Lost Heritage

Location		Conington
Year demolished		1955
Reason		Unknown

<< back to the complete list of demolished English country houses







Conington Castle, located in Huntingdonshire, was a significant estate with a history dating from the late 1600s to the late 1800s. It was owned by the Heathcote family from the mid-1700s until its demolition in the late 1950s.

The castle, better described as a castellated manor house, featured a long gallery, a traditional hall, numerous bedrooms, kitchens, and servants' quarters. Notably, it incorporated elements from Fotheringhay Castle, including some of its walls and interiors. The estate also included extensive landscaped grounds with two lodges, Porters Lodge and Red Lodge (built in 1862), and a series of ornamental lakes and ponds.

Post-World War II, the castle was used to house pensioners for a few years. However, the owner at the time, a Heathcote descendant, was mostly an absentee landlord based in London. This absenteeism likely contributed to reduced maintenance of the grounds and the building itself. By the mid-1950s, the stable block was converted into a five-bedroom house. Following this renovation, the decision was made to demolish the castle entirely, leaving no above-ground structures.

Today, some traces of the original estate remain visible, including one lake, two ornamental ponds, steps, and part of the courtyard, now integrated into the new Conington House.