[After] the dissolution the estate came into [the] hands … of Sir Charles Cavendish. Robert Smythson … provided a plan for rebuilding on a vast scale [but only] a short wing … was executed. This still exists as the basis of the S wing. Sir Charles's son, Sir William (created Duke of Newcastle in 1665) built himself a riding school. His architect was Robert Smythson's son John. Dated 1622 on Smythson's drawing, [it] still stands to the NW of the house. Of John Smythson's work on the E range very little survives. [Lady Oxford] called in John James [who] remodelled the existing buildings. Rooms … along the E front were remodelled for the 3rd Duke of Portland by Carr in 1775-7, but little remains. [The] 5th Duke of Portland['s] first work, about 1860 … was the demolition of Carr's one-storey chapel of 1763 … and the erection of three-storey additions in its place. In 1891 … a library and chapel were fitted into Smythson's riding school. The designs (1889) were by Sedding, an architect no doubt chosen by Lady Bolsover, but … all the details are by his … pupil, Henry Wilson. The 6th Duke [of Portland] chose … Sir Ernest George to repair the fire damage of 1900-2. (1)

Large country house. Early C17, some rebuilding by Robert Smythson. Mid C18 Gothick alterations by John James or Thomas Carter. 1790-2, Repton carried out improvements, moving earth to the west front of the building and turning the ground floor into a basement. 1860-79, programme of building for the 5th Duke, including underground rooms and tunnels. Ernest George [carried out] the remodelling of the Gothick Hall, additions to the east front and the fire damaged west front. (2)

Charles Cavendish acquired the abbey in 1607. [He] began a grand remodelling. His work included the rebuilding of a monastic guest wing to form a state suite. A letter to Charles' wife Katherine in 1608 referring to building work at Welbeck may well indicate these activities. By 1612 … the state rooms in the south west wing of Welbeck were presumably inhabitable. (4)

Welbeck Abbey comprises two stone-built wings arranged in L-shape, the east-wing 17th/18th centuries but much altered in the 19th/20th centuries. The south wing is mainly an 18th century remodelling of a 16th century wing. (1) (6)

Country house of the Dukes of Portland. The building incorporates in the basement the walls, pillars and arches of the Praemonstratensian Abbey which was founded circa 1153 and was the largest of its order in England. The house was begun by Sir Charles Cavendish and his son, Sir William Cavendish, first Duke of Newcastle. The south wing dates to circa 1630 and was rebuilt in 1751. Fire damage 1900, restorations by Sir Ernest George and Yates. Home of third Duke of Portland, Prime Minister 1783 and 1807-9. (6)

Large country house with mid 12 th, mid 13th and early 17 century additions. Also some rebuilding by Robert Smythson now largely remodelled. (7)

Robert and John Smythson's work at Welbeck Abbey (illus). (8)

Following the Dissolution of the abbey in 1540 the house and grounds were acquired by Gilbert Talbot. By 1607 it had become the property of Sir Charles Cavendish and Robert Smythson was commissioned to redesign the house but only a few changes were implemented. Additional changes including the reconstruction of the south wing and remodelling of the west wing took pace between 1741-52 by John James. Alterations to the east front were made in 1764-5 by John Carr of York and in 1790 the west front was remodelled by Humphry Repton. During the 1860s the south wing was rebuilt and a series of underground rooms and a glass-roofed conservatory connected by tunnels was built. After a fire circa 1900 the south wing was remodelled by Sir Ernest George.
The house is L-shaped on plan with an entrance front the west. The entrance front is of two storeys with three-storey towers at each end and a central four-storey pedimented entrance with a Baroque-style porte-cochere. To the south is the the three-storey Oxford Wing. Chapel Court, an extension of the entrance front, curves northwest to the rectangular chapel and library wing. (9)

See M4375 for abbey.
Grid ref centred.

Data Held: Aerial Photograph (Aerial photograph). SNT2645.

CUCAP EE089

Data Held: Aerial Photograph (Aerial photograph). SNT2645.

CUCAP ABO62

Listed Buildings Slides, 33 slides (Photograph). SNT2648.

S Buck, 1766?, Welbeck Abbey, West View (Plan). SNT2661.

R.E. Howard, R.R. Laxton, C.D. Litton & A.J. Arnold, 2004, Tree-Ring Analysis of Timbers from the Riding House Roof, Welbeck Abbey, Nottinghamshire (Unpublished document). SNT6474.

Historic England, 2021, National Record of Historic Environment (Digital archive). SNT5271.

<1> Pevsner N, 1979, The Buildings of England: Nottinghamshire 2nd ed., p 365 - 72 (Monograph). SNT4.

<2> DOE, Listed Building Description (Published document). SNT626.

<3> Thoroton Society, 1955, TTS, p 98-9 (Published document). SNT369.

<4> Thoroton Society, 2003, TTS, p 126 (Serial). SNT1740.

<5> Smith P, 2001, Georgian Group Journal, pp 133-167 (Article in serial). SNT1892.

<6> DOE (HHR), --/03/1962, Worksop Rural District - Provisional List (Published document). SNT638.

<7> DOE, 1985, District of Bassetlaw, p. 62, 106-118 (Unpublished document). SNT6476.

<8> Girouard M, 1983, Robert Smythson and the Elizabethan Country House, p. 183, 251 (Published document). SNT4565.

<9> English Heritage, 1984, Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England - Part 33, Notts (Published document). SNT4554.