Situated near Burnham Beeches, Dorneywood was once part of the Dorney Court Estate. Purchased by Lord Courtauld-Thomson in 1919, he refurbished the house and added an east wing in the 1920s. In 1942 Lord Courtauld-Thomson decided that, on his death (which occurred in 1954) the House, with a small endowment, should pass to the nation for use by a senior member of the government (in recent times the Chancellor of the Exchequer) as a weekend retreat. It is now owned by the National Trust and leased to the Dorneywood Trust.

There appears to have been a house on the Dorneywood site since the sixteenth-century. The eighteenth-century manor house was partly destroyed by fire in 1910 and later rebuilt and restored. The house is decorated and furnished in the style of the 1930s and 1940s, Lord Courtauld-Thomson's furniture, books and works of art are carefully preserved and many are used on a daily basis in the house.

Following an introduction to the history of the House and its 70 years as a Ministerial Residence, Members will have the chance to visit the four principal Ground Floor rooms. You will hear how the Dorneywood team balances the roles of historic house and working residence / retreat with the charitable purposes of the Dorneywood Trust. You will also have the chance to look at the ‘tented’ interior on the First-Floor landing, which is normally not available for viewing for reasons of privacy.

Selected pieces of furniture will be opened for closer inspection. Beyond the furniture, there is a famous mural by Rex Whistler; landscape painting by Winston Churchill; overdoor paintings by Jacob de Wit; and many highlights in the book collection. The visit includes a Sparkling Afternoon Tea in the Music Room and weather depending, the chance to walk around the six-acre Garden.

COST: £130 (includes afternoon tea)
LIMIT: 18
CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS: Friday, 21 February 2025

Dorneywood South Front