Emma Weymouth and her aristocratic husband Lord Bath have submitted plans to transform an ‘abstract art’ garden into a ‘family-friendly’ area for their young children to enjoy on the Longleat Estate.
The mother-of-two, 38, who has appeared on Strictly Come Dancing and Celebrity MasterChef, is married to Ceawlin Thynn, 8th Marquess of Bath.
They moved onto the historic estate, near Warminster, Wiltshire, five years ago after the death of Ceawlin’s father Alexander, who was as much known for his flamboyancy and eccentric dress sense, as his multiple affairs with women.
The aristocrat – who is thought to have had as many as 70 affairs – affectionately referred to the women as his ‘wifelets’. Several of them were given homes to live in within the grounds of his sprawling estate while he was alive.
Lord Bath, who was a regular feature of the Animal Park BBC television show about his estate, died just a few days after testing positive for coronavirus in April 2020, aged 87.
His businessman son, 50, initially installed a temporary swimming pool and children’s play equipment to meet the needs of his young family, but has now applied to Wiltshire Council for permission to create a higher quality permanent garden.
The fresh works include removal of the existing pond, planting and temporary pool, while installing a new swimming pool.
The new outdoor space will also include an ornamental reflecting pool, a new terrace, outdoor kitchen and pergola.
Emma Weymouth and her aristocratic husband Ceawlin Thynn, 8th Marquess of Bath, have submitted plans to transform an ‘abstract art’ garden into a ‘family-friendly’ area for their young children to enjoy on the Longleat Estate
The fresh works include removal of the existing pond, planting and temporary pool
The new outdoor space will include a new swimming pool, an ornamental reflecting pool, a new terrace, outdoor kitchen and pergola
Documents to support the application read: ‘Longleat Estate is a national heritage asset, but is also home to Lord and Lady Bath and their young family.
‘The majority of the house is now a heritage attraction with pubic tours of the formal rooms, but a range of accommodation on the western elevation is set aside for the family.
‘There is access at the lower level of the apartment directly into the enclosed garden.
‘The garden was designed by the 7th Marquis (Alexander) as an abstract art piece which is largely unsuitable for a younger family with limited space for children to play or adults to entertain guests.
‘The aim is to create a high quality, family friendly garden befitting of the setting which will enable the house to remain a family home and a living part of history.’
The applicant said the formal private family garden would be ‘timeless and better matches the heritage significance of Longleat House.’
It would also involve a stone sunbathing terrace, an outdoor kitchen and dining area under a wrought iron pergola and a long ‘canal’ style water rill with appropriate antique water fountain.
Slow growing garden trees, topiary and hedges would also be planted.
The application said the formal private family garden would be ‘timeless and better matches the heritage significance of Longleat House’
The family initially installed a temporary swimming pool and children’s play equipment, but are now seeking permission to create a higher quality permanent garden
Lord Bath, who was a regular feature of the Animal Park BBC television show about his estate, died just a few days after testing positive for coronavirus in April 2020, aged 87
The applicant added: ‘The aim was to create a high quality family garden enabling them to remain resident on the Estate.
‘The application is not directly linked to the commercial activities of the Estate, but is an important component of its living-history, ensuring that it can remain a family home for the 8th Marquess and his family.’
Computer-generated images show a stylishly-designed garden with a large rectangular pool and a stone slab path leading up to it.
A large white water fountain, sunbeds and manicured hedges also feature in the new outdoor space.
The Longleat Estate near Warminster, Wiltshire, is best known for the historic Longleat House, the surrounding parkland and in later years, the safari park and attractions.
Longleat Safari and Adventure Park was formed in 1966 as a collaboration with the Chipperfield Circus, and was the first safari park established outside of Africa.
The proposed site of the new garden and pool is located within the enclosed private garden adjoining Longleat House.
The applicant added: ‘The private garden was first enclosed by hedges in the 1940s in preparation for the opening of the estate to the public in 1949.
When Ceawlin married Emma McQuiston in 2013, she became Britain’s first Black viscountess. Pictured: Emma on Strictly in 2019
The model and television presenter also appeared on Celebrity MasterChef last year
‘This has matured to be a 3m high thick hedge which creates a well secluded private garden at the centre of a busy commercial attraction.
‘The current design was created for the 7th Marquess, Alexander Thynn, by Laurence Fleming in the mid 1960s.
‘It is loosely based on the Chinese philosophy of Yin and Yang, with a shallow pond, fruit trees and ornamental shrubs creating the familiar Taoist symbol.’
A decision on the application is expected to be made in March.
The current Lord Bath took over the day-to-day management of Longleat in 2010. He publicly disapproved of his father’s ‘wifelets’, with the spat growing into a long-term rift between the pair.
And when Ceawlin married Emma McQuiston in 2013, she became Britain’s first Black viscountess – but neither his father or mother, Anna, were present.
Despite the disharmony within the family, Emma paid a touching tribute to her father-in-law when he passed away in 2020.
On an Instagram post, she wrote: ‘It is with the deepest sadness that I share the news that my father in law, Lord Bath, has died of the age of 87.’
Lord Bath’s daughter-in-law Emma Weymouth posted a tribute to him on Instagram in 2020
Ben Fogle paid tribute to Lord Bath, who was a regular feature on BBC show Animal Park
Animal Park co-presenter Kate Humble described Lord Bath as ‘kind and fun’
Viscount Weymouth, as he was also known, was a prolific amateur painter and studied art in Paris in the 1950s, where he is believed to have picked up his colourful taste in clothes.
The eccentric aristocrat also had frescoes done of the Kama Sutra so he could decorate his lavish home with erotic images.
In 2009 he was ranked 359th in the Sunday Times Rich List with an estimated net worth of £157million.
He was educated at Eton and Oxford, where he was president of the famous Bullingdon Club.
Lord Bath was involved in politics, and stood in the very first European parliamentary elections in 1979, representing the Wessex Regionalist Party which he helped to found.
After inheriting the Marquess seat in 1992, he then sat as a Liberal Democrat in the House of Lords, but lost his seat when Labour reforms excluded most hereditary peers.
The flamboyant aristocrat was also a regular feature of the Animal Park television show about his estate.
TV presenter Ben Fogle paid tribute to Lord Bath on Twitter, posting a picture of him and his colleague Kate Humble with the safari park owner.
Neither Alexander or his wife Anna were present when their son Ceawlin married Emma McQuiston in 2013
Longleat Safari and Adventure Park was formed in 1966 as a collaboration with the Chipperfield Circus and was the first safari park established outside of Africa
Lord Bath, who died from coronavirus in 2020, pictured in his younger years with his wife Anna
He wrote: ‘Devastated to hear the sad passing of Lord Bath. We spent nearly two decades with the eccentric and colourful Lord at Longleat filming Animal Park.
‘He will be missed. Sending my love and condolences to the family @Emmaweymouth1 and everyone at @Longleat.’
Kate Humble added: ‘Very sad to hear about Lord Bath of @Longleat.
‘Everyone will describe him as eccentric – & he was, gloriously so – but he was also kind & fun – & we all need a bit of kindness & fun in our lives.’
Piers Morgan also paid tribute to him, describing him as ‘one of Britain’s most colourful characters’.
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