Description
Soames House was built by Stanley Ramsey as a modern neo-Georgian building, but at the back of the house the projecting drawing room was the former Orangery of Coombe Warren. Coombe Warren was built by George Devey in 1869/70 and had associations with the novelist John Galsworthy, as a result of which the 1930s house was named after the character in 'The Forsyte Saga'. Although Coombe Warren was demolished in 1926, there are fragments of gates in the gardens and the walls of the large formal grounds as well as other remnants of the Coombe Warren estate in the surrounding area.
Practical Information
| Site location | Coombe Hill Road, Kingston |
|---|---|
| Postcode | KT2 7DY |
| What3Words | ///chase.froth.coats |
| Type of Site | Garden Feature Remnants |
| Borough | Kingston |
| Open to Public | No |
| Opening Times | private |
| Public Transport | Rail: Kingston then bus. Bus: 57 |
| Research Updated | 2 March 2013 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Prior to development of the land for housing, the Coombe Warren estate covered the area bounded by Coombe Hill Road, Coombe Lane West and Beverley Lane. The Coombe Warren mansion, built for Bertram Wodehouse Currie MP in 1869/70 by architect George Devey, was demolished in 1926. However two estate buildings also designed by Devey, Warren Close, the former gate lodge and Gable Cottage, the former coachman's house, remain either side of the former entrance to Coombe Warren now on Beverley Road. To the west is Coombe Warren Lodge, also be Devey with remains of the original garden walls along Coombe Lane West and Coombe Hill Road. The OS 25" Map Surrey VII.13 for 1911 shows the former extent of the Coombe Warren grounds. By 1933 the area is built over with large villas set in generous plots.
Soames House was built in c.1930, a modern neo-Georgian building set in a formal garden. The former Orangery of Coombe Warren remains at the rear of the house and has Venetian window, Dutch gable, pilasters and vases. Also dating from the original mansion is the brick wall that extends south that has a round arched doorway between brick and stone piers, topped by a broken segmental pediment. The 1.5 acre grounds of Soames House today are laid out with mature as well as contemporary planting, with a formal lawn, terrace, woodland area and an Italianate 'Pope's Garden', but it is not known whether any of the planting dates from the 1930s or from the original gardens of Coombe Warren.
The novelist John Galsworthy, who grew up in the area, chose Coombe Warren as the location for the house Robin Hill built for Soames Forsyte in 'The Forsyte Saga', his series of nine novels chronicling the Forsyte family, written between 1906 and 1933.
Soames House was built in c.1930, a modern neo-Georgian building set in a formal garden. The former Orangery of Coombe Warren remains at the rear of the house and has Venetian window, Dutch gable, pilasters and vases. Also dating from the original mansion is the brick wall that extends south that has a round arched doorway between brick and stone piers, topped by a broken segmental pediment. The 1.5 acre grounds of Soames House today are laid out with mature as well as contemporary planting, with a formal lawn, terrace, woodland area and an Italianate 'Pope's Garden', but it is not known whether any of the planting dates from the 1930s or from the original gardens of Coombe Warren.
The novelist John Galsworthy, who grew up in the area, chose Coombe Warren as the location for the house Robin Hill built for Soames Forsyte in 'The Forsyte Saga', his series of nine novels chronicling the Forsyte family, written between 1906 and 1933.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ212702 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.625 |
| Site Ownership | private |
| Dates | c.1930 |
| Listed Structures | LBII: Former orangery of Coombe Warren, and adjoining garden walls |
| 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 | Kingston |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Coombe Hill |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - Strategic Area of Special Character |
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
The golf course was part of the estate of Coombe House, which the 1st Duke of Cambridge purchased in 1837, enlarging his estate for a shooting park by the purchase of commonland on Coombe Hill. In the early C20th two golf courses were laid out, Coombe Wood Golf Course in 1904 and Coombe Hill Golf Course in 1910. The latter was laid out by J. F Abercromby and the new course opened on 31 May 1911. Its notable members included royalty, politicians and later showbiz celebrities. The Coombe estate was broken up after the death in 1933 of Sir Augustus Fitzgeorge, son of the 2nd Duke of Cambridge, partly for housing development, but partly remaining open land. The golf courses were saved as a result of Malden and Coombe UDC purchasing the land in 1934.
Now the international training centre for Unilever plc, Four Acres was built in 1929 in 'Vernacular Revival' style by George Warren. Warren also designed the former lodge that originally housed the servants to the main house and later became used for accommodation when the site became a training centre. Adjoining the lodge are a pair of circular brick gate piers with cone tiled tops. The house is set in well planted grounds with water features and sculptures; a low brick terrace is attached to the west and south front of the house, with paving and a flight of stone steps.
Beverley Meads is in the south-west corner of Wimbledon Common and was once part of Warren Farm. The land borders the Royal Wimbledon Golf Course and was acquired by Wimbledon Borough Council in the 1950s. It was laid out for a pitch and putt course in the 1970s, but was established as a Local Nature Reserve in 1993. Paths run through the woodland and to the north is Fishpond Wood, formerly managed by the London Wildlife Trust until 2018.