Explore the historic Townhill Park estate, owned by Lord and Lady Swaythling in the early 1900s. Wander around the house designed by L.R. Gutherie and through the beautiful formal gardens by Gertrude Jekyll. Home to The Gregg School since 1994.
In 1897 Lord Ivor, First Baron Swaythling, purchased Townhill Park estate from Caleb Gater, for his eldest son, the Hon. Louis Montagu. In 1910, Louis engaged the architect Leonard Rome Guthrie to extend the building. Upon the death of his father, in 1911, Lord Louis became the 2nd Baron Swaythling and in the same year, he commissioned Gertrude Jekyll to design formal gardens to complement the Italian style of the house and his new Arboretum.
Gladys, Lady Swaythling, was a friend of Queen Mary who visited the house regularly in the 1920s and would enjoy walking down through the herbaceous borders to the Sunk Garden. In 1927 when the Hon. Stuart Montagu became the third Baron Swaythling, he and Mr Rose, the head gardener, started hybridising rhododendrons, for which they won many RHS Awards of Merit. Their Lilium Giganteum, Camellias and Magnolias were photographed by Country Life for the book ’Lilies: Their Culture and Management’.
Lord Stuart loaned the estate to the Red Cross in 1939 for use as a convalescent home for British Soldiers during the Second World War. In 1948, economies forced Lord Stuart to sell the house and 30 acres of grounds to Middlesex County Council ,who used it as a boarding school for underprivileged children.
In 1969, the house was sold to Southampton City Council, as a hostel for merchant navy cadets and in 1994, the house and grounds were sold to The Gregg School Trust who restored the beautiful house and gardens that we see today.
Timings & Tours
Sunday 14 September: 2:00pm - 5:00pm
Location & directions
Directions: Please use postcode SO18 3RR
Contact on day: Jo Ekin
Telephone number: +442380014802
Additional Information
Self-guided tour around the house and gardens using the detailed guide (£3 each) or simply follow the signs
Booking information
Pre-booking requirement: Pre-booking not required