Balcombe Place is a Grade II* Listed Building,[1] built in 1856[2] in West Sussex, with a south view across the Ouse Valley.

The Gentleman's Magazine in 1864 refers to a meeting where “members adjourned to Balcombe Place, a residence recently erected by John Alexander Hankey, Esq., who hospitably entertained them”.

[citation needed] Early maps show wooded areas around the main building, but with a generally unobstructed view to the south.

This may have occurred during the war years, or when the land was used as a school, but may have been arranged beforehand by Lady Denman, who recorded 'bonfires' as a hobby and was once described as 'indiscriminately lopping' trees.

In the reign of Edward I., William de Warenne held the area, and it probably descended as the Barony of Lewes and the Borde-Hill and Spelice families of Nayland.

Hankey erected Balcombe Place in the Tudor style on a commanding spot, near the ancient house.

[citation needed] In 1905, it was purchased,[17] along with the 3,000-acre Balcombe Estate by Weetman Pearson, 1st Viscount Cowdray for his daughter Gertrude upon her marriage to the 3rd Baron Denman.

[18] Lady Denman enjoyed golf and laid a course where the ninth hole was right up against the plate glass windows of the dining room so that her guests were never brave enough to hit the ball properly.

Personal accounts describe the influx of administrative workers, tables, desks and office supplies; and stables containing WLA uniforms and other distributable goods.

[26] In 1955, Mr Geoffrey Teale transferred and renamed his existing school (Whispers) in Wadhurst to Balcombe Place.

[30] Notable Alumni: Unfavourable changes in Capital Gains tax and the ongoing maintenance costs for Country houses, encouraged some owners to sell or demolish their buildings.

[38] From September 2017, the family regained use of Balcombe Place and began renovations to restore the country house.