Gravetye Manor facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gravetye Manor |
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| Restaurant information | |
| Rating |  (Michelin Guide 2020) |
| City | East Grinstead, West Sussex |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 51°05′21″N 0°03′25″W / 51.0893°N 0.0569°W |
Gravetye Manor is a beautiful old manor house located near East Grinstead, West Sussex, in England. It was once the home of a famous landscape gardener named William Robinson. Today, it is a special hotel and restaurant. In 2020, its restaurant earned one star from the Michelin Guide, which means it's known for excellent food! The house is also a very important historic building, and its gardens are famous too.
Contents
A Look Back: Gravetye Manor's Story
Building a Historic Home
Gravetye Manor was built a long time ago, in 1598. It was created by Richard Infield, who worked with iron, for his new wife, Katherine Compton. The house has two floors and was built in the Elizabethan style, which was popular during the time of Queen Elizabeth I.
William Robinson and His Famous Gardens
From 1884 until his death in 1935, Gravetye Manor was the home of William Robinson. He was a very famous landscape gardener and wrote a well-known book called "The English Flower Garden." He asked an architect named Sir Ernest George to add a new part to the house that matched the old style.
Robinson also worked hard to create the amazing gardens around the house. They became some of the most famous gardens in England. After he passed away, the house and its large grounds, about 1,000 acres, were given to the Forestry Commission.
Gravetye Manor During Wartime
During World War II, soldiers from the Canadian Army used Gravetye Manor as a base. They even dug up parts of Robinson's garden to grow potatoes and leeks. This helped them have enough food to eat. After the war, the house was left empty and uncared for many years.
Gravetye Manor: A Country House Hotel
Starting a New Chapter
In 1958, the property was leased to business partners Robin Howard and Peter Herbert. Peter Herbert and his first wife, Pip, decided to turn the old manor into a hotel. Peter Herbert was seen as a leader in creating "country house hotels." These are large, old homes turned into fancy hotels.
Gravetye Manor became a hotel with 17 bedrooms. It also had a special kitchen garden that grew fresh ingredients for the restaurant. This focus on fresh food helped the restaurant earn its Michelin star.
Restoring the Gardens and Hotel Success
During his 40 years of owning the hotel, Peter Herbert also worked to restore William Robinson's beautiful gardens. These gardens covered about 52 acres and cost a lot of money to keep looking good. The hotel and its kitchen became known as one of the top five hotels in the United Kingdom.
New Ownership and Future Plans
In 2004, Peter Herbert and his second wife, Sue, retired. They sold the business to Andrew Russell and chef Mark Raffan. After some financial challenges around 2008, the business faced difficulties in 2010.
Later in 2010, a long-time guest and investor named Jeremy Hosking bought the lease for Gravetye Manor. He has invested a lot of money, about £2.5 million, to improve the property and gardens. He also invested in a new restaurant building, designed by architect Sir Charles Knowles. The beautiful gardens are still there and guests staying at the hotel can visit them.
