Wilton House

The origins of Wilton House date back to the 9th century, when King Alfred the Great founded a nunnery on this site. In the 12th century, it was transformed into a Benedictine abbey. Following the dissolution of the monasteries in 1542, Henry VIII gifted the estate to his brother-in-law, William Herbert. He had the abbey buildings demolished and a new manor house constructed between 1547 and 1563. A fire in 1644 severely damaged the south wing and parts of the east wing. Inigo Jones subsequently drew up plans for a new Palladian building, which was completed by John Webb after Jones's death.