Thatched House Lodge

Thatched House Lodge is a 17th-century building in Richmond Park, south-west London. It started as two houses built in 1673 for park keepers and became one residence in the 18th century. Sir Robert Walpole lived there after it was enlarged in 1727. The name comes from an 18th-century thatched summer house on the grounds. Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy, has lived there since 1963. The house has six reception rooms and six bedrooms set in four acres of gardens. It was once home to Sir Angus Ogilvy and before him to figures like General Sir Edward Bowater and Sir Frederick Treves. Dwight D. Eisenhower stayed there during the Second World War. The property includes a gardener’s cottage, stabling and other buildings. Visitors find a Grade II-listed house with formal gardens and a thatched summer house. The grounds contain mature trees and lawns laid out in the 18th century. The main building shows William Kent’s influence from its enlargement. The setting remains quiet within Richmond Park’s protected landscape.