpture park wins museum award. Yorkshire Sculpture Park. Image source, Jonty Wilde. Image source, Yorkshire Sculpture Park. Michael Lyons left and founder Peter Murray. Their work is displayed in the open-air and its four galleries. This glorious park occupies the huge historic estate that once surrounded the beautiful Bretton Hall built in the Palladian style of architecture.
When his illegitimate grand daughter, Diana Beaumont, inherited the estate from her father at the beginning of the nineteenth century she extended the mansion and its outbuildings. But Diana was very unpopular and when the estate passed to her son, Thomas Wentworth Beaumont, he sold everything that reminded him of his mother.
But he did re-invest the money in the estate which was owned by the Beaumonts until when most of it was sold to West Riding County Council. The mansion became a training college, Bretton College , and later, in it became part of the University of Leeds. The college closed down in and the buildings were sold to Wakefield Council and came under the management of the sculpture park.
The mansion has remained empty since then although it is now being restored and converted into a luxury hotel. It was Sir Thomas Wentworth, second owner of Bretton Hall, who initiated the creation of the parks and gardens amongst the pastureland that surrounds the mansion. He organised the damming of the River Dearne and had the lakes dug out. He is said to have been quite eccentric and liked to sail his yacht on his lakes and indulge in wild parties. It was in that Peter Murray, a Bretton Hall College lecturer, suggested that the park and gardens would be ideal for a sculpture park.
It would open up the landscape to the public and provide artists with an open-air venue for their work. Since the Yorkshire Sculpture Park opened in other areas of the estate have been opened up and some of its quirky follies have been rescued from the tangled undergrowth and restored. As it was a lovely day I decided to leave the Visitor Centre until last and made my way to the Chapel a short walk from the main entrance. This Georgian sandstone chapel was built in the classical style with Tuscan pilasters and a cylindrical bell tower.
Outside the building there is a series of tablets dedicated to members of the Wentworth family including Diane Beaumont who inherited Bretton Hall in While Diane lived here several additions were made to the estate including the Archway Lodge and the Camellia House.
Extensive landscaping was also undertaken using imported trees.
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