Claremont, Esher, England

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

NOTE: This entry is a summary. Because of the complexity of this site, the standard Register entry format would convey neither an adequate description nor a satisfactory account of the development of the landscape. The user is advised to consult the references given below for more detailed accounts. Many Listed Buildings exist within the site, not all of which have been here referred to. Descriptions of these are to be found in the List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest produced by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport.

HISTORIC DEVELOPMENT

In about 1709 Sir John Vanbrugh built a small villa for himself at Chargate Farm, near Esher. Vanbrugh sold the property in 1711 to his friend and patron, Thomas Pelham-Holles, Earl of Clare (later created Duke of Newcastle), who changed the name to Claremont. Vanbrugh was employed to transform the house into a country mansion. With the assistance of Charles Bridgeman, Vanbrugh also designed the surrounding garden and plantations from around 1715 onwards, the work including Vanbrugh's Belvedere Tower (about 1715) and Bridgeman's turf amphitheatre, bowling green, round pond, planting, and paths.

In about 1734 William Kent was called in to extend and naturalise the gardens by enlarging Bridgeman's round pond into an irregular lake, with an island and pavilion, planting groves of trees, laying out serpentine paths, and adding further buildings including a cascade at the head of the lake.

The Duke died in 1768 and Claremont was sold to Lord Clive of India in 1769, who demolished the house and employed Lancelot Brown and Henry Holland to build a new one on a more elevated site. Brown also made alterations to the landscape, altering the line of the ha-ha, diverting the Portsmouth Road, and planting the amphitheatre with cedars and evergreens.

Clive died in 1774 and Claremont was purchased by Lord Galway, and then by the Earl of Tyrconnel. In 1807 it was purchased by Mr Rose-Ellis MP, and then in 1816 it was bought by the Commissioners of Woods and Forests for Princess Charlotte of Wales and Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg. Princess Charlotte died later that year but Prince Leopold continued to reside at Claremont, employing J.W. Hiort to direct the gardens. John Buonarotti Papwoth and Augustus Charles Pugin were both employed during this period to build the Tea House, later Mausoleum, and the Camellia House.

In 1831 Prince Leopold lent Claremont to Queen Victoria, and from 1848 King Louis-Phillipe, ex-King of France and Queen Amelie lived at Claremont. Queen Amelie died in 1866 and Queen Victoria bought an interest in the estate for her youngest son, the Duke of Albany, on his marriage.

During the First World War Claremont was used as a convalescent home and from 1916 it was let to a girls' school in Leatherhead. After the Duchess of Albany's death in 1922 the property was sold to Sir W. Corry, then to speculators in 1926, and finally to Mr E. Eugen Speyer in 1928. Large portions of the park were sold to a syndicate for housing development.

The house and remaining park were bought by Claremont School and in 1949, the National Trust was given about 20 hectares of the gardens, known as 'Claremont Lake and Woods' and managed by Elmbridge Borough Council.

This land was restored by the National Trust between 1975 and 1980 as 'Claremont Landscape Gardens' and from 1979, the Trust took over the management of the land. The school and the National Trust continue (2000) to be the main owners and the remaining land is in divided, private use.