Hinton Ampner Photo Gallery

Hinton Ampner was once a Tudor farmhouse but developed under different owners over the centuries. It started in the 1540s although we aren't sure who built it. It was demolished in 1793 and a Georgian house rose in its place under Henry Stawell Bilson-Legge. The house then passed to the Dutton family after a marriage, and built an extension with a mock Tudor Gothic style starting in 1865. Ralph Dutton inherited the site in 1935 and tried to improve the home, but with the threat of war increasing, he had difficulty sourcing materials, and ended up moving into the incomplete project. During World War II, he gave the house to the Portsmouth Day School for Girls, after which he resumed his renovation. However, a devastating fire destroyed much of the house in 1960, but Ralph rebuilt and restored it and the house became livable again by 1963. The gardens are beautiful and well-maintained. Don't miss the roses!