Clandon between the wars

Richard and Violet reoccupied the house with their two young children and life began to return to normal. Glass broken by a Zeppelin bomb was repaired and the house was redecorated.

Richard returned to his political career, becoming Under-Secretary of State at War and a privy councillor. He continued to be involved in local affairs and was heavily involved in the creation of Onslow Village, just outside Guildford. Here, good quality, affordable housing for demobilised soldiers was built.

The Second World War

When the Second World War broke out in 1939, Clandon Park once again supported the war effort. This time it provided safe storage for precious documents from the Public Record Office away from the dangers of the Blitz.

The Onslow family moved out of their home to make way for Public Record Office staff, who carried out repairs to the fragile documents.

Arthur Onslow during the war

Arthur 6th Earl of Onslow was awarded the Military Cross for his distinguished service in the war. After being held as a prisoner of war, he returned from Europe and his family reoccupied Clandon in 1946.

These were difficult times and the Onslow family found juggling estate management and the needs of the house demanding. Arthur and his wife Pamela made the difficult decision to move into a smaller house on the estate and opened Clandon to the public in 1950.

Restoring Clandon Park

Despite their best efforts, Arthur and Pamela couldn’t find the funds to carry out the extensive repairs that Clandon urgently needed. Arthur’s aunt, Gwendolen Guinness, Countess of Iveagh stepped in to help.

Lady Iveagh gave the house to the National Trust in 1956 and Arthur contributed to the cost of the repairs, including essential maintenance, a new roof and treatment for dry rot.

There wasn’t enough money for decoration, which is why it was more than a decade before the interior designer John Fowler was hired to work on the interiors. His style combined modern comfort and taste with beautiful Georgian furniture and decorative arts.

Uncovering historic decoration

Fowler was an early pioneer of a technique that used paint scrapes to reveal historic decoration. However, he often added his own ‘twist’ that included complex and subtle colours and graining.

He recognised the rarity and importance of the historic wallpapers from the 1740s that were discovered under wall coverings. He also used a pioneering approach to investigate the historic decorative schemes and bring colour back into the ground-floor state rooms.

The fire in 2015

A fire broke out in 2015 and destroyed many of the paintings, furniture, Māori treasures, ceramics and books.

The Trust is committed to opening a new chapter in the history of Clandon house, bringing it back to life in one shape or form. We will see….

Gardens

By the early 18th century, Clandon was surrounded by an extensive formal landscape which can be seen in Knyff’s 1708 view. To the west of the house was a deer park, while agricultural land stretched to the north. The main approach led to a brick-walled forecourt on the west front, aligned with a long double avenue. A stable block stood just north of the house.

The formal gardens featured a canal, parterres, and a Wilderness, which extended well beyond the area of the present garden. When Leoni rebuilt the house for Thomas Onslow between 1720 and 1730, these established garden elements—including the canal and Wilderness—were kept.

‘Capability’ Brown

Lancelot Brown (1716-83) was commissioned to landscape the gardens and park in 1776. He removed the remaining formal gardens, altered the canal into an informal lake (the South Pool), and greatly extended the park to the west and north. An existing millpond was increased in size to form another lake.

William Andrew or Markham Nesfield

In 1870, Clandon was inherited by William Hillier, 4th Earl of Onslow. Nesfield (William Andrew or his son Markham) was consulted about the garden layout and work was carried out in the garden and Wilderness.

Further Developments

Between 1895 and 1910 the garden was developed from ‘a lawn of six acres’ (Gardeners’ Chronicle 1885) to a series of gardens.

The northern end of the park was sold off for the new railway in the late 19th century and during the 20th century trees were lost due to decay, Dutch elm disease, and the storms of 1987 and 1990. The easternmost part of the park was developed for housing.