Quite a while ago Paul Rollinson challenged Peeps readers to identify a country house, named on the postcards as Lea Park. You rose to the challenge admirably and confirmed it’s what has now become Witley Park.

However, Sue Ranson, a neighbouring farmer from Bowlhead Green, wrote in with a little more of the building’s history, perfect to accompany this better view of the house itself from Paul (pictured below).

“It was originally called Lea Park and dates back years to an even older building and gives its name to the road that runs off the A3,” writes Sue.

“The infamous and fabulously wealthy Mr Whitaker Wright employed Paxton Watson as architect who in 1890 built a 32 bedroom mansion, stables and lodges. The project took over seven years to complete and included the building of three lakes, each dug by hand and traction engine.

“In one lake there is a glass tunnel leading to an underground room with stairs up to a viewing point in the middle of the lake. Edward Lutyens was commissioned to build many of the surrounding buildings in the grounds. The park was surrounded by a ten foot high wall extending over seven miles, in the winter Whitaker Wright would often have a length of the wall broken down to give local men work.

“After Whitaker Wright committed suicide after being found guilty of fraud in 1903, the property was sold in 1905 to Lord Pirrie, a director of the White Star Shipping Line. His insignia is still in much evidence on many of the gates around the park. The estate was sold in 1927 to Sir John Leigh who changed the name to Witley Park.

“The estate was requisitioned by the Government during the Second World War and sold in May 1952. On October 11 a fire started in the Great Ballroom that gutted the house.

“After several new owners the last owner in 2003 got permission to build a traditional 26 room new house on the old site.

“In 2019 the present owner got permission to complete the building and restore the whole park to its original splendour.”