Kenwood, St George's Hill
| Kenwood | |
|
Surrey | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | TQ08286297 |
| Location: | 51°21’20"N, 0°26’47"W |
| Town: | Weybridge |
| History | |
| Built 1913 | |
| For: | Norman H. Johnson by Theophilus Arthur Allen |
| Tudor revival | |
| Information | |
Kenwood is a house on the St George's Hill estate in Weybridge, in the north of Surrey. Originally called 'the Brown House', it was designed by architect T. A. Allen, and built in 1913 by Love & Sons, a local building firm. The estate was constructed around the Weybridge Golf Club, which was designed in 1912 by Harry Colt.
John Lennon, of the Beatles, bought Kenwood for £20,000 in 1964, on the advice of the Beatles' accountants, Dr Walter Strach and James Isherwood. Lennon was resident from the summer of 1964 until the late spring of 1968. Parts of a home movie showing Lennon at Kenwood in 1967 were featured in the film Imagine: John Lennon.
Kenwood is close to Sunny Heights, the former home of Ringo Starr, and a short drive from Kinfauns, George Harrison's former home in Esher.
In October 2006, Kenwood went back on the market at a price of £5.95 million; it was sold in January 2007 for £5.8 million. It went onto the market once again in June 2013, for £13.75 million.
History
Located on Wood Lane, off Cavendish Road, Kenwood was built in a mock-Tudor style in 1913, and was originally called The Brown House.
The house was built according to the rules laid down in the building scheme for St George's Hill, in gardens covering an acre and a half, of which under the rules of the scheme the house must occupy no more than one fifth and the plot may not be subdivided into more than one home. The house was designed in 1913 by architect Theophilus Arthur Allen, who had been commissioned by local man Norman H. Johnson.[1] The hill was divided into lots around the Weybridge Golf Club.[2] Many of the original houses on the estate were built by master builder Walter George Tarrant.
John Lennon bought the house in 1964: Cliff Richard and Tom Jones had earlier bought homes on the St George's Hill estate.[3] Though reportedly not liking Kenwood (describing it as a "stop-over" on the way to something better), Lennon spent £40,000 on renovations, reducing its 22 rooms to 17, landscaping the grounds, and building an outdoor swimming pool.[4] Much of the initial decoration was left to interior designer Kenneth Partridge.
When John and Cynthia Lennon divorced, the house was sold, in December 1968, for a reputed £40,000 to Bill Martin, a songwriter.
Kenwood has subsequently changed hands several times, and been subject to some major renovation work.
In January 2013, Kenwood was again back on the market with a price of £15 million.
Outside links
References
- ↑ Inventory of Tarrant Built Houses on St George's Hill (1992)
- ↑ Smith, Stewart. "St George's Hill Golf Club". St George's Hill Golf Club. http://www.stgeorgeshillgolfclub.co.uk/. Retrieved 10 June 2011.
- ↑ Lennon 2005, p. 199.
- ↑ Davies 2002, p. 323.
- Swenarton, Mavis (1992). Inventory of Tarrant Built Houses on St George's Hill. Walton and Weybridge Local History Society.
- Coleman, Ray (2000). Lennon - The Definitive Biography. Pan. ISBN 978-0-330-48330-8.
- Lennon, Cynthia (1978). A Twist of Lennon. Star. ISBN 978-0-352-30196-3.