Hardwicke Court

Hardwicke Court is a Grade II* listed country house in Hardwicke, a village near Stroud in Gloucestershire, England. It is a Late Georgian mansion designed by Sir Robert Smirke, and it has stayed in the hands of one family for generations.

What is Hardwicke Court?

The house stands south of Gloucester, in the Severn Vale. It is a private family home rather than a museum, which gives a visit a personal character: you see a lived-in country house that has kept its original purpose. The building is made of ashlar stone and follows a rectangular plan, a clear example of the restrained, classical taste of the early nineteenth century.

Who designed it and when was it built?

The architect was Sir Robert Smirke, one of the leading names of English Greek Revival and Georgian architecture. After 1815 the older house on the site was pulled down and a new one was raised in its place. Construction is usually dated to 1816-17, while the Parks & Gardens record lists work in 1817-19, so the exact years depend on the source. The house was built for Thomas John Lloyd Baker.

What was here before?

The place has a long history. A manor house and a deer park are recorded at Hardwicke as early as 1188. From 1397 the estate belonged to the Trye family. Their early 18th-century gardens left a trace that is still visible: a canal survives in the grounds, and sections of ornamental canals are part of the garden today.

The Lloyd Baker family and Granville Sharp

Thomas John Lloyd Baker was the widower of Mary Sharp, niece of Granville Sharp, a well-known abolitionist and campaigner against the slave trade. A bust of Granville Sharp is displayed in the house, which ties this Gloucestershire home to one of the major humanitarian causes of the era.

The family later became known for social reform too. Thomas Barwick Lloyd Baker, who inherited in 1841, founded one of the first reformatories for young offenders at Hardwicke in 1852. The house has remained with the family since it was built, and the present owners belong to the sixth generation.

What can you see in the gardens?

According to the Parks & Gardens register, the grounds include an ornamental fountain: a circular, stone-lined pool with a moulded rim and a central urn with a fountain head. There is also a walled kitchen garden with glasshouses, together with the surviving ornamental canals from the Trye period. Together they show how the landscape changed from the early 1700s to the Georgian era.

Frequently asked questions

Can I visit Hardwicke Court? The house and gardens are open to the public only occasionally, in the summer. Check the listing on the Historic Houses website before you plan a trip.

How long is a tour? Tours are usually given by one of the owners and take 25-30 minutes. They cover the history of the house and the family.

Who designed the house? Sir Robert Smirke, in the Late Georgian style.

Where is it? In Hardwicke, Gloucestershire, south of Gloucester and close to Stroud. The coordinates are roughly 51.80 N, 2.31 W.

Why is the house important? It is a Grade II* listed work by a major architect, it keeps a canal from early 18th-century gardens, and it is linked to Granville Sharp and to early reformatory work for young offenders.