See how Wimpole Hall near Cambridge changed between 1802 and 2025. Drag the slider to compare the historic photograph with the modern view.
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## Wimpole Hall
In 1640, Sir Thomas Chicheley began constructing Wimpole Hall, a grand country house in Cambridgeshire, England. The Chicheley family had owned the estate since 1428, and the new house replaced a medieval manor house. Financial difficulties led Sir Thomas to sell the estate in 1686 to Sir John Cutler, a wealthy merchant. Cutler's daughter, Elizabeth, and her husband, Charles Robartes, 2nd Earl of Radnor, inherited Wimpole and expanded the park, built an orangery, and commissioned royal gardeners to design the gardens. In 1710, the estate passed to John Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle, and later to his daughter, Henrietta Cavendish-Holles. The estate underwent further modifications by architects such as James Gibbs, Henry Flitcroft, Sir John Soane, and Henry Edward Kendall. In 1938, Elsie Bambridge, daughter of Rudyard Kipling, and her husband, Captain George Bambridge, purchased Wimpole Hall. They restored the house and its contents, and upon Elsie's death in 1976, the estate was bequeathed to the National Trust. Today, Wimpole Hall remains a significant historical site, showcasing centuries of architectural and landscape evolution.
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