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.

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

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