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Compton's Brow

Introduction

The house was built in 1900, on agricultural land, by John Guille Millais (1865-1931), son of the famous artist John Everard Millais. Millais was awarded the Victoria Medal of Honour by the Royal Horticultural Society in 1927.

Millais created a garden on the original two acres and acquired a further six acres about 1915 for a forest garden which was to eventually contain some 5,000 rhododendrons, azaleas and magnolias. He specialised in early-flowering shrubs, especially magnolias and rhododendrons.
History

Compton's Brow was situated on the edge of St Leonard's Forest, to the north of Leonardslee. The house was built in 1900, on agricultural land, by John Guille Millais (1865-1931), son of the famous artist John Everard Millais. Millais was awarded the Victoria Medal of Honour by the Royal Horticultural Society in 1927. He died in 1931.

He was a near neighbour and became a friend of Sir Edmund Loder at Leonardslee. Millais wrote a definitive monograph (1924) on rhododendrons which contained a list of Sussex gardens with fine collections, ending with South Lodge and Nymans. He was a naturalist and an inveterate plant hunter and explorer.

The house was demolished in the 1960s, and the whole site re-developed as housing. Horsham was proud of this illustrious resident and a local school was named Millais in his honour.

Period

  • 20th Century (1901 to 2000)
  • Early 20th Century (1901 to 1932)
Associated People
Features & Designations

Features

  • House (featured building)
  • Description: The house was built in 1900, on agricultural land, by John Guille Millais (1865-1931), son of the famous artist John Everard Millais. The house was demolished in the 1960s.
  • Earliest Date:
  • Latest Date:
Key Information

Type

Garden

Principal Building

Domestic / Residential

Period

20th Century (1901 to 2000)

Survival

Lost

Civil Parish

Lower Beeding