- Jessica Kennaway's family have owned Escot estate, Devon, 200 years
- Villagers say music only stopped at 7am and they could 'hear the words'
- Mother Lucy Kennaway said event: 'Was just a private party - a bit of fun '
- Police were called at 4am on Saturday and the council has been informed
Party host: Jessica Kennaway has apologised to neighbours of her family home in Devon after her raucous bash could be heard three miles away
Jessica Kennaway - whose aristocratic family have owned the Escot estate, in Devon, for centuries - said she threw the 'private, outdoor party' as a joint celebration to mark her friend’s 18th birthday and her going away travelling to South America.
But police were called to the home and estate near Ottery St Mary, East Devon, around 4am on Sunday following complaints about the noise.
Several residents at the village of Feniton, a mile away, took to Facebook between 3.30am and 7am on Sunday, October 27, to see who else was being kept awake by the music.
And people as far away as the villages of Payhembury and Buckerell, three miles away, claim they were also disturbed.
Complaints have since also been made to East Devon District Council’s Environmental Health department about the party.
A spokesperson confirmed that they recommended a full apology is made to the complainants and that greater care is taken in future over private, unlicensed events.
The house has been owned by the Kennaway family for 210 years, with John-Michael Kennaway taking over in the 1980s.
Since the early 2000s the Escot estate has been opened up to the public to help fund repair work of the ageing building.
Miss Kennaway, 18, has now issued an apology to anyone who was kept up because of the event.
'During the course of the night, as everyone became absorbed in the party atmosphere, what started as an acceptable volume level must have crept up,' she said.
Venue: Police were called to the home and Escot estate near Ottery St Mary, East Devon, around 4am on Sunday following complaints about the noise
Business: Since the early 2000s the Escot estate has been opened up to the public to help fund repair work of the aging building. The venue hosts weddings, concerts and other events for families
'When the police alerted us to this fact, the music was turned down immediately.
'I would like to apologise to local residents for not realising that the volume had reached an unacceptable level and, therefore, for disturbing their Sunday morning.'
In addition to the Beautiful Days Festival, which attracts thousands of revellers every August, the estate boasts several visitor attractions and hosts conferences, weddings, plays and concerts.
Contrary to the police statement that the music was turned down at officers’ request at 4am, Allison Britz, a 49-year-old sales manager from Feniton, said the noise went on from around 10.30pm on Saturday until 7.15am the following morning.
She said people as far away as the villages of Payhembury, three miles away, and Buckerell were also disturbed.
'We all enjoy a party and no one objects to it once in a while if we are notified about it and it doesn’t go on all night,' she said.
'But this was absolutely crazy, the thump thump thump of the music went on all night, my niece and her friends who were staying knew all the songs that were being played, it wasn’t just a drone of background noise.
In charge: The house has been owned by the Kennaway family for 210 years with John-Michael Kennaway (pictured) taking over in the 1980s
'My six-year-old woke up and asked me what the noise was. Luckily I was able to get her back to sleep, but I have other friends and neighbours who weren’t so lucky.
'There was no reprieve whatsoever, you just don’t do that, it was very very selfish.'
ESCOT HOUSE: THE ESTATE ONCE OWNED BY BARONETS AND MPS
Escot House is a privately owned 19th-century country house, and has been the home of the Kennaway family, whose ancestors include Baronets and politicians, for 200 years.
Sir John Henry Kennaway, the third Baronet, was conservative Member of Parliament for East Devon and Honiton, between 1870 and 1885.
The 220 acre estate was designed by Capability Brown, and the gardens are now open to the public.
Since the early 2000s the Escot estate has been opened up to help fund repair work of the aging building.
In addition to the Beautiful Days Festival, which attracts thousands of revellers every August, the estate boasts several visitor attractions and hosts conferences, weddings, plays and concerts.
Sir John Henry Kennaway, the third Baronet, was conservative Member of Parliament for East Devon and Honiton, between 1870 and 1885.
The 220 acre estate was designed by Capability Brown, and the gardens are now open to the public.
Since the early 2000s the Escot estate has been opened up to help fund repair work of the aging building.
In addition to the Beautiful Days Festival, which attracts thousands of revellers every August, the estate boasts several visitor attractions and hosts conferences, weddings, plays and concerts.
'I barely slept until 5.30am when I finally got about an hour’s sleep and my three-year-old woke me up and I couldn’t believe the music was still going at 6.30am,' she said.
'I went on Facebook from around 3.30am and couldn’t believe how many other people were awake because of it.'
Another Feniton resident, Jo Lane, 39, said she heard the music until around 7am.
'We’d been to Honiton Carnival and when I went to bed I could hear the music but thought it was coming from the football club which I live near to, because it was so loud.
'I managed to get to sleep and then woke up around 1am and it was still going.
'My six-year-old came in about 6.45am because she woke up hearing the music,' she said. 'I then went on Facebook and found other people talking about the noise.'
Around 60 guests attended the party, which had a DJ, in the grounds of the historic home on Saturday evening.
The party in Escot Park was heard in the nearby villages of Feniton, and Payhembury and Buckerell some three miles away
Upset: Several residents at the village of Feniton (pictured), a mile away, took to Facebook between 3.30am and 7am on Sunday, October 27, to see who else was being kept awake by the music
Loud: The noise is believed to have been heard in nearby Ottery-St-Mary, pictured, where several families were disturbed by the music. The family say the party was 'just a bit of fun'
Speaking outside the home Miss Kennaway's mother Lucy Kennaway, said: 'It was just a private party and a few people getting together to have a bit of fun.
'It's very unfortunate that it upset so many of the neighbours as it's the first time either of our children have had a party of that nature in the grounds.
'Jess ensured that all the neighbours were aware of the party and warned them a few days before - she's since been back to apologise to those affected.
'The wind meant that the volume and music travelled a lot further than it would usually have which is very unfortunate.
'Me and my husband were well aware she had planned the party and were in the house when it was going on.
'We called her at one point to ask her to turn the music down which she did right away.'
Mrs Kennaway and her husband John-Michael live in the secluded manor with their daughter. They have another 20-year-old daughter who is currently studying away at university.
Miss Kennaway added: 'I warned all our neighbours about the party and they all seemed fine with it.
'We put the speakers in the direction of the valley to minimise the volume.
'It's the first time I've had a big party here. We had no idea how much the music had travelled - if we had known we would have never let the music level get so loud.
'As soon as the police arrived we turned the music right down. I've been back to apologise to some of the farmers and neighbours who were affected by the noise as I didn't mean to disturb anyone.'
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