Leith Hill Place and Rhododendron Garden, National Trust, near Dorking

Leith Hill Place  (Palladian style) is magnificently situated high up overlooking the Surrey countryside and dates from the 1700.'s It was the childhood home of one of England's greatest composers Ralph Vaughan Williams, and is a place of creativity and inspiration.
The Rhododendrons can be seen betweem May and mid June in the nearby woodland. They were planted in the mid 1850's by Caroline Wedgewood together with giant redwoods native to North America. It is possible that the trees formed a long avenue too the mansion. There are also other specimen treees within the woods. 

You can visit the House and in the study you'll find the little piano on which famous composer Ralph Vaughan Williams wrote many of his famous works. The piano was used to write compositions including 'The Lark Ascending', which has been named the nation's favourite piece of classical music.
The mansion has an intuiging history and in 1847 Leith Hill Place and was bought by Josiah Wedgwood III who married Caroline Darwin, sister of Charles Darwin. The house itself is undergoing a period of restoration but you can still see some of the rooms which are yet to be completed.
There is a series of events throughout the year.

Where did Ralph Vaughan Williams live?
He lived at Leith Hill Place, a Palladian Mansion near Dorking, Surrey now owned by the National Trust.

Visit National Trust Website - click here