![]() He planted many of the willows and the Japanese maples that provide such spectacular autumn colour. The Gwynne family lived in the victorian house from 1913, and Commander Gwynne (for whom The Homewood was built in 1938) was a keen amateur garden designer. After World War II, the gardener concentrated on growing food and flowers, and it was not until the late 1950s that the project to tackle the woodland garden started – thinning trees, creating pools and planting themed gardens. Many of the rhododendrons and mature trees (the oaks, the pine trees and some of the silver birch) date from this period. ![]() The original house (Homewood) was located nearer the road and to the southeast of the current house (The Homewood), and was surrounded by luxurious beds, lawns, shrubbery and trees. ![]() It’s History The Victorian eraĭuring the course of the 19th century, a Victorian villa occupied the plot - a heavily wooded site on Esher Common bisected by a stream that fed into the River Mole. Colours ebb and flow through the seasons in a never-ending wave of changing spectacle. The landscape appears naturalistic, yet is carefully choreographed, with serpentine borders, classically inspired vistas, and endless eye-catchers - a rhododendron tunnel, a serpentine bridge, a bamboo thicket, a set of stepping stones and more. The planting celebrates Surrey's heathland species, including silver birch, firs and heathers, with azaleas and rhododendrons adding an exotic blaze of seasonal colour. Patrick Gwynne conceived The Homewood's expansive surroundings as “a woodland garden, not a park”. Tours run on alternate Fridays and Saturdays between April and October. We highly recommend you pre-book, as there are a limited number of spaces on each tour and they fill up fast.Īs the house is tenanted, we're only able to open The Homewood for pre-booked guided tours. When and how to visitĮvery open day you can choose from one of five guided tour times. We often run additional tours of the garden after afternoon visits to the house. Once your tour is complete you can take a look around the six acre estate, where Gwynne sought to create a "woodland garden" in the midst of Esher Common. Pull back the folding screen door at the end of the living room and you'll find yourself entering the dining area, where Gwynne liked to control the mood using simple lighting variations in the centre of the circular table. Living roomįrom the sprung maple dancing floor to the fold-out bar, to the simple, effective furniture, the living room was designed to make an impression - as the perfect place for a party. Patrick created this small space between the bedrooms at the request of his sister Babs, who had grown tired of sharing her bedroom in their old Victorian house with arriving party guests. No space is wasted in his small but well thought out bedroom, where everything has its own place. See how Gwynne managed to incorporate all that he needed into a simple design. The curved wall opposite the living wing is adorned by an abstract wax crayon mural, which was originally only designed to be temporary. This striking spiral stairway at the centre of the house is illuminated by a large sunken uplighter, and topped by an unusual chandelier. He converted it into his own office in the 1960s, and conducted much of his work from here right up until his retirement. Placed to one side on the ground floor so visitors wouldn't have to enter the main part of the house, Patrick Gwynne originally designed this study for his father. The mimimalist stylings provide a tantalising glimpse of what is to come, while the large window wall provides your first view of the impressive garden. ![]() You'll enter the house through the front door, dramatically encased in light by the square glass blocks that surround it. About The Homewood’s Design Entrance hall If you have never visited this extraordinary property, you must. Designed by architect Patrick Gwynne for his parents, The Homewood was given by Gwynne to the National Trust in 1999. The Homewood is a modernist house in Esher, Surrey.
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