Exbury House

Exbury House is a three-story brick and ashlar mansion with nine bays along its garden frontage, featuring a colonnaded entrance and slate roof. The building displays a rectangular layout where one corner has been deliberately removed to create its distinctive main entrance front.

The estate dates back to the 13th century as Exbury Manor and passed through the Berkeley, Compton, and Mitford families before Lionel de Rothschild acquired it in 1919. This long ownership history across centuries shaped how the house and grounds developed over time.

The house served as a Royal Navy operational headquarters during World War II, marking a period when it functioned as a military command center rather than a private residence. This wartime role shaped how people remember the place today and remains a defining chapter of its story.

The house itself remains private and is not open to visitors, but the surrounding gardens open during certain times of the year and can be explored without accessing the building interior. Travelers should check opening times in advance since these vary throughout the seasons.

The building features an unusual architectural detail where one corner of its rectangular form was deliberately removed to create the main entrance front. This distinctive solution is an overlooked element that many visitors miss when first viewing the garden side of the property.