Stoke Park

Built between 1790 and 1813, for the bachelor John Penn (1760-1834), grandson of the founder of Pennsylvania who received compensation from the U.S. and British governments for the 24-million acres he lost following the Revolution. He felt the original manor (purchased by his father, Thomas, in 1760) was beyond repair, so John built anew. The house was designed by King George III's architect, James Wyatt (1746-1813), while the parkland was laid out by two of the greatest landscape architects of the era, Capability Brown and Humphry Repton. It remained a private home until 1908 when it became the U.K's first country club and the 27-hole championship golf course was opened the following year. It remains a hotel and golf club. It has featured in several movies including Bridget Jones's Diary (2001); Layer Cake (2004); and, the James Bond's Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) and Goldfinger (1964).