Chilworth Manor, Surrey

It was recorded in the Domesday Book as a monastery. The monastery was dissolved by Henry VIII and by 1580 was owned by William Morgan. William's son, John was knighted at Cadiz in 1596.[3]

Sir Ernest Randyll, whose family held Chilworth for over a century, married John's daughter. During the time when Chilworth Manor was owned by the Randylls, the South front was built. This is the earliest recognisable part of the Manor – the architect is unknown. Morgan Randyll [4] was MP for Guildford from 1680 to 1712. As a result of the costs involved in the Elections, the property was sold to Richard Houlditch, a director of the South Sea Company. After losses involved with the 1720 South Sea Bubble, the manor was again sold.

In 1725 the widowed Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, became the owner. She added the Marlborough Wing, developed a tiered garden excavated in the sloping hillside and still known as the "Duchess's Garden". It then passed from her grandson, John Spencer, through inheritances to the Dukes of Northumberland who held it until the 1930s. It was then acquired by Alfred Mildmay who carried out major renovations to the building.[5]

Walls of Chilworth Manor garden

Sir Lionel and Lady Heald bought the manor in 1945 and lived there for over 60 years. Elected MP for Chertsey in 1950, he was Attorney-General in Churchill's post-war government. She worked for many charitable causes including the National Garden Scheme of which she was chairwoman.

Since Lady Heald's death in 2004 [6] extensive restoration work has been carried out and the garden, fittingly, opened as part of the National Garden Scheme.

John Bunyan, who lived nearby at one time, is reputed to have based The Hill of Difficulty in Pilgrims Progress on the path from the manor to St Martha's Chapel.[7]

The house has been featured in a number of films and TV series over the years.[8]