Our History

History of Westonbirt House

Westonbirt House is the third manor on its site and by far the grandest. An Elizabethan house was first acquired by the Holford family when Sir Richard Holford married its owner Sarah Crew in 1665. Their grandson Peter had shares in a company that supplied drinking water to London, which made him a wealthy man - and it was partly thanks to this fortune that his son, George Peter Holford, was able to demolish the Elizabethan manor and build in its place a Georgian house. His own son, Robert Stayner Holford, in turn tore down the Georgian house to make way for another - the grand Italian Renaissance style mansion that still remains. An accomplished and cultured man, he assembled the finest craftsmen and materials for the task. The project took 15 years to complete and cost a grand total of £200,000.

As one of the richest men in England, Robert Holford was able to employ the greatest experts and craftsmen. These included the architect Lewis Vulliamy who had previously designed Holford’s London home, Dorchester House (on the site now occupied by the Dorchester Hotel). He also bought in the finest materials - Italian marble for fireplaces and columns, silk brocade and Cordova leather for wallhangings, ornate painted plaster for the ceilings, and superb carved oak and walnut for doors and wainscotting. He added what were then the latest in modern conveniences - plumbing, warm air heating, and gas lighting - and installed the finest works of art, including Great Masters such as Rembrandt. Much of this - with the exception of the paintings - remains in place today.

Holford was also an ardent horticulturist who collected rare plants and shrubs from all over the world. This interest drove him to found what is today the world famous Westonbirt Arboretum on part of his estate, where once there was simply sheepfarming country. He also developed extensive formal pleasure gardens and informal parkland, in keeping with the new "Picturesque" movement combining informal and formal schemes focusing on a huge variety of plants. These gardens still form part of the school’s grounds.
He also took the bold step of moving the village to its current site, to improve his view, and re-routed the public roads.
He was thus the architect of the modern local landscape.

When Robert Holford died in 1892, the estate went to his son Sir George Holford. Also a keen horticulturist, he continued his father’s work on the house and grounds. He died without issue in 1926, leaving the property to his nephew, the Fourth Earl of Morley. Already having other property in Devon, the Earl decided to sell Westonbirt House, and it was acquired by the Martyrs’ Memorial and Church of England Trust to be transformed into a boarding school for girls, which opened on 11 May 1928 and has flourished ever since.
The School also holds many public events to enable the local community and other schools to enjoy this beautiful setting, much of which is maintained as it would have been in Robert Holford's time.
The remainder of the grounds was maintained separately until 1956, when it was acquired by the Forestry Commission. Now open all year round to the public and known as The National Arboretum at Westonbirt, it gives pleasure to thousands of visitors every year.

The Holfords of Westonbirt Trust now takes responsibility for the preservation and restoration of this historic house. For more information about their work, please click here.