The history of Leonardslee

Now you can hear all about the estate’s amazing history – from the manufacture of cannonballs for Oliver Cromwell’s army, to the creation of the magnificent gardens by the great Victorian plant collector, Sir Edmund Loder; how Leonardslee featured in the cult classic film Black Narcissus, and up to the 2000s and the recent saving and restoration of the estate by the Streeter family.

‘Growing Leonardslee’ Podcast host Adam Streeter interviews head gardener Jamie Harris, who has explored the archives for us, assembling lots of fascinating information from a range of historic sources.

You will hear how Sir Edmund Loder - who bought the estate in 1889 and planted the famous collections of Rhododendrons and Azaleas - also introduced gazelle, beavers, kangaroos and wallabies. The wallabies are still with us and you can spot them in the enclosure or wandering freely in the estate.

Estate history records how on 7 July 1939, Hitler’s Ambassador to England, Joachim Von Ribbentrop, dined locally at The Spread Eagle in Midhurst with Hermann Goering and four other officers after attending the Goodwood Races. Before coming to The Spread Eagle, Goering visited Leonardslee, and it is believed that he had selected this beautiful property to be his H.Q. after the invasion of England.

The historical record all started, says Jamie, when King Charles II granted the lands of St Leonard's Forest to his physician, Sir Edward Greaves. They were passed down to the Aldridge family, and a portion of the estate in 1801 was sold to Charles George Beauclerk, who built a house called St Leonard's Lodge on the site of the present mansion.

Join us and listen to the podcast for find out what happened next.