Kingston Lacy

Following the destruction of Corfe Castle in the English Civil War in 1646, which was previously owned by the Bankes family, Sir Ralph Bankes began constructing a new mansion from 1663 to serve as the family seat. Kingston Lacy remained the country residence of the Bankes family. In the early 19th century, the Egyptologist and explorer William John Bankes dedicated himself to collecting artworks and antiquities, which he brought together at this estate. During the Edwardian era, particularly under Walter Ralph Bankes and his wife Henrietta, the house became a social hub, even hosting King Edward VII.