Bamber and Christina Gascoigne unexpectedly inherited West Horsley Place from Bamber’s aunt, Mary, Duchess of Roxburghe in 2014. In 2015 they established a charity — originally named the Mary Roxburghe Trust — with three founding objectives: to restore the Grade I listed house and its associated historic buildings, to support the teaching and learning of crafts of all kinds, and to encourage the performing and visual arts.
As part of this extraordinary philanthropic vision, Bamber and Christina gifted the entire estate to the charity, along with £5.35 million raised from the Sotheby’s sale of Mary’s possessions. Their generosity allowed the trust to begin vital repairs to the house, create a reserve fund, and cover early operating costs — laying the foundations for our future.
