Day 210 - The house was built out of local yellow sandstone in the Carolean style around 1695 by Sir Rushout Cullen. In 1757 the house was bought by banker Francis Child for use as a hunting lodge, it remained in the Jersey family until the end of the 19th century. In 1927 the estate was acquired by Walter Samuel, 2nd Viscount Bearsted as a country retreat, he expanded it considerably between 1927 - 1929 he owed his fortune to the fact his father Marcus Samuel was the founder of Shell Transport & Trading. Lord Bearsted donated the house, gardens and art collections to the National Trust in 1948 under the proviso it’s extensive art and porcelain collections stayed intact so others can enjoy them.
Unfortunately due to Covid the upstairs hasn’t reopened yet so it will be somewhere we will be revisiting!
