Lutyens at Twenty-Nine
Goddards was designed by Edwin Lutyens in 1898, when he was just 29 years old. The commission came from Frederick Mirrielees, who wanted a holiday rest home for ‘ladies of small means’ – a private charity that would provide recuperation in the Surrey Hills. Lutyens chose a seven-acre plot at Abinger Common and designed a building in his distinctive Surrey vernacular style, using local stone, brick, roughcast, and oak.
The house was enlarged by Lutyens in 1910 and has changed remarkably little since. It shows many of the hallmarks of his early domestic work: a deep understanding of local building traditions, a genius for manipulating light and space, and an attention to craft detail that borders on the obsessive. The staircase, the window seats, the fireplace surrounds – every element was designed as part of a whole.
Jekyll's Courtyard Garden
Gertrude Jekyll designed the courtyard garden at Goddards, though her contribution here was deliberately restrained. She planned a low-maintenance scheme without the large herbaceous borders and pergola structures that characterise her more famous commissions. The garden suits the building perfectly – understated, well-proportioned, and rooted in the Surrey landscape.
The house was given to the Lutyens Trust in 1991 by Mr and Mrs M.W. Hall, who had owned it since 1953. The Landmark Trust now operates most of the building as holiday accommodation, meaning visitors can stay in one of Lutyens' finest early houses. The Lutyens Trust retains the library. Open days are held periodically, but staying overnight is the best way to experience Goddards as its architect intended.
