Yew Lodge, Felcourt
Yew Lodge is situated on the Surrey/West Sussex border, lying to the east of Felbridge, between East Grinstead and Lingfield. The site of the property is on what was once the most southerly tip of Felcourt Heath, being part of the manor of Felcourt in the parish of Lingfield. First references to the site date back to 959ad. The first use of the name Feldecote (Felcourt) appears in 1403, meaning 'cote or cottage in the open or cleared space'.
The complete history of Yew Lodge is well documented by the Felbridge & District History Group and available on their web-site. The story of the house as it stands now really starts in the 19th century. It was sometime between 1871 and 1881, that the property became known as Yew Lodge, being named after a yew tree that grows within the grounds. The exact age of the yew is not known but The Tree Register proposes an age of c.500 years, stating that they suspect that the 'tree is exceptionally vigorous', and that there are very few trees in the countryside that ever reach anything like that age. On their visit they also identified several other fine specimen trees, a Weeping Beech, Fagus sylvatica 'Pendula', a Chinese Juniper, Juniperus chinensis, a Japanese Sawara Cypress, Chamaecyparis pisifera, a Hinoki Cypress, Chamaecyparis obtuse, and three uncommonly large specimens of Victorian conifers.
Sometime between 1881 and 1890, Yew Lodge saw yet more changes. The house that appears on the 1870 map was demolished and replaced by one of equal size but slightly further south of the original site. It is evident that by this time Yew Lodge had moved away from being a farm to that of a substantial dwelling set within maintained grounds. In 1908, Yew Lodge was bought by Sydney Larnach of Brambletye, near Forest Row, Sussex. The initials 'SL' and date stone above the door of 1908 indicate he carried out extensive enlargements and alterations, creating a large country house, walled garden and associated outbuildings, stable block/garage and aviary.
Yew Lodge became the main residence of Sydney Larnach, living next to Chartham Park the home of the Margary family. Chartham Park had been purchased by Major Alfred Robert Margary in 1855, and on his death in 1892 was inherited by his son Colonel Alfred Robert Margary who took up permanent residence in 1895. Colonel Margary married Elizabeth Walker Larnach and they had one son, Ivan. Elizabeth Walker was the youngest sister of Sydney Larnach, making him uncle to Ivan Margary. Sydney Larnach remained at Yew Lodge until his death around 1927 when his estate passed to the Margary family. Ivan Margary and his wife made Yew Lodge their permanent residence. Also on the death of his father, Ivan became responsible for the Chartham Park estate, inheriting the property on the death of his mother in 1940. As a consequence Yew Lodge became part of the Chartham Park estate.
In the summer of 1978, shortly after the death of Dorothy Margary, the first of several auctions took place that would eventually lead to the total demise of the Chartham Park estate. In December 1978, Yew Lodge and 107 acres was auctioned for a second time, consisting of seventeen lots, at Ye Olde Felbridge Hotel. In the intervening months between the first and second auction date, planning permission had been sought and gained to divide Yew Lodge house into two separate dwellings.
Fortunately, Yew Lodge was not divided into two properties as recommended by the auctioneers' when the sale was finalised in 1979. The house was retained as a single property by Rentokil Ltd, whose world-wide head quarters were located just slightly further north at Felcourt, formerly the site of Felcourt manor and later home of Mr H Sturdy and more recently Robert McAlpine. Rentokil Initial plc, as the company is now called, purchased Yew Lodge in its entirety to be used as a residential training centre, solely for the use of their employees both in Britain and world-wide.
With the purchase of Yew Lodge as a training centre, very little was done to alter the external appearance of the building or the ground floor rooms and it remains virtually as the Margery's left it in 1978.
Yew Lodge combines red bricks with purple/brown flecked Rowfant bricks, and herringbone with bonded brickwork and even sandstone block work. There are pebble-dashed sections of wall, black and white timber framed and plaster walls and white painted brickwork. The use of numerous building materials is a common feature of properties dating to this period being advocated by eminent architects like Sir Edwin Lutyens who designed numerous rustic houses in the Surrey and Sussex area. There are windows that are flush to the walls, curved bays and square bays, natural wood window frames, white painted window frames and cast iron window frames, all nestling under a mellow brown tiled roof with several very impressive chimney stacks of red brick rising upward.
