Huntington House, which is owned and run by Marilyn and Geoffrey Hoare assisted by their son Charlie and daughter Sarah, is celebrating 30 years of providing nursing care to the older members of the Hindhead and surrounding communities.
Marilyn started out at the age of 14 working weekends at Manormead Nursing Home, before training as a nurse after leaving school. Within two years of qualifying she became matron of Grayshott Nursing Home, before going on to start up Hindhead Nursing Home. She purchased Huntington House as a derelict building in 1977 and opened for business in 1978 with 13 residents.
Originally known as Tarn Moor, the house was built in 1898 as a weekend retreat for a London Solicitor. Hindhead, known as 'mini-Switzerland' because of its altitude and clean air, was a popular resort at the turn of the century with numerous large houses being built by the rich and famous, including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and George Bernard Shaw. The name Huntington House belonged to a girls' school that moved to Hindhead in the 1930's. Former pupils still call in from time to time with fascinating stories of bygone times.
Marilyn's aim in 1978 was to provide the best possible care in the most comfortable surroundings in a peaceful environment. In order to achieve that Huntington House has undergone several major additions and extensive internal refurbishment, as well as a radical overhaul of the gardens and grounds. Unfortunately, the immaculate woodland gardens that were laid out by the Victorians were not kept up to scratch by successive owners of the property. A great deal of progress has been made in recent years in renovating some of the original garden features within the 30 acres of grounds, and it is hoped that residents will be able to access some of these areas by wheelchair paths before the end of the year.
Residents enjoy an active social programme of both indoor and outdoor events, the most recent of which was a lunchtime barbeque to celebrate the first good spell of weather! Last month a visit to Lurgashall Winery was enjoyed greatly, as was the merchandise purchased, and a wonderful trip down memory lane was experienced at Milestones Living History Museum in Basingstoke. A trip to the seaside will be next on the agenda if the good weather continues.
A great debt of gratitude is owed to all the dedicated staff who contribute whole-heartedly to the life of the residents at Huntington House, especially those who have worked at the home for so many years. Finally, everyone at Huntington House would like to thank the hundreds of families who have chosen the home for their loved ones over the past 30 years, and look forward to serving the community for many years to come.
