DiCamillo Companion
England

Marsh Court (Marshcourt)

  • Built / Designed For: Herbert Johnson

    House & Family History: Marsh Court is an E-shaped house built in the Tudor style between 1901 and 1905 by Sir Edwin Lutyens for Herbert Johnson, an Edwardian stockbroker, adventurer, and sportsman. During World War I Mrs. Johnson, at her own expense, operated the house as a 60-bed convalescent home to treat injured troops. Between 1924 and 1926 Lutyens added the ballroom to southeast wing, which was used for the Hursley Hunt balls. In 1932 the Johnson family, adversely effected by the Great Depression, sold Marsh Court; the new owner used it only for shooting, allowing the house to fall into a state of disrepair. During the Second World War it was used for evacuated children and families. In 1948 Marsh became the Marsh Court School for boys, under headmaster Maurice Wright, later becoming co-educational. In 1989 the next headmaster, Earle Broadbent, declined to sell Marsh Court to parents for the £1 million they had collectively raised, instead selling it for £800,000 to Geoffrey Robinson (Labour MP and owner of the "New Statesman" magazine), who converted it back into a family home. In 1999 Robinson sold the house for approximately £5.5 million to Stephen Noar, one of the founders of Denplan (sold to PPP Healthcare in 1993) and chairman of Hippowaste. In May 2007 the house, together with 47 acres, was listed for sale for £13 million.

    Collections: Sotheby's sold some of the contents of Marsh Court September 14-16, 1999.

  • Architect: Edwin Landseer Lutyens

    Date: 1901-05
    Designed: House for Herbert Johnson

    View all houses

    Architect: Gertrude Jekyll

    Date: 1901-05
    Designed: Gardens

    View all houses

    Architect: Edwin Landseer Lutyens

    Date: 1924-26
    Designed: Added Ballroom to Southeast Wing

    View all houses
  • Country Life: XX, 306, 1906. XXXIII, 562 plan, 1913. LXXI, 316, 378 plan, 1932. Sep 13, 2007.

  • House Listed: Grade I

    Park Listed: Grade II

  • "Agatha Christie's Poirot" (1992 - TV series, as the residence of Sir Carmichael Clarke in the episode "The ABC Murders"). "The Country House Revealed" (2011 - BBC TV series).
  • Current Seat / Home of: Hunt family

    Past Seat / Home of: Herbert Johnson, 1901-32. Geoffrey Robinson, MP, 1989-99. Stephen Noar, 1999-2007.

    Current Ownership Type: Individual / Family Trust

    Primary Current Ownership Use: Private Home

  • House Open to Public: No

    Historic Houses Member: No

VISIT AND HELP PRESERVE HISTORIC BRITISH HOUSES

Help preserve Britain’s privately owned country houses by joining Historic Houses. Use code DICAM7 for a £7 discount off a new membership that will give you access to hundreds of historic houses.

Join Now

The DiCamillo Companion does not receive any compensation from the Historic Houses Association.