Saint Hill Manor

Saint Hill Manor is a Georgian manor house in Saint Hill Green, East Grinstead, built from local Sussex sandstone with a symmetrical façade and classical proportions. The two-storey building features a central entrance hall with adjoining reception rooms and wide service wings across the surrounding grounds.

Gibbs Crawfurd commissioned the house in 1792 on the site of an earlier Jacobean residence, incorporating parts of the older structure into the new design. The Maharajah of Jaipur acquired it in the 1950s and added elements that remain visible inside today.

The estate takes its name from Saint Hill itself, a gentle rise overlooking the Weald countryside. The 18th-century gardens follow the English landscape style with open lawns and mature tree groupings.

The house lies southwest of East Grinstead and can be reached via country roads through the Sussex countryside. Paths across the grounds vary in surface, with some areas better suited to dry weather.

John Spencer Churchill painted a mural in 1945 in what became known as the Monkey Room, featuring 145 primates from 20 species that remain on view today. The Churchill family spent several months at the estate during the Second World War.

Location: East Grinstead

Inception: 1792

Official opening: 1792

Website: http://sainthillmanor.org.uk

GPS coordinates: 51.10560,-0.02682

Latest update: December 17, 2025 08:59