Winterfold House facts for kids
Winterfold House is a special country home in Surrey, England. It was designed by a famous architect named Edward Blakeway I'Anson. He was known for designing many important buildings in London, like the new Corn Exchange.
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Where is Winterfold House?
Winterfold House is located in the beautiful Surrey hills, covering about 212 acres of land. It's close to the village of Cranleigh. The area around the house has hills like Winterfold Hill, which is about 700 feet above sea level. This part of Surrey is known for its woodlands, including a large area called Hurt Wood.
You might hear about Holmbury Hill and Pitch Hill, which are part of The Hurtwood. These woods are famous for their many bilberries, which are small, blueberry-like fruits. Locals call these fruits 'Hurts', and that's how the woods got their name!
Who Lived at Winterfold House?
Sir Richard Webster, Viscount Alverstone (1886-1915)
Winterfold House was built in 1886 for Sir Richard Webster. He later became a very important judge called Viscount Alverstone. He loved gardening and filled the grounds with beautiful flowering trees and shrubs.
Sir Richard Webster was married to Louisa Mary. They had a son and a daughter. Sadly, his wife passed away early, and their only son died young. Sir Richard became the Lord Chief Justice in 1900. He was also the president of the Surrey County Cricket Club for many years. The woods above the house are even known as 'Lord Justice Seat' because of him.
Charles and Celine Armytage-Moore (1923-1962)
In 1923, Charles Armytage-Moore and his wife Celine bought Winterfold House. Charles was a successful stockbroker. He and Celine loved to travel the world.
Charles continued to improve the gardens, adding many rare and beautiful plants like rhododendrons, camellias, and magnolias. One special red rhododendron from Winterfold House even won an award in 1934! Celine was also interested in history and joined the Surrey Archaeological Society. They did not have children, so after they passed away, the house and their amazing collection of art and furniture were sold.
Prince Carol of Romania (1964-1978)
In 1964, Prince Carol of Romania bought Winterfold House. He lived there for some years before selling it and moving to London.
Winterfold House During World War II
During World War II, Winterfold House played a secret role. The British government used it as a special training school for the Special Operations Executive (SOE). This group trained secret agents for undercover work.
The house was known as STS 4 and later STS 7. Its main job was to test and train people to see if they were suitable for dangerous spy missions. Many brave recruits came through Winterfold, including famous female agents like Muriel Byck, Andrée Borrel, Denise Bloch, Noor Inyat Khan, and Violette Szabo GC. Violette Szabo's amazing story was even made into a film called Carve Her Name with Pride in 1958.
SOE Memorial
In November 2011, a special memorial was put up at Winterfold House to remember the brave agents of the SOE who trained there. Tania Szabó, the daughter of the heroine Violette Szabo, attended the ceremony, along with representatives from several countries.
Winterfold House and The Great Train Robbery
In August 1963, there was a very famous crime called The Great Train Robbery. Thieves stole a huge amount of money from a mail train. During the search for the robbers, police thought they might be hiding at Winterfold House. They searched the house, but didn't find anything.
However, later, some of the stolen money was found nearby in Redlands Wood and in a caravan on Box Hill.
Winterfold Estate Today
In 1978, the Winterfold estate was sold off in different parts. The main house was divided into two sections: Winterfold House and Winterfold Court. Today, Winterfold House is owned by Major Anthony Hampton and his family.
Links
- Violette Szabo GC, SOE [1]
- Edward Blakeway I'Anson, architect: [2] [3]
- SOE Training at Winterfold House: [4]
- Secret WW2: [5]
