The estate is first mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as part of the Rape of Pevensey, an area given by William the Conqueror to his half-brother, Robert, Count of Mortain.

[3] Whilst there are few written records of Brown's work, it is likely that he divided the lake into the Upper and Lower Women's Way Ponds.

[6] According to the Sussex Express, by 1885 the area to the north of the lower lake was being remodelled with the inclusion of exotic and native trees.

In 1941, Canadian troops moved in, firstly the Quebecois unit, the Régiment de la Chaudière.

[9] The gardens are particularly noted for their plantings of trees selected for autumn colour, including many Black Tupelos.

[12] The estate was used for exterior shooting in the 1961 film, The Innocents, where it served as the Gothic Bly Manor, the setting of the Henry James novella, The Turn of the Screw.