Ray Mill House is a Grade II listed 19th-century country house in Reybridge, a hamlet near Lacock, Wiltshire, England. It is privately owned by Queen Camilla.
| Ray Mill House | |
|---|---|
  Location in Wiltshire | |
| Location | Reybridge, Wiltshire England |
| Coordinates | 51°25′24″N 2°06′49″W / 51.4234°N 2.1137°W |
| OS grid reference | ST 9219 6938 |
| Built | c. 1860 |
| Architectural style(s) | Italianate |
Listed Building – Grade II | |
| Designated | 7 January 1987 |
| Reference no. | 1198630 |
History
editRay Mill House was constructed around 1860.[1] In 1987, it was given the status of a Grade II listed building by English Heritage.[1]
In 1996, Camilla Parker Bowles bought the house for £850,000 following her divorce from Andrew Parker Bowles.[2][3] She retained ownership of the house after she moved into Clarence House with Charles, the then-Prince of Wales, in 2003.[4] She hosted her daughter Laura's wedding reception at the house in 2006.[5] Camilla has retained ownership of the house since becoming queen upon her husband's accession in 2022.[2][6]
Gardens
editThe house has twelve acres (five hectares) of gardens. Honey from beehives in the garden, along with bees from Highgrove House, is sold at Fortnum & Mason with the proceeds going to charity. The gardens were featured in the July 2022 edition of Country Life to celebrate Camilla's 75th birthday.[7]
Design
editRay Mill House is largely of 19th-century Italianate construction with later 20th-century Neo-Georgian additions. English Heritage describes the building as "Two storeys, asymmetric Italianate style with gables treated as open pediments. [...] North and south sides and west end have similar gables with tripartite ground floor window, broad band supporting paired angle pilasters up to pediment angles, tripartite first floor windows and pediment lunette. [...] Paired stone piers to porch and C20 neo-Georgian hood. [...] East end service range altered on south side in neo-Georgian style."[1] It has six bedrooms.[2]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Rey Mill House". Historic England. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
- ^ a b c Rayner, Gordon (21 September 2022). "Queen to keep Wiltshire bolthole as an 'escape from royal life'". The Telegraph. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
- ^ Prudhomme, Marion (6 July 2022). "Raymill House, le refuge de Camilla". Point de Vue (in French). Retrieved 22 January 2024.
- ^ Brandreth, Gyles (2007). Charles and Camilla: Portrait of a Love Affair. London: Random House. p. 284. ISBN 9780099490876.
- ^ Duck, Charlotte (8 May 2006). "A Stylist Union". British Vogue. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
- ^ Gavaghan, Beth (22 September 2022). "Camilla's Wiltshire mansion: will she keep hold of it?". Wiltshire Times. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
- ^ Don, Monty (16 July 2022). "The Duchess of Cornwall's gardens at Raymill, by Monty Don". Country Life. Retrieved 23 January 2024.