The Heritage of Beaverbrook - Discover the Story

History & Art

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Tales from a bygone era

Beaverbrook marries the luxury of now with a beguiling spirit of the past.  The story of its most famous resident, Lord Beaverbrook, still remains interwoven throughout its walls.

A kingmaker, powerbroker (and sometime mischief maker), Lord Beaverbrook was a consummate politician, publicist of boundless energy, and great friend of Winston Churchill. His newspapers, the Daily Express and Sunday Express, could make or break almost anyone, and he hosted the great and the good at Beaverbrook during his time there. Take a look at the estate's visitor’s book and you'll see for yourself.

Spitfire legacy

The ethos of Lord Beaverbrook, is epitomised in our iconic Spitfire emblem.  As wartime Minister of Aircraft Production, Beaverbrook famously trebled the production of Spitfires, enabling Britain to snatch victory from the jaws of certain defeat in the pivotal Battle of Britain.

A Surrey estate steeped in history

1866

The origins of Beaverbrook

The late Victorian mansion, set among acres of prime Surrey parkland, is built for businessman Abraham Dixon.

Some 13 years later, in 1879, the man who would later be known as Lord Beaverbrook, Max Aitken, was born in Ontario, Canada.

"A picture tells a thousand words"

Our estate is home to a wealth of historical art treasures, tenderly curated by Beaverbrook’s creative director, Sir Frank Lowe. He has been responsible for lining Beaverbrook’s walls with inspirational works created by a whole host of artists from diverse genres and generations, including contemporary stained-glass artist, Brian Clarke, Victorian adventurer, Marianne North, as well as highly esteemed names such as Gerhard Richter and Jean Cocteau.

Art