[3] Among the estates he inherited from his uncle was the Talbot family's main home, Heythrop Park, which burned down in 1831.

The house had originally been known as Alverton Lodge, and had been enlarged by the 15th Earl, who enclosed the park and started creating the formal valley gardens to create "Alton Abbey" (the name "Abbey" was chosen because it was fashionable -the site had no religious connections).

The castle occupies a rocky precipice above the River Churnet on the outskirts of the village of Alton, Staffordshire.

[2] Adjacent to Alton Castle, John had a new church constructed alongside a "replica of a medieval hospital, a guildhall and presbytery"; this was again to the designs of Augustus Pugin.

The buildings also provided lodgings for poor and elderly priests, with an attached library and dining room.