Wivenhoe House, Grade II* listed building in Colchester, England
Wivenhoe House is an 18th-century manor house on the eastern edge of Colchester, set within parkland with mature oak trees. The building now serves as a four-star hotel and also houses a university department focused on hospitality.
The house was built in the 1700s and over time passed through several private owners before becoming part of the University of Essex campus in the 20th century. Its protected status as a Grade II* listed building was granted in recognition of its architectural and historical value.
The Edge Hotel School, part of the University of Essex, runs its hospitality training inside the building, meaning students manage the hotel as part of their studies. Guests staying here are served by those students, which gives the experience a different feel from a conventional hotel stay.
The estate sits on the edge of the University of Essex campus and can be reached on foot from the main university buildings. Since the building operates as a working hotel, it is worth checking in advance which areas are open to visitors who are not staying as guests.
John Constable painted the landscape around the estate in 1816, and that painting now hangs in a major American museum. The grounds also contain a ha-ha, a sunken ditch that once separated the formal garden from the open land beyond without breaking the view from the house.
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