Entrance to the house is through a dark oak door under the initials for Sydney Larnach 'SL' and the date stone of 1908 carved in the sandstone surround, and then passing into the entrance lobby. This has a mosaic-tiled floor leading to the entrance hall, which has square golden oak panelling on the walls, like most of the rooms on the ground floor. The use of oak panelling was very common at the turn of the 20th century, evoking the feeling of a Jacobean interior, which was the most fashionable retro-style at that time. Many of the fireplaces and fingerplates on the doors show the influence of the Art Nouveau style, the swirling organic shapes of the contemporary style of the period. The main rooms, service area and staircase lead off from the entrance hall. The Margery's lounge, which was probably a library originally, is in the southwest corner and now used as an executive meeting room/private dining room. Running along the west side of the house, the dining room is now used as the lounge, complete with dark oak panelling and beamed ceiling in squares. The flower room is the bar and the original living room is now the Dining Room area and is also panelled in dark oak. A conservatory has replaced the loggia that once ran along the west side of the room.
The walls of the Dining Room are hung with tapestries that were sold with the property in 1978, a single tapestry on the west wall and three along the south wall, all protected by glass. The Oriental style designs are worked in silk embroidery on beige silk in shades of beige, cream and white. To add to the Oriental feel of the room the Margery's kept their collection of ivories in the glazed cupboard on the east wall of the room, which were sold by Mrs Margary shortly after Ivan's death.
The impressive golden oak staircase has wood panelling with the occasional carved panel depicting a pair of tall, elegant plant-like images with roots at the bottom and leaves and fruits at the top. The newel post decoration at each turn of the stairs forms an openwork, onion-shaped dome. The stairs lead to a large galleried landing with an intricately carved golden oak cupboard. The first floor is where most of the alterations have taken place since 1978, but only in that the very large bedrooms have been divided and dressing rooms and box rooms converted as bedrooms.
Yew Lodge now stands in over 8 acres, and the landscaped gardens are an informal parkland design with large curving beds of shrubs, particularly rhododendrons and azaleas, the grass is dotted with species trees and the large yew stands to the west of the house. A gravelled path leads from the west side of the house to, around and down from the yew, passing beside a small ornamental pond at the bottom of a gentle slope and on to the woodland. There is a bed of shrubs against the south wall of the house and a large sundial, purchased with the property, which stands on the lawn immediately in front. The main lawn on the south side of the house is a flat rectangular area with steps on the west side leading down between a planted area to the woodland beyond, and to the south, what is now the main car park. The aviary that once stood to the southwest of the property is no longer there, having been removed in the mid 1960's.
Today there is no sign of the original property that once stood within the 'old inclosure' of Felcourt Heath before 1809. This property, probably dating to the early 18th century, would have stood to the north of the current house on a northwest/southeast alignment in the centre of what are now landscaped lawns and gardens. As for the current house, the oldest part on the north side dates to between 1870 and 1890 being transformed into an elegant Edwardian home by Sydney Larnach in 1908, making it his home until his death in 1927. The house then passed to his nephew, Ivan Margery, who also made it his home until his death in 1976, passing to his wife Dorothy until her death in 1978, when it was put up for sale.
Yew Lodge was purchased in its entirety by Rentokil Initial plc in 1978 who used it as an in-house training centre for its employees until the company decided to move from the area and Yew Lodge (together with its impressive Head Office, 'Felcourt' and administrative offices in East Grinstead) were advertised for sale in separate lots. Yew Lodge was bought by Peter and Pauline Wells who own and manage Yew Lodge, together with their son Nicholas. They have lived in the area for over 28 years - firstly in East Grinstead and then Lingfield. Yew Lodge now specializes in hosting tailored business and social events for companies and individuals. The aim is to continue running it as a conference/training centre, plus social events (weddings, special anniversaries, parties, etc.) as it is such a beautiful building with wonderful gardens.