The Entrance Facade from a 19th century lithograph
The House from a late 19th-early 20th century postcard
The Marble Hall from a late 19th-early 20th century postcard
House & Family History: The current house is an amalgam of periods and styles. The 5th Baron Monson rebuilt Gatton Hall between 1830 and 1841, using an existing house for the core of his new house. Lord Monson's house was famous for its Marble Hall, designed for King Charles IV of Spain and purchased by Lord Monson in Rome in 1830 for the immense sum of £10,000 (approximately £7 million in 2016 inflation-adjusted value using the labor value commodity index). In 1891 Sir Jeremiah Colman enhanced the grandeur by adding a large Corinthian portico on the North Façade. The house was gutted during a very serious fire in 1934; only the extreme west end of the Servants' Wing and the portico survived unscathed. Gatton Hall was rebuilt in the Georgian style in the 1930s; in 1948 the house and part of the estate were purchased by the Royal Alexandra and Albert School, who continue to own it today.
Collections: In 1786 (at the death of Lord Newhaven) Christie's auctioned off the Gatton Estate.
Garden & Outbuildings: In the 18th century the banker (and later chairman of the East India Company) Sir George Colebrooke owned Gatton. Sir George engaged the services of Capability Brown, who performed considerable work on the landscape between 1762 and 1768, charging the large sum of £3,055 for his work (worth approximately £5 million in 2016 inflation-adjusted values using the labor value commodity index). Sir Jeremiah Colman, of the famous Colman's mustard firm, owned Gatton in the 19th century and was known for his keen collection of orchids. Colman employed H.E. Milner to remodel the gardens and improve the parkland. In 1952 the Colman family gave 100 acres of parkland to the National Trust, who maintain and open the parkland to the public.
Architect: Lancelot Brown
Date: 1762-68John Bernard (J.B.) Burke, published under the title of A Visitation of the Seats and Arms of the Noblemen and Gentlemen of Great Britain and Ireland, among other titles: Vol. II, p. 225, 1853.
House Listed: Grade II
Park Listed: Grade II
Past Seat / Home of: William Newland, until 1751. Sir James Colebrooke, 1751-61; Sir George Colebrooke, 1761-74. William Mayne, 1st Baron Newhaven, 1774-86. Petrie family, late 18th century. Sir Mark Wood, 1798-1830. Frederick John Monson, 5th Baron Monson, mid-19th century; Monson family here until 1888. Sir Jeremiah Colman, late 19th century.
Current Ownership Type: School
Primary Current Ownership Use: School
Ownership Details: Today Royal Alexandra & Albert School
House Open to Public: Grounds Only
Phone: 01737-649-000
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.raa-school.co.uk
Historic Houses Member: No