Clandon, Guildford, England

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

HISTORIC DEVELOPMENT

In 1531, Sir Richard Weston was granted a license to impark an area of 1050 acres (about 425 hectares) in Merrow and Clandon; this was later disparked. In 1642, Sir Richard Onslow bought a lodge in what had been the park and reimparked. By the early 18th century a large formal landscape had been laid out, which is depicted in a view of Clandon by Knyff of 1708 (in National Trust 1990). To the west of the house was a deer park of about 80 acres (about 32 hectares), located in the south-east corner of the present park, and agricultural land was shown to the north. The main entrance was by a brick-walled forecourt on the west front with a double avenue aligned on it to the west. A stable block stood to the north of the house. The formal garden included a canal, parterres, and a Wilderness, covering and extending beyond the present garden. The house was rebuilt on the site of the old house between 1720 and 1730 by Leoni for Thomas Onslow, but the formal garden, canal, Wilderness, and small park were retained. A map of the parish of Clandon of around 1733 shows a layout similar to that shown by Knyff.

Thomas, second Baron Onslow died in 1740, and was succeeded by his son Richard, third Baron Onslow. The main road was turnpiked and straightened in 1758, possibly adding a small area to the south-east corner of the park. Rocque's survey of Surrey (1768) depicts the landscape, which was still formal at this date.

Richard, third Baron Onslow died in 1776 and was succeeded by his nephew George, fourth Baron Onslow, who commissioned John Willock to carry out a detailed survey of the estate in 1776. Lancelot Brown (1716-83) was commissioned to landscape the gardens and park in 1776 (plan dated 1781 referred to in Country Life 1927, now missing) and he removed the remaining formal gardens, altered the canal into an informal lake (the South Pool), and greatly extended the park to the west and north (National Trust 1990). An existing millpond (shown on Rocque, 1768; Willock, 1776) was increased in size to form another lake. Brown also built two lodges and moved a pair of fine wrought-iron gates from their former position close to the house, to their present location in the south-west corner of the park; this became the main entrance. New stables were built but the earlier stables by the house were retained.

In 1780 small parcels of land were sold to pay off debts but improvements were continued by the fourth Baron (created Earl of Onslow) into the early years of the 19th century. George, the first Earl, died in 1814 and was succeeded by his son Tom, second Earl of Onslow. He demolished the old stables to the north of the house in 1814. The second Earl died in 1827 and was succeeded by his son Arthur George, third Earl. He abandoned Clandon and lived at nearby Clandon Regis and later in Richmond. The house and garden were neglected during this period (1827-70).

In 1870 the third Earl died and was succeeded by his son, William Hillier, fourth Earl of Onslow. William Hillier restored the house, adding the porte-cochere to the west front. Nesfield (William Andrew or his son Markham) was consulted about the garden layout and work was carried out in the garden and Wilderness (National Trust 1990). The park was further extended to the north-east and restocked with deer, new plantations were planted, and a double beech avenue was planted to the west of the house (on the line of the 18th-century avenue). The park was then subdivided and much of it was used for grazing. Between 1895 and 1910 the garden was developed from 'a lawn of six acres' (Gardeners' Chronicle 1885) to a series of gardens, famous by the early 20th century. Further gardens were developed along the banks of the South Pool and Millpond in the park.

The northern end of the park was sold off for the new railway in the late 19th century and during the 20th century trees were lost due to decay, Dutch elm disease, and the storms of 1987 and 1990. The easternmost part of the park was developed for housing in West Clandon in the 20th century. Clandon House was used as a hospital in the First World War and as a depository for the Public Record Office during the Second World War. The House and garden were given to the National Trust in 1956 in whose ownership they remain (2000). The park continues in private ownership.