Juniper Hall

Juniper Hall in Dorking (strictly, the village of Mickleham in Surrey) is a historic country house on the eastern slope of the Mole Gap, where the River Mole cuts through the North Downs. Since 1947 it has housed a Field Studies Council centre, and it earned its place in history as a refuge for French exiles during the Revolution.

What is Juniper Hall?

The house is a Grade II listed building, protected since 1951. The listing highlights its historic interest and one surviving 18th-century room. It belongs to the National Trust, which leases it to the Field Studies Council.

How did the building develop?

An inn called the Royal Oak, with roots in the 17th century, once stood on the site. In the 18th century Sir Cecil Bisshopp acquired the estate and added a north-west wing around 1762. The inn was later demolished and the house rebuilt and extended eastwards. The listing dates this to about 1870, while other sources credit the MacAndrew family with the remodelling that gave the house its present form in the 1880s.

Why is Juniper Hall famous?

In early 1793 the house sheltered a circle of French exiles who had escaped the Terror. They included Madame de Staël, Count Louis de Narbonne, the former war minister, and his close friend General Alexandre d'Arblay. The novelist Fanny Burney, introduced to the group through the Locke family of nearby Norbury Park, became part of their circle. She married d'Arblay in the summer of 1793 at the parish church in Mickleham.

What happened in the 20th century?

During the Second World War the Canadian Army was stationed here in the build-up to the Normandy landings. The National Trust bought the estate in 1945, and two years later it opened as one of the first four field centres run by the Field Studies Council.

Can you visit Juniper Hall?

It operates as an educational centre rather than a museum. Stays are tied to courses, workshops and school groups, so the interiors are not open like a typical attraction. Ask the centre about access before you travel. The surroundings reward a walk: the slopes include unimproved chalk grassland, coppiced woodland, heathland and freshwater, and the Mole Gap is one of the most scenic corners of Surrey.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Juniper Hall? In Mickleham, just east of Dorking in Surrey, within the Mole Gap of the North Downs.

Is it a listed building? Yes. It has been Grade II listed since 1951.

Who lived here in the 18th century? French émigrés, among them Madame de Staël and Louis de Narbonne. Fanny Burney, later d'Arblay's wife, visited the group.

Can I go inside as a tourist? The house works as a course centre, so entry depends on arrangement with the Field Studies Council. The surrounding countryside and Mickleham's historic church are easier to explore.