Visit to Norney Grange
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Applications are now invited for our visit to Norney Grange in Surrey on Saturday 23rd May 2026.
Norney Grange
Norney was designed by Voysey in 1897 for the Rev. W. Leighton Grane. It is listed Grade II* by Historic England.
Russell Clapshaw, who lived in the house for seventy years, wrote about it as follows:
Voysey ... was trying to discover the Englishness in architectural style and he experimented at Norney. Thus the slates on this and on many of his houses are from Westmorland. The leaded light windows are of Tudor style. At the eastern end the shaped leaded roofs above the inglenooks are of Gothic style. Notice that the walls which surround the drive circle before the front door have an ogee profile, a trace of the Gothic. True, the panelling inside is of Austrian oak, but apparently such trees grew on the nearby common.
He displays, also, some foreign styles: the round window above the front door is Roman. The metalwork on the front door is Belgian Art Nouveau. So, too, are the bars for opening and closing windows which you can see from outside or inside the house.
Voysey’s approach was holistic; he designed everything. Thomas Elsey of West London made for him the metalwork gutters, down pipes, door handles, key holes and keys, fireplaces, air vents and hinges. Voysey designed also doors, fitted cupboards and dressers. ... He disparaged overt decoration and fashions in furniture and wanted it to be simple and functional.
Voysey was, in some ways, ahead of his time. He seems also to have broken his own precepts. The water boxes above his down pipes are decorated with battlements. The Art Nouveau metalwork is both ornate and foreign. ...
The house is deliberately asymmetric outside and in most rooms inside. The south, more domestic, face is still less symmetrical than the north. ... Much of the front north face is flat and, towards the east, grand. The roof above is full of variety. There are two cross roofs, the main one with a change in pitch. From west to east there is a series of gables of increasing size. Many, on the north side, are flat. However, between the two greatest is a thrusting curved stone porch topped by a large circular window and curved roof.
For the full version of this account, and for articles by Prof. Ian Hamerton on the lodges of Norney, by Richard Havelock on the house itself, and by Dr Catherine Sidwell on Norney on film and television, see:
Programme
All times following the start are approximate.
- 10.00 : convene at the house for an introduction to the day.
- 10.30-12.30 : guided tours of the interior and exterior of Norney Grange, viewing the gate lodge, stable lodge, and a walk in the garden. We shall also offer tea or coffee during the day.
- 13.00 : depart.
The late Alastair Service (editor of Edwardian architecture and its origins (Architectural Press, 1975), amongst other titles) said that, "the major achievement of Norney is the intense feeling of unity between house and garden … the loving care poured into the achievement of unity with nature makes for an architectural experience of a high order."
Charges
There will be a charge of £10 per head. Numbers are limited. If space permits, we are happy to accept members' guests at this event.
Directions
Norney Grange is located at the junction of Shackleford Road and Elstead Road, in the village of Shackleford in Surrey. Its postcode is GU8 6AY.
From the A3 (Guildford and Godalming bypass) take the exit towards Hurtmore, Norney and Shackleford. Turn right on to Hurtmore Road if coming from the north, or left on to Elstead Road if coming from the south. Hurtmore Road continues into Elstead Road.
The Church of St Mary the Virgin also stands at the junction of Elstead Road with Shackleford Road. At the crossroads turn right into Shackleford Road, where there is free parking.
The nearest railway station is Farncombe, 3 miles away, but Godalming has a better service and is almost as close.
How to apply
Please complete our online application form.
Norney's entrance front, published in The Studio in 1905
Recent photographs of Norney's front door (above) and garden front (below) by Richard Havelock
Please note our photography guidelines. We shall assume that attendees consent to their own inclusion in photographs taken on the day unless they advise the group leader otherwise.
You participate in events at your own risk, and neither the Voysey Society nor its officers or other volunteers accept any liability whatsoever, however arising. The Society reserves the right to cancel, alter or postpone events if necessary. Before applying for an event, take into account any possible difficulty you may have because of weather, health or other conditions. In hot weather, consider bringing water and protection from the sun.
Page last amended 31st March 2026