West Horsley Place is a Grade I listed mediaeval manor house and estate of great beauty and historic significance. The manor house dates from 1425, though there has been a building on the site since Saxon times. The house is currently on Historic England’s At Risk Register and along with the outbuildings is in a very bad state of repair.
The Mary Roxburghe Trust’s mission is to restore the house, gardens, 380 acre estate and 8 Grade II listed outbuildings, as well as creating here a vibrant centre for the performing and visual arts and the teaching of crafts. After 1000 years of private ownership West Horsley Place will be reborn as a place for everyone to enjoy, whether as an opera guest, visitor to the house or garden or as a student learning a new craft. There is a great history to be discovered, and a new role for this grand old house to play in its community.
News
West Horsley Place, Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot!
West Horsley Place has many amazing stories connecting it to major events in English history; one of the most exciting is its connection to the Gunpowder Plot. The below account is by Pam Bowley, respected local historian and author of a book on the history of West Horsley Place. At the age of about 19 […]
Autumn Update from West Horsley Place
One of the excitements about old houses is unexpected discoveries. When, while emptying rooms in preparation for repairs at West Horsley Place, an old and rather pretty decorated red silk velvet bag emerged, we initially thought little of it; but sometimes objects open a realm of possibilities and a glimpse deep into history. Could this […]
Discovery at West Horsley Place Could be the Bag that Contained Sir Walter Raleigh’s Head
October 29th marks the 400th anniversary of the execution of Sir Walter Raleigh. Last night at St. Mary’s, Horsley a gathering was held to celebrate the life and poetry of the great man. West Horsley Place had always played a part in the postscript of Raleigh’s story; as the residence of his son Carew and […]
The Mary Roxburghe Trust Receives £50,000 Grant from the Country Houses Foundation
The Mary Roxburghe Trust is delighted to announce news of a £50,000 grant from the Country Houses Foundation. The grant has been made towards the restoration of the Grade II listed Stable Block and Clocktower, dating from the 18thcentury and now in urgent need of repair. Once restored, the Stable Block will be open to […]
Art Mystery Solved
Taking pride of place on an easel in the Stone Hall is this charming charcoal portrait of Mary, Duchess of Roxburghe as a young girl. We have never known the identity of the artist who created it or its precise date; but Mary’s birthdate and the age she appears in the portrait place its […]
‘Elizabeth (Bess) Throckmorton Raleigh’ by June Davey
Historian June Davey continues her series of essays exploring the fascinating women of West Horsley Place. FAMILY BACKGROUND Bess Throckmorton was born in 1565: she was around 12 years younger than the great Sir Walter, whom she was to marry. Bess was the daughter of the diplomat Sir Nicholas Throckmorton and Anne Carew. She […]
