Hills House, Denham
Encyclopedia
Hills House is a 17th Century Tudor
residence located on the Village Road in Denham, Buckinghamshire
, England
. In the late 1930s and early 1940s, it was the home of Merle Oberon
and her husband Sir Alexander Korda. In 1975 the house was purchased by Sir John and Lady Mills
.
staircase in oak. The exterior is partially covered with wisteria vine.
The house is listed as Grade II* by English Heritage
, and features a blue plaque because of its historical significance.
The John Mills family bought Hills House in 1975. However, the four acre (16 000 m²) garden and the house eventually became too large and the stairs too difficult for the elderly Sir John (1908-2005), and Lady Mills (1911-2005). In 2003 they moved from the house to a bungalow in the village of Denham.
Tudor
- Architecture :*Tudor architecture, the final development of medieval architecture during the Tudor period *Tudor Revival architecture, also called Mock Tudor, refers to the 20th century emulation of Tudor architecture-Entertainment:...
residence located on the Village Road in Denham, Buckinghamshire
Denham, Buckinghamshire
Denham is a village and civil parish in the South Buckinghamshire district of Buckinghamshire, England. It is north west of Uxbridge and north of junction 1 of the M40 motorway. Denham contains the Buckinghamshire Golf Club.-Origin:...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. In the late 1930s and early 1940s, it was the home of Merle Oberon
Merle Oberon
Merle Oberon was an Indian-born British actress best known for her screen performances in The Scarlet Pimpernel and The Cowboy and the Lady . She began her film career in British films as Anne Boleyn in The Private Life of Henry VIII . She travelled to the United States to make films for Samuel...
and her husband Sir Alexander Korda. In 1975 the house was purchased by Sir John and Lady Mills
Mary Hayley Bell
Mary Hayley Bell, Lady Mills was an English actress, writer and dramatist.Mary Hayley Bell was born in Shanghai, China, where her father served in the Chinese Maritime Customs Service, and the family later moved to Tianjin . It was there that she first met John Mills, although exactly when is not...
.
Description
The house is built of red brick with a tile roof. It has four gables facing the street, alternately shaped and stepped, and features three storeys. The sections of the house frontage differ. The left section has six double-hung, flush windows with glazing bars, flat brick arches and small brick cornice mouldings. The right section windows have cambered brick relieving arches. The ground floor has an entrance door with wooden architrave and hood on carved brackets. The gables have brick copings and the ground and first floor have brick bands. The interior is reported to feature a semi-circular recess with fluted pilasters and moulded cornice and newelstaircase in oak. The exterior is partially covered with wisteria vine.
The house is listed as Grade II* by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
, and features a blue plaque because of its historical significance.
History
Alexander Korda (1893-1956) bought the house and estate at Denham for the sum of 15,000 pounds, planning to build film studios on the property. He managed to obtain permission for the construction and sent to California for architects to build the studios, which opened in 1936 but suffered from financial difficulties. After Korda's marriage to film star Merle Oberon (1911-1917) in 1939, the couple lived in the house until their divorce in 1945. The area where the film studio stood is now a park.The John Mills family bought Hills House in 1975. However, the four acre (16 000 m²) garden and the house eventually became too large and the stairs too difficult for the elderly Sir John (1908-2005), and Lady Mills (1911-2005). In 2003 they moved from the house to a bungalow in the village of Denham.