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The following is from the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest: 

HISTORIC DEVELOPMENT

The villa at Park Hill was built in 1835 by J B Papworth for William Leaf. The garden is described by William Keen in 1849 and included a gothic summerhouse, a deep dell arched with massive rockwork, lawns, evergreen shrubs, and a kitchen garden with a wide range of heated glasshouses. The house was modified in 1880 for Sir Henry Tate who also commissioned Robert Marnock (1800-1889) to redesign the gardens. A description of the garden was published in Garden magazine in 1886.

Since 1923 Park Hill has been known at St Michael's Convent for the Congregation of the Poor Servants of the Mother of God. A chapel was built to the east of the villa in the mid 1920s and land to the east was sold for redevelopment (mid 1930s) as Benhurst Court.

People associated with this site

Designer: Robert Marnock (born 12/03/1800 died 15/11/1889)

Architect: John Buonarotti Papworth (born 24/01/1775 died 16/06/1847)

Builder: James Pulham (1) (died 1838)