History of Dorton House
Dorton House, formerly known as Wildernesse, is now the Royal London Society for the Blind's (RLSB's) administrative headquarters and also provides residential accommodation to the blind and partially sighted pupils who attend the Society's adjacent Dorton House School.
The RLSB's original school was in Swiss Cottage, London, but during the Second World War, the children were evacuated to a property called Dorton House in Buckinghamshire. In 1954, the RLSB purchased the Mansion House, Wildernesse, in Seal, Sevenoaks and a year later, the school relocated and brought the name Dorton House with it.
Dorton House is over three hundred years old, although nothing remains of the original house which was built by Sir Charles Bickerstaffe in 1669. In the mid 18th century, the southern end of the present house was built and fifty years later, it was enlarged.
In 1884, the house was bought by Charles Henry Mills of Hillingdon who later became Baron Hillingdon. The house was enlarged again and an immense amount of work was carried out.
Baron Hillingdon built his own gasworks as well as a laundry and an orphanage from where he employed many of his staff. He was a great philanthropist and eventually gave the allotments, recreation ground and village hall to Seal. In 1890, he founded a Golf Club, Wildernesse, which formed the beginnings of the present Wildernesse and Knole Golf Clubs.
In 1923, Wildernesse was sold to a syndicate, becoming a Country Club and Golf Course which had, as an early brochure states, "probably the most palatial nineteenth hole in England".
After use as a sector hospital during the Second World War, Wildernesse continued as a Country Club until 1954 when it became known as Dorton House.
On the Dorton campus today, the RLSB runs Dorton House Nursery, Dorton House School and Dorton College of Further Education. Our Industrial Services Division and Employment Service are based in London.
Dorton House offers a prestigious venue for civil weddings, corporate and other special events.
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