The Big House Co

Life sometimes turns on a sixpence and that was certainly the case for Ben and Victoria in December 1995 when they unexpectedly became the owners of Tone Dale House and moved in on Victoria’s 30th birthday. They were the 5th generation of the Fox family to live in this glorious, if rather chilly, grand country house in Wellington, Somerset. 

Tone Dale House was built in 1801 for Thomas Fox, the founder of Fox Brothers (clothmaker), which in its heyday included nine mills and employed nearly 5000 employees. It was a major manufacturer of khaki uniform cloth for the 1st and 2nd World War. The fine flannel suitings were worn by the likes of Winston Churchill and Cary Grant and are still in demand from the discerning, including the British royal family.

With plans made, a major renovation project kicked off in January 1996 – heating systems, new bathrooms, painting, decorating, garden restoration. Exciting times! The first guests arriving 4 months later and the 3 day house party was born.  Since then the Stables has been added for extra accommodation, the old Laundry building has become a second large dining room with fabulous double storey bedroom above and a sound proofed party room was converted from the potting shed.

Other big house owners approached us and our past guests wanted more houses to stay in. So we started The Big House Company and become agent to more handpicked houses, mostly locally to start with and now nationally.