A notice posted several weeks ago indicates that Piers Court, Waugh’s former residence near Dursley, Gloucestershire, has been repurposed into high-end countryside accommodations. Here is a description of what is on offer:
Piers Court is a unique and enchanting English country house, overflowing with elegance, history and a serene charm. We offer exclusive, stylish and inspirational personal retreat accommodation for individuals and couples looking to take some time out from the pressures of life—to relax, reflect and reconnect with themselves and with nature.
Piers Court is a historic Grade II* listed Georgian & Elizabethan country house located on the western edge of The Cotswolds, in Gloucestershire, England, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).
The former home of celebrated novelist Evelyn Waugh—who penned some of his most well-known works here, including Brideshead Revisited [sic], Men at Arms and Officers and Gentlemen—Piers Court is steeped in literary heritage and set within 23 acres of beautiful gardens and woodland.
After falling into a state of some disrepair over a number of years before it was acquired in 2023, Piers Court is now being lovingly and sensitively restored as a holistic wellbeing and creative retreat space.
They might want to note that Brideshead Revisited was written while the house was occupied by a convent school to which Waugh had rented it during the war. But his next novel The Loved One was written while he was living at Piers Court, as were Robbery Under Law, Helena, and Love Among the Ruins. After several pages describing and displaying photographs of the redecorated accommodations, the invitation of the new owner appears along with her photograph:
Hello—I’m Vanessa, and I’m very happy and thankful to introduce myself to you as the new owner of Piers Court. In 2023, I had the privilege of acquiring this remarkable manor house with a vision of creating a unique and inspiring countryside retreat for people interested in deeper wellbeing, life balance and creative fulfilment.
If you would like to find out more about the exclusive accommodation we now have on offer—or have any questions about this exciting project—then please do get in touch via the form on this page.
The full text of the property’s attractive web site is available at this link.
Another interesting but apparently unrelated website has been reposted with detailed and illustrated information about Waugh’s residence at Piers Court. This originally appeared on the website House and Heritage in June 2018. At that time the house was on offer by real estate agents Knight Frank. The buyer of the house at that time apparently sold it to the current owner (directly or through an intermediary) who has posted the new description. Here is the opening from the 2018 website:
The selling point for Piers Court, on the market at Knight Frank with a £3 million guide price, is its connection with Evelyn Waugh, the author of Brideshead Revisited, who lived here between 1937 and 1956.
Notwithstanding, Piers Court at Stinchcombe, near Dursley, has a history going back much farther. The Grade II* listed house stands on the site of a medieval manor of that name burned down by Parliamentary troops searching for Prince Rupert on his march from Cirencester to Berkeley Castle (about six miles away) in 1645. Piers Court, a safe house for Royalists, was owned by the wealthy land and mill owning Pynffold family who remained for 150 years.
According to Historic England, the remains of the earlier building were incorporated into an 18th century property which is the house we see today.
There follows an interesting and accurate description Waugh’s purchase (£3600 in 1937) and sale (£9700 in 1956) of the house as well as how his feelings about the house altered over time. A full text is available here. The 2023 sale was discussed in previous posts.
