Stoke Edith House, English country house ruins in Stoke Edith, England.
Stoke Edith House is a red brick country house ruin in Stoke Edith, Herefordshire, England, listed as a Grade II building. The house was arranged around a four-sided courtyard and sits within a park that is separately listed as a Grade II park and garden.
Thomas Foley took control of the estate in 1670 and soon after received a royal grant from King James II to develop the surrounding land. The brick mansion was built around 1697, turning the property into one of the main country seats in the county.
In the early 1700s, the house was known for fine embroidered hangings made by its residents, which reflected the domestic skills valued among wealthy families of the time. Some of these pieces are now held at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
The estate is run as a private shooting estate, so access to the grounds requires prior arrangement with the owners. Planning ahead is necessary before any visit to the park or ruins.
The house's original sundial carried the Latin phrase 'Horas non numero nisi serenas', which translates as 'I count only the sunny hours'. This motto was common on English sundials of the 17th and 18th centuries, but it is rarely so directly tied to a specific house and its story.
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