Description
Roehampton House was designed by baroque architect Thomas Archer for Thomas Carey in 1710-12 and it was later much enlarged by Edwin Lutyens in 1911-3 for A. M. Grenfell. Lutyens added 3-storey wings and designed the gardens. In 1915 the house became part of Queen Mary's Hospital Roehampton and much of the garden was built over by extensive single storey wings, designed to minimise bomb damage during WWII. The only part of the garden that remained lay immediately behind the Thomas Archer House. In the C21st, part of the former hospital land was sold for development. St James has built a new housing scheme, known as Queen Mary's Place, and restored Lutyens' Sunken Garden and Rose Garden to provide communal gardens for the residents.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Roehampton House; Queen Mary's Hospital |
|---|---|
| Site location | Roehampton Lane |
| Postcode | SW15 5BF |
| What3Words | ///pound.rushed.goad |
| Type of Site | Housing/Estate Landscaping |
| Borough | Wandsworth |
| Open to Public | Occasionally |
| Opening Times | Has opened for London Open Gardens. Otherwise private, for residents only |
| Public Transport | Rail: Barnes then bus. Bus: 72, 265, 493, 85, 170 |
| Research Updated | 1 June 2009 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Roehampton House appears to have been built on or near the site of an earlier house built in 1622-4 by David Papillon, a Huguenot property developer and architect who had begun to purchase land in the area in 1620. He built a number of houses in Roehampton between 1620 and 1625/6 that directly led to the popularity of Roehampton among the wealthy. Papillon's first house, which was built on land known as Upper Naylands, was sold in 1622 to George Heriot, jeweller to James I. Later known as Elm Grove, Heriot's estate is now part of Roehampton University (q.v.). Papillon's next house was called Roehampton Great House, later the site of the Froebel Institute, which he sold in 1625 to Sir Richard Weston, later Earl of Portland. Lord Portland added to the house and grounds, and his estate became known as Roehampton Park, later reduced in size when the late C18th owner, Thomas Parker, began to sell off plots of land for development between 1770-88. By 1624 Papillon had built the smaller house to the east of Roehampton Lane, which was probably on the site of Roehampton House and was occupied by Samuel Neast in 1624. Thomas Cary took a lease on the site in 1710.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ222742 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.74 |
| Site Ownership | Berkeley Group, St James |
| Site Management | Berkeley Group, St James |
| Dates | 1710, 1911 |
| Designers | Edwin Lutyens |
| Listed Structures | LBI: Roehampton House. LBII: Walls and gates to walled garden; Roehampton House Lodges and Entrance Gates. |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | No |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | Wandsworth |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | Yes |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - Archaeological Priority Area |
| Other LA Designation | Site with Development Potential |
Please note the Inventory and its content are provided for your general information only and are subject to change. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy.
Nearby parks and gardens
* on The National Heritage List for England, Parks & Gardens
Roehampton Great House originally stood on this site, built by David Papillon in c.1624, who sold it in 1625 to Sir Richard Weston. Some of the foundations are visible in the cellar of Grove House, the later house that James Wyatt built in 1792 for Sir Joshua Vanneck. The grounds were laid out in the C18th when Capability Brown is thought to have been consulted. Formal gardens with a lily pond, fountain and limestone terrace were created in the C19th, as was a grotto. There are also an icehouse, lake, sham bridge and mausoleum in the grounds. Grove House was acquired by the Froebel Educational Institute in 1921. It is now one of the four colleges of Roehampton University, which was established in 2004 out of the earlier Roehampton Institute. The main campus is comprised of the Froebel, Digby Stuart College and Southlands College, with Whitelands College and a number of other fine houses converted for educational use in the area.
Roehampton Great House originally stood on this site, built by David Papillon in c.1624, who sold it in 1625 to Sir Richard Weston. Some of the foundations are visible in the cellar of Grove House, the later house that James Wyatt built in 1792 for Sir Joshua Vanneck. The grounds were laid out in the C18th when Capability Brown is thought to have been consulted. Formal gardens with a lily pond, fountain and limestone terrace were created in the C19th, as was a grotto. There are also an icehouse, lake, sham bridge and mausoleum in the grounds. Grove House was acquired by the Froebel Educational Institute in 1921. It is now one of the four colleges of Roehampton University, which was established in 2004 out of the earlier Roehampton Institute. The main campus is comprised of the Froebel, Digby Stuart College and Southlands College, with Whitelands College and a number of other fine houses converted for educational use in the area.
In the C17th and C18th Roehampton became a popular place for wealthy people to have country villas, whose fine houses set in grounds were built on the high-lying site. A number of these fine houses remain, including Downshire House, Manresa House and Mount Clare, the latter's grounds landscaped by Capability Brown. Much of their former grounds were built over for the Alton East and Alton West Estates but the houses themselves have been converted for educational use and now provide facilities for Roehampton University. Remnants of earlier garden features are found in the surrounding environment, including an C18th garden temple, a summer house and architectural balustrading.
Innes Gardens is on the site of the former grounds of Gifford House, a large C18th house that was pulled down in the 1950s/60s after war damage. An C18th ice-house that was in the south-west corner of the original grounds is now adjacent to Nos.137-146 Innes Gardens. The pond in the recreation ground may be a remnant of an earlier pond.
