5. Duchess of Marlborough

 In 1725 Chilworth Manor passed to Sarah, the widow of the great Duke of Marlborough. She left Blenheim Palace upon his death and moved here. The rectangular Marlborough Wing at the rear of the house was added by her and she developed the old three-tiered walled garden, carved out of the side of the hillside. This is still known as the “Duchess Garden.” If you look carefully through the trees the rear wall of Duchess Garden is visible from this point.

The grounds and wonderful gardens are accessible through the National Garden Scheme open day. If you would like more information, please visit the NGS website here.

The Duchess left Chilworth to her grandson, John Spencer, from whom it passed to Henry Drummond of Albury, and so to the Duke of Northumberland who held it until the 1930s.

After the war, the property was bought by Sir Lionel and Lady Heald, they lived here with their family for over 60 years. Sir Lionel was Attorney General in Churchill’s government, and Lady Heald was a pillar of Surrey society and devoted her life to many charitable causes including the National Garden Scheme of which she was National Chairwoman. Sadly, Lady Heald died in 2004, three months short of her hundredth birthday, though she lived at Chilworth Manor until the end of her remarkable life.

 

Aerial view of the Duchess Garden

 

For Children: 

Did you know: The first known use of the common abbreviation ‘OMG’ was in a letter from Lord Fisher to Winston Churchill on 9 September 1917. (See the last line of the letter below).

 

 The full letter written by Lord Fisher to Winston Churchill in 1917

 

A photograph of Lady Heald

 

Navigation: 

Turn left and continue with the vineyard on your left for approximately 120m where you will reach the next stop on your right where you will learn about the Anderson Shelter which still exists at Chilworth.