Badminton House in the 19th century.

Badminton House is a large country house in Gloucestershire, England and has been the principal seat of the Dukes of Beaufort since the late 17th century. The English country house is generally accepted as a large House or Mansion, once in the ownership of an individual who also usually owned another Great History See also History of Gloucestershire Gloucestershire is a historic county mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle in the 10th century England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The architect William Kent renovated and extended the house in the Palladian style in the early 18th century, but many earlier elements remain. William Kent (born in Bridlington, Yorkshire, c 1685 &ndash 12 April 1748) was an eminent English Architect, Landscape PLEASE DO NOT ADD AN INFO BOX TO THIS PAGE --> Palladian architecture is a European style of Architecture derived from the designs of the Italian ^[1] The sport of Badminton was re-introduced from India and popularised at the house, hence the sport's name. Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players (singles or two opposing pairs (doubles who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court ^[2]

Queen Mary stayed at Badminton House for much of the Second World War. Mary of Teck (Victoria Mary Augusta Louise Olga Pauline Claudine Agnes 26 May 1867 – 24 March 1953 was the queen-empress consort of George V of the United Kingdom World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Her staff occupied most of the building, to the Duke and Duchess of Beaufort's inconvenience.

In the 21st century Badminton House is best known for the annual Badminton Horse Trials. The Badminton Horse Trials is a three-day event, one of only six annual four star CCI****, events as classified by the FEI.

Badminton House is also very strongly associated with fox hunting. Fox hunting is an activity involving the tracking chase and sometimes killing of a fox traditionally a Red fox, by trained Foxhounds or other Scent hounds Successive Dukes of Beaufort have been masters of the Beaufort Hunt, which is probably one of the two most famous hunts in the United Kingdom alongside the Quorn Hunt. The Duke of Beaufort's Hunt is one of the oldest and largest of the Fox hunting packs in England. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located

Badminton was open to the public at one time, but is not at present (as of 2007).

See also

• Badminton Horse Trials
• Badminton Library

References

1. ^ Great Badminton Conservation Area - South Gloucestershire Council
2. ^ BBC SPORT | Other Sport... | Badminton | History of badminton

External links

• Badminton House entry from The DiCamillo Companion to British & Irish Country Houses
• Events at Badminton House