The landscape of England was once resplendent with large country houses. For an elite group of families, their wealth allowed them to acquire a collection of properties. So successfully did a concentration of Rothschild family members settle in the Vale of Aylesbury that the area became known as ‘Rothschildshire’. As important employers and commissioners of works, Rothschild patronage often dominated and transformed the local economy. Tring Park in Hertforshire, the estate of Nathaniel, 1st Lord Rothschild (1840-1915) was no exception.
In addition to Tring, Rothschild houses in or around Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire included Ascott House, Wing, Bucks, purchased by Lionel de Rothschild (1808-79) for his son Leopold (1845-1917) in 1873; Champneys, Eythrope House, Waddesdon, Bucks, purchased in 1875 by Alice de Rothschild (1847-1922); Halton House, Halton, Bucks, built by Alfred de Rothschild (1842-1918); Mentmore Towers, Mentmore, Bucks built by Mayer Amschel Rothschild (1818-1874); Aston Clinton, purchased by Sir Anthony de Rothschild (1810-1876); and Waddesdon Manor, Waddesdon, Bucks, built by Ferdinand de Rothschild (1839-1898).
