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History and Stories: Ranger’s House – The Wernher Collection
This handsome Georgian villa on the edge of Greenwich Park is home to the unique art collection formed by diamond magnate Julius Wernher around 1900. One of the greatest private art collections ever assembled in Europe, it presents an extraordinary wealth of medieval, Renaissance and early modern works, including masterpieces of international importance.
The house itself, built in 1723 and later the residence of the Rangers of Greenwich Park, remained home to aristocrats and royals until 1902.
Find out more about the collection and the history of the house here.
The house and its residents
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History of Ranger’s House
Built in the 1720s for a naval captain, Ranger’s House was later home to politicians, military officers and royals, including the Rangers of Greenwich Park, for 180 years. Discover its 300-year history.
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Ranger’s House and Admiral Hosier’s Ghost
Find out why the death of Admiral Francis Hosier, the first resident of Ranger’s House, and the devastation of his fleet, became the subject of a scathing musical attack on the government of the day.
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Lord Chesterfield at Ranger’s House
Philip Dormer Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield, politician and famed letter-writer, was the most celebrated owner of Ranger’s House. Find out more about him and his life there.
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The Real Bridgerton: A Royal Duchess at Ranger’s House
Ranger’s House plays a starring role in Netflix’s Bridgerton series. But the house has its own dramatic story to tell of royals, scandal and entertainments during the era in which Bridgerton is set.
The Wernher Collection
From ornate medieval jewellery, Italian ceramics and bronze sculptures to Renaissance paintings, 18th-century French furniture and British portraits, this world-class collection is exceptional in both its quality and its breadth.
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Highlights of the Wernher Collection
Explore a selection of highlights from the magnificent collection of artworks on display at Ranger’s House.
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About the Wernher Collection
Find out more about the Wernher Collection, the man behind it, and how it came to be displayed at Ranger’s House.
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Explore in 3D
View 3D scans of some of the extraordinary objects Wernher collected. Either follow the link above or scroll through the images below.
Star Objects in 3D
Select the play button on the image below, then use your cursor or touch screen to rotate the object and zoom in. For descriptions of each object, select the title in the top left corner of the image (opens in a new window).
Models derived photogrammetrically by Jon Bedford of the Geospatial Imaging Team at Historic England on behalf of English Heritage.
Find out more
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Visit Ranger’s House – The Wernher Collection
Discover a diamond magnate’s fabulous jewels
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Where was Bridgerton filmed?
Ranger’s House plays a starring role in Netflix’s popular television series Bridgerton. How similar is the house to the way it’s presented in the series?
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Buy the guidebook
This fully illustrated guidebook includes a tour and full history of the house and the Wernher Collection, and gives many fascinating glimpses into life at Ranger’s.