Titsey Place facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Titsey Place and Gardens |
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Titsey Place, front view of main house
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| Type | Charitable trust |
| Location | Near Oxted in Surrey, England |
| Area | 3,000 acres (1,200 ha) |
| Created | 1979 |
| Operated by | The Titsey Foundation |
| Website | www.titsey.org |
Titsey Place is a beautiful old country house located near Oxted in Surrey, England. For many years, it was the home of two important families, the Gresham family and the Leveson-Gower family. Today, Titsey Place and its amazing gardens are looked after by a special group called a charitable trust. This trust makes sure the house and gardens are kept safe and open for everyone to enjoy.
The house you see today has a long history. It started as a 16th-century house built by Sir John Gresham. This first house was mostly in the Tudor style. Later, it was taken down and rebuilt in the 1700s. Then, in 1826, new fronts were added to the house. Finally, a tall tower was built in 1856, giving it the look it has now.
History of Titsey Place
In the Middle Ages, Titsey Place belonged to the Uvedale family. It was a very important house in the area back then. Members of the Uvedale family held important jobs, like being the main sheriff for Surrey and Hampshire many times.
The Gresham family became very powerful and rich in the 1500s. Sir John Gresham, a wealthy merchant from London, bought Titsey Place. He built a new house there, close to the local church, on the spot where an older house once stood. Sir John Gresham even became the Lord Mayor of London in 1547.
Titsey Place stayed in the Gresham family for many generations. The family members were given a special title called "Baronets" by King Charles II in 1660. The last Gresham to own Titsey Place was Sir John Gresham, the 6th Baronet. When he died, the house went to the Leveson-Gower family because of a marriage. This family was related to the Dukes of Sutherland.
The original Tudor house was taken down and rebuilt by the last Gresham baronet in the 1700s. Then, in 1826, the house got new fronts designed by an architect named William Atkinson. A tower was added in 1856 by Philip Charles Hardwick.
A book from 1821, Views of the Seats of Noblemen and Gentlemen, described the house as being in a "beautiful dell" (a small valley). It said the house was protected from the north winds by tall chalk hills. Another book from 1844, A Topographical History of Surrey, mentioned that Titsey Place was a "modern structure" that looked very handsome because of the many trees around it. This book also noted that the library had a wonderful painting of Sir Thomas Gresham, who founded the Royal Exchange.
Many members of the Uvedale family are buried in the garden of Titsey Place. This area used to be the local churchyard. The last Gresham who owned Titsey Place actually pulled down the old church in 1776. He then made the church's land part of his park. By 1865, a large yew-tree marked where the old church used to be.
Some famous cricketers were born at Titsey Place. Sir Henry Gresham Leveson Gower (1873–1954) was born there and became the captain of the England cricket team in 1909-1910. His relative, Frederick Leveson-Gower (1871–1946), also played first-class cricket.
The Leveson-Gower family lived at Titsey Place until Thomas Leveson-Gower passed away in 1992. In his will, he set up a special trust. This trust was created to keep the house and gardens safe for everyone to enjoy. The rest of his property went to his heir, David Innes. David also became a leader of the charitable trust.
Titsey Place Today
The House
The house is well-known for its amazing collection of family portraits. Many of these paintings hang in the main entrance hall. You can see works by famous artists like Sir Joshua Reynolds and Peter Lely. The new dining room has four beautiful paintings of Venice by the artist Canaletto. The sitting-room has old wooden panels and a unique design. The gallery bedroom shows off an impressive Georgian style.
The Gardens
After World War II, the gardens were in a very messy state because the Army had used them. But a gardener named Thomas Smith and his team worked hard to bring most of the gardens back to life. Smith also created a fantastic collection of orchids. He grew fruits and vegetables in the kitchen-garden for the estate and for shops in nearby Oxted.
Since 1992, the house and the rest of the gardens have been carefully restored. The kitchen-garden was even changed to look more like a Victorian garden. Both the house and gardens are now open to the public during the summer months. The wider estate covers 3,000 acres (1,200 ha). There are miles of woodland paths along the edge of the North Downs. Over 20,000 visitors enjoy these walks every year.
Titsey Place is supported by a group called the Campaign to Protect Rural England. This group works to protect the countryside.
See also
- Titsey Woods
- London to Lewes Way (Roman road)
- Leveson-Gower
- River Eden, Kent
- Hazelwood School
