Titsey Place and Gardens
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Titsey Place and Gardens Summary
- Address: Titsey, Oxted, RH8 0SD (Map)
- Tel: +44 (0)1273 715359 (information line)
- Fax: +44 (0)1273 779783
- Owner: The Trustees of the Titsey Foundation
- Administrator: Johanne Dykes
- E-mail: Click here to contact
- Website: Go to the Titsey Place and Gardens website
Titsey Place and Gardens Description
Titsey is one of the largest surviving historic estates in Surrey. It dates back to the mid-sixteenth century, though the first impression now is of a comfortable early-nineteenth century house in a picturesque park, under the North Downs, which thereabouts rise to over 800 feet. It is difficult to believe that this well-preserved stretch of country is barely twenty miles from the centre of London: only the M25 motorway intrudes into a landscape which otherwise has hardly changed in the last hundred years.
The estate was originally bought in 1534 by Sir John Gresham, of the famous London merchant dynasty, and descended in the early-nineteenth century through the female line to the Leveson Gowers, a cadet branch of the family of the Dukes of Sutherland. The Leveson Gower family lived at Titsey until the death of Thomas Leveson Gower in 1992.
The last generation of Leveson Gowers, being bachelors and having no close relations, had given much thought to the future of Titsey. Richard and Thomas Leveson Gower set up the Titsey Foundation, a charitable trust, to preserve the estate for public benefit. Following the death of Thomas Leveson Gower, the last of the Leveson Gowers of Titsey, David Innes was asked by the trustees to accept the position of governor of the foundation.
Mr Innes had been well-acquainted with the house and estate since the late 1940s. Thomas Leveson Gower had taken on the role of guardian to the Innes family under the will of Mr Innes’s father, who had died in 1948. Mr and Mrs Innes, working with the foundation’s trustees, have been largely responsible for the restoration of the house, with advice on the interiors from Jean Monro, and of the gardens, with the help of Elizabeth Banks. House, garden and re-created kitchen garden are now opened to the public in the summer, and miles of well-marked woodland walks on the side of the North Downs are frequented by more than 20,000 visitors a year. For further details on visiting Titsey Place, a look at their Website is recommended.
The Gardens
The gardens have always been a particular feature of Titsey Place and have been enjoyed by many generations. Recently, much work has been done to improve and enhance them. Standing on the upper terrace is the perfect place to enjoy the long views across the Darent Valley, which extends to the beginnings of the South Downs.
The box link beds were planted over 150 years ago and have been carefully pruned ever since. The fountain at the centre of the lower terrace is a copy of one found in the Cloisters at Eton College. The two herbaceous borders that frame the lower terrace have recently been replanted, and in late summer these are now flushed with vibrant colours. The Golden Jubilee Rose Garden was opened by Peter Ainsworth MP in 2002. It was replanted and redesigned in order to commemorate Her Majesty The Queen’s Golden Jubilee.
Opening Times - 2012
House and Gardens:
- 16th May - 30th September - Wednesdays and Sundays, 1 - 5 pm
- Also open: 7th May, 4th June & 27th August, 1 - 5 pm
Please Note: Only guided tours are allowed - 1.30 pm, 2.30 pm and 3.30 pm
Gardens:
- 16th May - 30th September – Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, 1 - 5 pm
- Also open: 9th April, 7th May, 4th June & 27th August, 1 - 5 pm
Admission Prices - 2012
House & Garden:
- Per person - £7.00
Garden only:
- Adult - £4.50
- Child - £1.00
Groups (20+):
- House & Garden - £8.50 per person
- Garden Only - £6.00 per person
Further information including opening times and pricesImage Gallery
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Additional Info for Titsey Place and Gardens
Parks- Gardens
- Groups
- Disabled Access
- Refreshments
- Picnics
- Guides
- Car Parking
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