History Somerhill House

1 history

1.1 17th century
1.2 18th century
1.3 19th century
1.4 20th century
1.5 21st century

history
17th century

the land somerhill built on formed part of estate of south frith, 1 of 2 deer parks in lowey of tonbridge. @ 1 time estate covered 6,500 acres (2,600 ha). built on site of earlier mansion, , designed john thorpe, house built between 1611 , 1613, dates found on surviving leaden rainwater heads. somerhill built 4th earl of clanricarde, anglo-irish nobleman. design based on of villa valmarana, lisiera, italy, designed palladio.

lord clanricarde died in 1636, , somerhill passed son ulick, 5th earl of clanricarde, created 1st marquess of clanricarde in 1646. following battle of naseby in 1645, somerhill sequestrated parliament, gave 3rd earl of essex, half-brother of ulick, lord clanricarde. on death in september 1646, parliament gave somerhill john bradshaw. john evelyn, visited somerhill on 29 may 1652, described somerhill situated on eminent hill, park, has nothing else extraordinary .

following restoration of charles ii throne in 1660, somerhill given margaret, viscountess muskerry, daughter of 1st marquess of clanricarde. lady muskerry had extravagant tastes, , gradually sold off of lands of south frith various people. died in 1698, , somerhill passed son, john villiers, styled himself earl of buckingham. villers sold manor of south frith 1 dekins. 1,200 acres (490 ha) of grounds sold separately abraham hill of sutton @ hone, kent. somerhill had been let warrener.

18th century

dekins sold somerhill 1 cave, sold in 1712 john woodgate of penshurst. woodgate lived in house, , on death passed son henry, lived @ somerhill until 1769, , within town of tonbridge until death in 1787. on 5 august 1752, house visited horace walpole, described setting commanding vast landscape, beautifully wooded , has quantities of large old trees shelter . 1766, somerhill in ruinous state. remain derelict throughout century. in 1787, somerhill passed william woodgate, henry woodgate s nephew , had been living @ somerhill. in 1792, woodgate 1 of 3 partners set tonbridge bank.

19th century

in spring of 1810, j. m. w. turner made drawing of somerhill, , in 1811 painted woodgates, choosing view across lake in grounds, house in distance. painting, exhibited @ royal academy in 1811, in national galleries of scotland, , sketchbook containing earlier drawing @ tate.

following end of napoleonic wars , subsequent agricultural depression, coupled collapse of tonbridge bank in 1812, woodgate declared bankrupt in 1816. in year, woodgate offered somerhill sale duke of wellington, declined buy foxhunting not enough liking. somerhill bought descendants of william woodgate in november 1819 james alexander, mp. 1830, somerhill had been substantially repaired, , new landscaping undertaken. in 1832, anthony salvin engaged make improvements house, retaining original style. during severe winter of 1835-36, skating possible on lake @ somerhill 4 weeks.

in 1842, tonbridge priory demolished make way building of first railway station. stone coffin priory bought alexander , taken somerhill, can still seen. in 1849, somerhill bought sir isaac goldsmid, passed on son frederick in 1859.

the lake @ somerhill, turner had painted in 1811, used supply ice house, watering place estate s cattle, , recreational boating. lake fed calverley stream, flowed through grounds of somerhill. in 1860, stream became polluted sewage discharged upstream sewage works owned tunbridge wells improvement commissioners, rendering water in lake unfit use. frederick goldsmid tried commissioners stop fouling stream, refused act , situation worsened. finally, in 1865, goldsmid sued commissioners. denied responsibility, claiming pollution not caused sewage works farm downstream. court rejected claim , ruled in goldsmid s favor.

in 1866, somerhill passed frederick s son sir julian goldsmid (later known d avigdor-goldsmid). sir julian returned house nearer original condition. in 1879, somerhill extended more room needed accommodate goldsmid s large family – had 8 daughters. stable courtyard rebuilt @ time, date 1879 being cast in rainwater heads. building work took until 1897 complete. expansion made somerhill second largest house in kent, after knole house, sevenoaks. somerhill house covers area of 2½ acres (1 ha).

a ghost in form of lady in white said haunt julian staircase, located in victorian part of house. d avigdor-goldsmid allowed people drive carriages through grounds of somerhill, although house not open public. sir julian died in 1896, , somerhill passed sir osmond d avigdor-goldsmid.

20th century

memorial window sarah d avigdor-goldsmid in saints church, tudeley

in 1912, there army camp held in grounds of somerhill. soldiers housed in bell tents. on sir osmond s death in 1940, passed eldest son sir henry. during second world war, somerhill site of prisoner of war camp, known pow camp no. 40. italian pows amongst housed @ somerhill. army in possession of somerhill 1940–49. squatters occupied of 40-plus huts in 1948, locked in colonel in charge of camp @ time.

post-war, house scene of lavish entertaining. lady rosemary d avigdor-goldsmid likened hotel, except guests didn t pay! amongst distinguished visitors john betjeman, hugh casson, david niven , enoch powell. house listed on 20 october 1954. assessed grade i. on 19 september 1963, d avigdor-goldsmid s daughter sarah drowned in accident, occurred off rye, east sussex. artist marc chagall commissioned design set of stained glass windows in saints church, tudeley, in memory.

in 1976, somerhill passed sir henry s surviving daughter chloe, lived @ hadlow place farm, hadlow. sold somerhill in 1981 , sold thrice more in next 8 years. sale of contents of somerhill held sotheby s on 23 , 24 june 1981. bought mr , mrs watts opened weddings parties etc somerhill advertised sale in may 1984 @ price in excess of £1,500,000. beginning in 1988, house extensively restored assistance english heritage. works undertaken r. durtnell & sons of brasted, celebrated 400th anniversary in 1991 party held @ somerhill restoration completed. fielden , mawson architects work.

in 1993, schools @ somerhill moved somerhill house, having been @ tunbridge wells. schools @ somerhill comprise 3 schools in 1 location. somerhill pre-prep boys , girls aged 3 – 6. derwent lodge girls aged 6 – 11 , yardley court boys aged 6 – 13. in 1998, attic rooms converted provide classrooms , art room. former granary has been converted classrooms, whilst stables have been converted workshops. in year, bridge on lake in grounds of somerhill added buildings @ risk register tunbridge wells borough council, in area somerhill falls. in 2000, central span between old stable courtyard , stable courtyard reinstated @ cost of £720,000 provide accommodation somerhill pre-prep school , administrative offices. in year, planning permission granted building of sports hall on top sports terrace.

21st century

the reinstated central span opened in january 2001. new sports hall completed in 2002 @ cost of £1,400,000. artificial turf pitch added in 2003. in 2004, bridge on lake repaired @ cost of £170,000, aided grant of £32,000 tunbridge wells borough council. in 2006, planning permission granted conversion of walled garden dining hall , indoor swimming pool. work began next year , completed in january 2009. dining room , swimming pool given design award tonbridge civic society in 2009. working school, somerhill house not open public. has been open part of heritage open days. somerhill house open in 2006, , in 2010. grounds of somerhill contain 152 acres (62 ha) of land.