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| Ambrose de Lisle married Laura Clifford in July 1833, on his marriage his father Charles who lived at Garendon Park, gave him an annuity of �1200.00 a year and the estate of Grace Dieu. Ambrose asked William Railton the architect to build him a manor house in the Tudor Gothic style. |
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His additions to the housePugin was a visitor to the house in 1837 and was very excited by what he found there. He was asked to enlarge parts of the house and subsequently went on to to build a kitchen wing with attic rooms above to cope with the ever growing family of sixteen children.Pugin also added a tower over the front doorway with a clock topped by a small spire. | 
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The chapelThe Chapel to the left of the original front door of the house was designed by Railton, Pugin loved it, Railton had put in a rood screen. Pugin was asked to enlarge the chapel.In the middle sixties unfortunatley like we have seen in many churches and chapels a re-ordering took place and the chapel here was stripped of all it's beautiful interior. Luckily Pugin's baldachino topped with exquisite stonework survived, (left). The right hand picture is of a stunning tabernacle of 1840, that also survived. | 
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House interiorThe interior is not Pugin, but no less interesting. This was an extraordinarily busy household, entertaining large numbers of important people of the day. It was civilised living at its best, religious and intellectual, Dr. Newman, later Cardinal was one of the visitors. Ambrose de Lisle was a catholic convert at the age of sixteen, he went to Trinity College Cambridge and was friends with Kenhelm Digby as was Pugin. | 
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