THERE’S an overlooked mansion in England that’s said to have inspired the White House, and tourists can even pop in for a visit.
Set in East Grinstead, in West Sussex, Hammerwood Park has been open to the public for forty years.
AlamyHammerwood Park was built in 1792 by architect Benjamin Latrobe[/caption]
ReutersLatrobe later went on to design the White House too both of which are the same architectural style[/caption]
AlamyHammerwood Park was purchased by rock band Led Zeppelin in 1973[/caption]
Hammerwood Park was built in 1792 by architect Benjamin Latrobe, and it is thought to be the first example of the Greek Revival style in England.
Latrobe later designed the White House too – another example of the Greek Revival style.
The site was then purchased by rock band Led Zeppelin in 1973.
While they intended to turn the mansion into a recording studio, their plans never came to fruition.
Instead, the grounds of Hammerwood Park featured in the band’s concert film, The Song Remains the Same.
As the ban toured around the US, they forgot about their English mansion, and it became derelict as a result.
But in 1982, David Pinnegar purchased Hammerwood Park and set about renovating the property.
After being transformed by an army of volunteers, the site opened to the public just one year later in 1983.
Hammerwood Park has been welcoming visitors ever since, with David giving tours around the property to this day.
Visitors have been raving about the site on TripAdvisor.
One person wrote: “A beautiful country house in the Sussex countryside.”
Another added: “The tour was so refreshing. It was completely different from the norm because it was led by the owner of the house.”
While a third wrote: “David, the owner, radiated incredible enthusiasm for and knowledge about his home.
“We loved hearing David play all the historic keyboard instruments!”
From the beginning of June until the end of September, Hammerwood Park is open to members of the public.
The property is only open on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Bank Holidays.
Entry tickets for full-paying adults cost £10 with tours, led by David, starting at 2.05pm.
Hammerwood Park is a two-hour drive from central London, a 35-minute drive from Crawley, and a 10-minute drive from East Grinstead.
And it’s not just holidaymakers who’ve been impressed by Hammerwood Park since it reopened, it’s also been used as a filming location.
Stars like the Darkness and Victoria Beckham have both used the property as a backdrop for their music videos.
Hammerwood Park isn’t the county’s only claim-to-fame either, West Sussex is also home to the best pub in the UK.
The Gun Inn, in Findon, West Sussex, was crowned Overall Great British Pub of the Year at the Great British Pub Awards earlier this year.
Meanwhile, here is the wild English island that inspired Enid Blyton’s Famous Five books.
AlamyThe English mansion has been open to the public for more than 40 years[/caption]