Billingbear House, Tudor country house in Waltham St Lawrence, England
Billingbear House was an English country residence in Berkshire with multiple wings, ornate chimneys, large windows, and decorative elements typical of Tudor design. The structure displayed the architectural details characteristic of that period across its various sections.
Sir Henry Neville received the land from King Edward VI in 1549 and began construction of the mansion in 1567, creating a significant estate near Windsor. A fire destroyed it completely in 1924, after which its architectural elements were distributed to various properties.
A visiting artist from Cosimo III de Medici's party documented this residence with detailed paintings during a 1669 visit. Those paintings are now housed in Florence's Laurentian Library, providing a visual record of the estate in its former glory.
The estate no longer stands, but its former rooms and architectural details are scattered across various museums and collections. Visitors interested in Tudor architecture can explore these remnants at their new locations to piece together aspects of the original structure.
After the house burned, one complete room was carefully dismantled and transported across the Atlantic to Manhattan. This room now resides at Pace University in New York, making it a remarkable example of how architectural elements were preserved after the fire.
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