Iscoyd Park

Iscoyd Park has a rich and varied history with a string of colourful owners. The main house dates back to 1737 but other parts date back as far as 1700, and there was certainly a dwelling there centuries before that.

In the 14th century the estate was owned by the heirs of Iorweth Voel, Lord Maelor Saesneg. It then passed by marriage to the Roydens of Holt. In the 17th century the Jennings family lived at Iscoyd and in 1737 William Hanmer, who had married the Jennings heiress of Godsal, Leicestershire, built the front part of the house. It was then sold to Rev Richard Congreve in 1780.

Philip Lake Godsal, the son of the leading coachmaker of the time, bought the house in 1843. The Godsal family have – by the skin of their teeth – been at Iscoyd Park pretty much ever since.

P.L. Godsal added the portico and the dining room and his son, Philip William Godsal, was responsible for the bow to the drawing room in 1876. P.W. Godsal was agriculturalist and rural philanthropist who believed his tenants should have the opportunity to farm their own smallholdings.

In 1964, Philip H. Godsal moved to Iscoyd and restored the Georgian façade. He sadly died young in 1982 and two years later his son, Philip Caulfield Godsal, moved in. A land agent, Philip Caulfield gradually set about restoring all the outbuildings, re-roofing the main part of the house and ridding it of death watch beetle.

Which brings us to the latest in the Godsal dynasty to occupy Iscoyd – Philip Langley and his wife Susie. Despite the extensive work carried out by his father on the house, various parts of the fabric of the house urgently needed renewing if it was to survive as an adored family home.

Philip Langley and his family had to do a great deal of soul searching as to which direction to take Iscoyd. After much thought and discussion with the other members of the family Philip Langley, Susie and their three children moved to Iscoyd in September 2009 and started a huge restoration project to create a country wedding venue and family residence fit for the next generations of owners to enjoy.

The bulk of the restoration was finished in May 2010, 20 minutes before the bridal party arrived for the first wedding!