Was this grand Palladian mansion always Claremont House? Picture this imposing structure of honey-coloured brick. It stands proudly near the London-Portsmouth Road in Esher Surrey. Claremont House boasts a fascinating history stretching back centuries.
Initially a smaller dwelling built in 1708 by Sir John Vanbrugh a renowned architect and playwright. He later expanded it for Thomas Pelham-Holles the Earl of Clare. The Earl named the property Clare-mount later shortened to Claremont. From a belvedere tower added by Vanbrugh one could supposedly see Windsor Castle and St Paul’s Cathedral.
In 1768 the Duke of Newcastle died. His widow sold Claremont to Robert Clive the 1st Baron Clive. Clive found the existing house outdated. He commissioned Lancelot “Capability” Brown a landscape architect to build the current mansion. Brown partnered with Henry Holland. John Soane a future renowned architect worked on the project as a draftsman. Clive reputedly spent over £100000 on the rebuild. Tragically he died in 1774 the year the house was completed.
Claremont’s next chapter involved royalty. In 1816 Parliament purchased it as a wedding gift for Princess Charlotte and Prince Leopold. Princess Charlotte sadly died there in 1817 after a stillborn birth. Queen Victoria frequented Claremont as a child and adult. She even lent it to the exiled French King Louis-Philippe I and Queen Maria Amalia. Later Queen Victoria purchased Claremont for her youngest son Prince Leopold.
Claremont House experienced various ownerships. It was even confiscated and sold due to Prince Leopold’s service in World War I. In 1930 it was bought by a school becoming Claremont School. Now known as Claremont Fan Court School. The gardens a testament to the work of great landscape gardeners belong to the National Trust. Claremont House stands as a symbol of English history and architecture. A place where royalty resided and history unfolded.