The Kings House is a Grade I listed building whose history stretches back to the early 13th Century. 1220, following a meeting in a flat meadow, the Abbot of Sherborne wandered over to the plot of land that had been allocated to him for his new house, right in front of the currently under construction cathedral. He, and his successors set about to build and over time rebuild what was named, Sherborne Place.
After the Dissolution in 1539, the Dean and Chapter were eventually granted the freehold and the house itself was occupied by a series of tennants. It was deemed to be fit for a king, when King Charles visited and stayed here on two occasions in 1610 and 1613. One of the rooms in the house still bears his coat of arms in memory of these events. It was from this time that the current name of 'The Kings House' came and was changed in 1780 in memory of these royal visits.
Throughout most of the 18th century the house was owned by members of the Beach family however mostly sub-let to numerous tennants. One memorable tennant is that of a Mrs Voysey who ran a school for young ladies until 1799. Another famouse resident was that of Lieutenant-General Henry Shrapnel, the inventor of the explosive shell that bears his name. Another military resident was that of Sir John ("Black Jack") Slade (1st Baronet) making General in 1837.
After this time the house was then subdivided and Miss Margaret Bazley, the mistress of the Godolphin School, was one of two tennants. The school subsequently moved into Kings House until 1848 when an outbreak of cholera forced a move away to Milford Hill.
From 1851 to 1978 the teaching them continued when it was home to the Diocesan Training College for School-mistresses, latterly the College of Sarum St. Michael. After the closure of the college the Salisbury & South Wiltshire Museum bought a 125-year lease on the building and from 1981 the King's House opened its doors to the general public.
The museum itself houses many wonderful and historic artefacts from Wiltshires prestigious past including that of items and a burial from Stonehenge, the famouse Amesbury Archer, early Beaker People items and hundreds of lost pieces found onwards from 1854 when workmen started to put in a new sewer system, starting in Salisbury High Street. It's amazing what had been lost in the street and now recovered and on display for all to see.
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As befits and historic house, the King's House has its own share of ghosts and legends. There is said to be a 'Grey Lady' haunting the north staircase area and that of a horseman who rides across the rear lawn. This horseman also coincides with a similar report from The Wardrobe Rifles Museum only a few buildings down on the same stretch of land. Blasts of ice-cold air, strange knockings and strange temperature fluctuations have been experienced by members of the museums staff.
Another legend is that there is said to be a bloodstained stone somewhere in the building which will not wash away. This is thought to be that from Henry Stafford, 2nd Earl of Buckingham that was beheaded on 2nd November by Richard III for treason on his part in the Rebellion of 1483. Stafford was also one of the main suspects for murder and disappearance of the 'Princes of the Tower' (Edward V of England (November 4, 1470 - 1483) and his brother, Richard of Shrewsbury, 1st Duke of York) but never proved. Does his spirit still remain at The King's House and where exactly is this bloodstained stone?
BRINGING TWO WORLDS TOGETHER
