H O U G H T O N   L O D G E

An 18^th Century  Grade ΙΙ* listed  Gothic Cottage Orné, idyllically set above the tranquil waters of the River Test.   The House is set in extensive grounds, with fine trees and lawns  sweeping down to the banks of the River.

It is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful privately owned houses and gardens in Hampshire.

Photograph Belinda Harvey
The Original Bell Tower

Houghton Lodge has an importance quite disproportionate to its size, a building of architectural and historic importance.  Built sometime before 1799 and probably intended as a fishing lodge, it is one of the earliest examples of a Cottage Orné or Rural Retreat.  Whoever designed it appreciated regional buildings, especially the rounded thatched forms and plastered walls of Hampshire valley villages. Built on a hill overlooking the River Test, a more magical position would be hard to find.  Both the House and the Garden are in the rare category of Grade II* listed status, one of only 12 properties in the whole of Hampshire.

 

Cottage Ornés were built at the end of the eighteenth century by  those who yearned for the simple life away  from the draughty grandeur of the

great house.  Although comfortable on the inside, they were designed to give an air of rusticity on the outside. Thatched roofs and tall brick chimneys were typical. At the same time there was a gradual move away from the formal layout and plantings of English parks and gardens to the desire for ‘natural’ landscapes.  An increased sensitivity to the world of nature, and  the importance of the picturesque and romantic movements led to the development of the Natural Style. 

Architects and garden designers set about softening the boundaries between house and garden with delightful contrivances such as conservatories, french windows, terraces and verandahs with vases of flowers and plant containers in profusion both inside and out. Houghton Lodge is a textbook example of this.  There is total harmony between the shape of the house, its carefully contoured lawns and the sweeping bends of the river.  

For much more information about the fascinating history of this unique house please come to our Visitors' Centre.  There is far too much to include here on our website!
 Click here for Opening Times
 

Photograph Michael Tozer

We would very much like to hear from anyone who is descended
 from one of these families: