GRENEHURST PARK

Grenehurst Park was designed in the Elizabethan style for Mr Thomas Lambert. (A weather vane with the initials TL used to be visible on the roof). Building began in 1852 but it was in its unfinished state that the Cazalet family bought Grenehurst Park, whose home it was for many years. Mr Cazalet was a man with a social conscience. At the turn of the century, when there was a lot of unemployment in the area, Mr Cazalet had a drive constructed running from the house to North Lodge (near Ockley Station) with the sole purpose of providing work for the local men. At this time Grenehurst Park was the centre of a large one thousand acre estate. It was made up of many farms, much park and hunting land, as well as a large walled garden and pleasure grounds of about fifteen acres tended by its own staff of eleven gardeners. It is that pleasure garden, together with another sixteen acres of fields that make up the present land. 

 

The James Hawk-Dennis family took over the estate from the Cazalet family and lived at Grenehurst Park from the early 1900s to the 1920s. They were followed by Major Phillip Hunloke who was equerry to King George V and one of His Majesty's great yachting friends. 1925 saw the arrival of the Adcock family who, as a result of their abiding interest in the village of Capel, became well known in the area. Two of their sons were killed on active service during the last war. It was under the Adcocks ownership that the Canadian Army requisitioned Grenehurst Park during World War II. The last private owner after the war was Mr. E.E. Hadjilas, a Greek shipping magnate and close friend of Aristotle Onassis, who visited Grenehurst Park on several occasions. 

 

Architecturally Grenehurst Park is interesting as the main house is a mixture of styles. The entrance doorway and hall are of gothic design with much of the impressive plaster work and decorations styled after Robert Adam. Many of the ground floor rooms have fine wood panelling; the great hall and majestic main stairway have exquisite huge stained glass windows. The garden was originally cut from the old Surrey forest and many of the fine old trees remain, complemented by later plantings of valuable specimen trees and shrubs. Particularly notable among the species found throughout the grounds are: Cedrums Abies, Cupressus, Juniperus, Thuja, Thujopeis, Acer, Sequoiadendron and Eucryphia Cordifolia, all in several varieties.

 

In 1964 Elim Bible College moved to Grenehurst Park from Clapham where it had been founded in 1925. The college remained here until 1987. The property was then bought by Richard Bransonwho, in turn, sold it to Cala Homes. The property was then developed and re-established to become the Grenehurst Park it is at present.

 

Extract from The Builder 1852, announcing the building of Grenehurst (sic) GRENEHURST, NEAR OCKLEY, SURREY

This house is being erected for Mr. Thomas Lambert, and is distant from Ockley Station about a mile. It commands extensive views towards the south and the west of Leith Hill and Horsham. The entrance is on the east. The walls are built of red brick from the neighbourhood, with Doulting and Bath stone dressings. The roofs are covered with Staffordshire tiles. The cost will be about, 11,000 for the house, and, 2,000 for the stables, which are situated to the north of the house. The builder is Mr W. Shearburn, of Dorking;

Mr J. P. St Aubyn, of the Temple, being the architect. 

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