The Coombe Estate area of Warren House is the wealthiest and most exclusive in the Royal Borough of Kingston and has been since the Victorian times. Until 1837 the land was owned by Earl Spencer, after which the Duke of Cambridge purchased it, therefore extending his own land to 535 acres. After he had purchased the land, he erected a large fence forbidding anyone entry and put ornamental gates across the entrance to ‘The Warren’ (Warren Road as it is now called), complete with guards.
The result was a miniature civil war in Kingston. Half of the town thought it was the Duke’s own right to do as he pleased with his land, whilst the other half declared that ‘The Warren’ was a vital part of everyday life-it was indeed the very track that led the way through to Richmond, Wandsworth, Wimbledon and Putney. Today Warren Road still has a gate that is regularly guarded by a uniformed official who opens it to vehicle traffic with permits.
In 1865, Hugh Hammersley bought 16 acres of land from the Duke and had Warren House built. Intersecting part of Hammersley’s plot of land was a section belonging to Coombe Nursery. The Nursery (established 1856) was owned by Veitch & Sons and was famous for its many rare specimens of flowering trees and shrubs, most notably magnolias and azaleas and for its Japanese Water Garden, which was inspired apparently by the plate design of the well -known ‘Willow Pattern’.
Indeed, it was these very water gardens that are dividing Hammersley’s land. At some time in the 1870’s, Hammersley managed to persuade Veitch to sell the plot, thus making the land around Warren House complete.
History at a glance
1837 – The Family Home
1865 – Hugh Hammersley
1884 – Lord Wolverton
1907 – General Sir Arthur Paget
1940 – Visitors of Note
1954 – ICI
2000 – The House of Today
The Family Home and Dame Leila Paget
After Hugh Hammersley’s death in 1880, Warren House stood empty until 1884, when it was acquired by George Grenfell Glyn. (The second Baron of Wolverton) and his wife. Lord Wolverton’s family were the founder members of the Williams and Glyn’s bank which is now the Royal Bank of Scotland. 
Lord Wolverton died in 1887 but it was following Lady Wolverton’s death in 1897 that Warren House came into the hands of Sir George Halford of Westonbirt fame. In 1907, after changing hands several times, Warren House was acquired by General Sir Arthur Paget, GCB KCVO. After the First World War, Warren House was inherited by Leila Paget, daughter of Sir Arthur. On returning home after the war, she was feted a national heroine for her courageous devotion to the Serbs and was honoured with the title of Dame – The first in Britain! After the death of her husband in 1940, Lady Paget converted the house into a military convalescent home, supervising and financing the domestic arrangements herself. In 1954 she reluctantly had to sell the house to move to Soames House in Coombe Hill Road.
Many of the noteworthy features of the house and grounds were added during Sir Arthur Paget’s tenancy. The magnificent ballroom, now a main conference hall, was built to resemble the hall of mirrors in the Palace of Versailles. The Persian Room contains a rare and interesting Persian Fireplace probably made to Sir Arthur Paget’s order at about the same time while the Winter Garden with grotto and the Italian style loggia are further examples of the architectural and domestic taste of the period.
General Sir Arthur Paget
General Sir Arthur Paget, owner of the house in the early 20th century was a military man hailing from a distinguished line of eminent military and political men. After serving as Page to the Queen, he saw action in the Sudan and the South African war as Colonel commanding the Scots Guards and soon afterwards became Major-General in command of the 20th Brigade. The magazine ‘Vanity Fair’ in 1908 referred to General Paget as ‘a conventional military man; tall, erect and active- terse and abrupt and obviously accustomed to command.’ Sir Arthur’s picture as published in ‘Vanity Fair’, can be seen today in the Lounge of the House.
Visitors of Note and the House of Today
If Gladstone, Edward VIII, George V, George VI, Queen Alexandra, Queen Mary or any of the other famous guests who frequented Warren House could return to it today, they would find it virtually unchanged. The current owners have certainly made a point of maintaining it in all its original beauty. The House was purchased by ICI in the autumn of 1954, for use as a Conference and Training Centre.
Edward VII pictured at Warren House in May 1909
Warren House was then sold in April 2000 to a consortium of five local businessmen. The Long term aim being to develop the conference business which ICI had established through their ownership. It must be remembered that ICI used the house mainly for their personal conference purposes and it was essential for the new owners to develop a new client base to create a commercial success. In September 2005, Warren House was sold again to its current owners- ex-local residents whose main objective was and continues to be to invest in and nurture the already blooming conference and events business so as to maximise its full potential and create a venue truly worthy of five star status.
At the end of the nineteenth century the Pagets ‘acquired the beautiful Warren House, which is still one of the glories of Kingston’.
The Gardens of Today
The gardens at Warren House are today tended to by Andrew Fuller and his team. Having studied for a degree in Horticulture at the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew, Andrew came to work at Warren House and has been here for over several years. In that time, he has been the creative force behind many of the original innovative garden designs, including the creation of a superb natural style meadow filled with grasses, herbaceous perennials and fruit trees, including apples, pears, plums, quince and medlar- a wonderful, peaceful spot to sit and relax amongst the daises, lilies, poppies and romantic statues.
The Service of Today
Warren House offers so much to every company and each delegate that visits the House along with our Leisure guests and non- residents. The conference and meeting rooms are light, airy and uniquely decorated. They all overlook the stunning and immaculate gardens with their beautiful shrubs, lawns, wildlife, statues and fountains.
Located only 20 minutes from central London, 30 minutes from Heathrow and 40 minutes from Gatwick, Warren House is ideally situated and is an ideal venue for all national and international delegates. The Leisure facilities include an air-conditioned exercise room as well as a heated indoor pool.
Each of the 46 individually styled and furnished bedrooms comes complete with a television, hot drink facilities, a complimentary mini bar (stocked with still and sparkling mineral water), hairdryer, trouser press, and modem point and desk and safety deposit boxes. Laundry and Dry Cleaning and a daily newspaper along with 24-hour room service can also be arranged at your request.
All Warren House staff has a reputation for providing excellent customer service, to ensure all our guests can expect to be treated with courtesy, professionalism, and genuine friendliness from the moment you arrive to when you depart.
