Standing to the south of Burnham Beeches is Dorneywood House, which was the subject of our Heritage Visit on 22 July 2015 when 30 of our members and their guests were able to experience a visit to the house and gardens. This was a rare opportunity because of its official use by senior government ministers, and as such it is not often open to the public.
The Dorneywood estate was purchased by Sir Courtauld Thomson, as he then was, in 1919 from Charles Palmer whose family had owned the Dorney estate for more than three centuries. Over the years, Courtauld Thomson and his sister Winifred, who lived there too, began to build on and decorate the house and to fill it with the imposing works of art that fill the house to this day.
In 1942 Sir Courtauld Thomson decided to donate the estate to the nation in the care of the National Trust, and in particular to the incumbent Prime Minister, to provide a residence for a Secretary of State or senior Minister appointed by him. The deeds were handed to the then Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, in the Cabinet room of 10 Downing Street. Over the years the many distinguished residents have included Sir Anthony Eden, The Earl of Home, George Brown, James Callaghan, Viscount Whitelaw, Sir Geoffrey Howe and numerous others.
Dorneywood House is said to have the general character less of a stately home than the Georgian farm-house which it originally was and is approached by a brief drive. This leads into a forecourt and the North Front of the building which was extended in 1920 by the addition of an east wing; an inner porch was also added at this time. In fact, the house does have the feel of a welcoming family home. Walking along the front of the house one finds a small white door labelled “Toad Hall” named in honour of a family connection to Kenneth Grahame, author of “The Wind in the Willows”.
Once inside the house, the visitor is confronted by a wealth of period furniture and works of art including paintings by Rex Whistler and Winston Churchill and Oswald Birley’s portrait of Sir Courtauld which hangs in the hall.. Among the fine furniture in the drawing-room is a rare Queen Anne walnut bureau. Beyond the drawing-room is Dorneywood’s largest and grandest room which occupies most of the east wing; this is known as the conference room, previously known as the music room. At one end there is a bow window which overlooks the garden. As we walked around it was so nice to find welcoming knowledgeable guides in every room.
There was time to explore the extensive gardens where a large orchard was created to the west of the house Other features included herbaceous borders and an attractive sunken garden known as The Dell which is planted with ornamental trees including weeping cherry, Mount Etna broom and a tall Italian cypress. Above the Dell is the rose garden composed of a number of beds formed in a circular geometric pattern; when in bloom the colour is made up of pink, white and apricot blooms.
Afterwards tea and homemade cakes were enjoyed in the marquee. Dorneywood is a delightful place not so very far from Beaconsfield and the visit much appreciated by all.
John Burton