Parnham House Fire: A Lost Piece of Dorset History

Last week’s fire at Parnham House marked a devastating loss of Dorset history. Once a stunning building boasting incredible Elizabethan architecture, Parnham House was a stellar example of timeless stained glass window design. Here are a few photographs of what the house looked like before the fire.

Unspoilt beauty

Complete with luscious greenery, a winding driveway and iconic leaded windows, Parnham House was a beautiful piece of archaic design. With the house being stained glass specialist Sherriff Stained Glass Specialists first large scale window restoration project 15 years ago, it’s a tragedy that this building’s stained glass windows have been destroyed.

A loss of iconic leaded windows

Many of the stained and leaded windows of Parnham House dated back over 500 years. These leaded windows had been recently restored in an effort to preserve the incredible Elizabethan aesthetic of the house.

Parnham House’s stained glass windows

This stained glass window was one of the many in Parnham House displaying a historic coat of arms and family crest. After given approval by English Heritage to renovate these stained glass windows 15 years ago, there’s no doubt that this fire has destroyed a shard of British history.

A look inside Parnham House

It wasn’t only the stained glass doors, windows and panels that were lost during the fire. It’s clear that Parnham House still kept many historical items behind its doors, such as the coat of arms seen here.

Parnham House was a beautiful example of stained glass window design from another time. Our thoughts are with the family and staff at Parnham House at this difficult time.