The entrance facade from a circa 1912 postcard
The garden facade from a circa 1920 postcard
The south facade of Belton House, Lincolnshire, which may have been an inspiration for the design of Denham Place.
The house (left) and Denham village (above right) from the air in 1921
J.P. Morgan from an early 20th century photograph that is today in the public domain. Morgan leased Denham Place in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Built / Designed For: Sir Roger Hill
House & Family History: Denham closely resembles the more famous Belton House (see "Images" section), which is not surprising, as Denham's architect, William Stanton, acted as executant architect and general contractor at Belton, possibly working to the designs of William Winde. Denham is famous for its bucolic, gilded plasterwork. In 1909 the Anglophile American banker J.P. Morgan, Jr. (whose father had leased Denham Place in the late 19th and early 20th centuries), began construction of Matinicock Point, a red brick 57-room house that was modeled on Denham Place. Matinicock Point (demolished 1980) was set in 250 acres on East Island (which Morgan owned), off the North Shore of Long Island. In the late 20th century Denham Place served as offices for the tobacco company Rothmans. In 2001 the house was purchased from British American Tobacco by Mike Jatania of the Lornamead Group, who spent approximately £20 million to restore Denham as a family home. A painting of the house by an unknown artist, circa 1695, hangs in the Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, Connecticut. The village of Denham is very close to the former Denham Studios and today's Pinewood Studios, where hundreds of movies and TV shows were filmed. By the 1930s Denham Studios was the largest facility of its kind in the UK (in 1937 Queen Mary visited the studios while "The Drum" was being filmed); movie production was active at Denham between 1936 and 1952, when the last film wrapped and Denham was absorbed by Pinewood. Over their existences the two studios went by a variety of names (London Film Studios, Rank Studios, and D&P Studios) and their combined output contributed hugely to the international film industry. The Denham film buildings were demolished in 1981 and the site redeveloped as a business park. Because of its close location to Pinewood Studios, during his ownership, James Bond producer Harry Saltzman used Denham Place for location filming for some of his famous 007 movies. In April of 2023 the house, together with 43 acres, was listed for sale for £75 million. Yes, that is 75 million pounds, not £7.5 million!
Architect: William Stanton
Date: 1688-1701Country Life: XVIII, 702, 1905. LVII, 602, 642 plan, 1925.
Title: Biographical Dictionary of British Architects, 1600-1840, A - HARDBACK
Author: Colvin, Howard
Year Published: 2008
Reference: pg. 975
Publisher: New Haven: Yale University Press
ISBN: 9780300125085
Book Type: Hardback
Title: Belton House Guidebook - 1992
Author: Tinniswood, Adrian
Year Published: 1992
Reference: pg. 10
Publisher: London: The National Trust
ISBN: 0707801133
Book Type: Softback
Title: House of Morgan: An American Banking Dynasty and the Rise of Modern Finance, The
Author: Chernow, Ron
Year Published: 2001
Reference: pg. 170
Publisher: New York: Grove Press
ISBN: 0802138292
Book Type: Softback
Title: Georgian: The Magazine of the Georgian Group, The
Author: NA
Year Published: NA
Reference: January 2002, pg. 6
Publisher: London: The Georgian Group
ISBN: NA
Book Type: Magazine
House Listed: Grade I
Park Listed: Grade II
Past Seat / Home of: Sir Roger Hill, 1700-29. Joseph-Napoléon Bonaparte (former king of Naples and Sicily), 1834-44. J.P. Morgan (as tenant), until 1913. Basil Fothergil, 1920-29. Robert Gilbert Vansittart, 1st Baron Vansittart, 1930-57. Harry Saltzman, 1969-77. Mike Jatania, 2001-23.
Current Ownership Type: Individual / Family Trust
Primary Current Ownership Use: Private Home
House Open to Public: No
Historic Houses Member: No