Rescued and restored

West Horsley Place has existed as a private home since Saxon times, but when renovations are completed next year it will welcome visitors as a new arts centre for Surrey. Tinx Newton went behind the scenes to report on the progress so far

At the end of a long driveway in West Horsley sits a beautiful manor house that was once the home of Henry Vlll and is on Historic England’s Heritage At Risk Register.

West Horsley Place is set within 380 acres of grounds and has been in private ownership for 600 years. It has remained unchanged for almost a century and has gently crumbled away, but thanks to the vision of its benefactor and the efforts of the Mary Roxburghe Trust, the house will once again become a hive of activity.

In 2014, Mary, Duchess of Roxburghe, left the entire estate to her nephew, TV Broadcaster and author, Bamber Gascoigne. He was delighted, but slightly overwhelmed by the enormity of the restoration project – initial surveys estimated that more than £7 million was needed to bring it back to life, with another £2 million for other listed features. Undeterred, Bamber and his wife Christina set up the Mary Roxburghe Trust to oversee and protect the future of the house with the aim of not just restoring the buildings, but also to engage the local community by offering a programme of arts and events. These began on a large scale when Grange Park Opera was established in the grounds opening their first season in 2017. Since then outstanding performances from international musicians have been held in the glorious four-tier opera house.

Encouraged by the success of the opera, plans to restore West Horsley Place gathered pace and the house is now bustling with teams of builders and specialist conservators who focus on making it safe and restoring the original features.