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Denville Hall

Denville Hall is a historic building in Northwood, a town in the London Borough of Hillingdon, England, which is used as a retirement home for professional actors, actresses and members of other theatrical professions. The present building incorporates part of a 16th-century house, which was substantially rebuilt in 1851 and later considerably extended after becoming a retirement home in 1926. Many well-known British actors and actresses have resided there.

Denville Hall
The building in December 2013
Former names
  • Maze Farm
  • Northwood Hall
General information
Address62 Ducks Hill Road
Town or cityNorthwood, London
CountryEngland
Coordinates51°36′37″N 0°26′26″W / 51.61029°N 0.44049°W / 51.61029; -0.44049Coordinates: 51°36′37″N 0°26′26″W / 51.61029°N 0.44049°W / 51.61029; -0.44049
Renovated2004
OwnerDenville Hall Ltd.
DesignationsLocally listed
Website
denvillehall.org.uk

History and description

The hall includes part of a 16th-century house called Maze Farm.[1] In the 18th century it belonged to the judge Sir John Vaughan.[2] In 1851 it was rebuilt in Victorian Gothic style by Daniel Norton, and renamed Northwood Hall.[1][2] Alfred Denville, impresario, actor-manager and MP,[3] bought the hall in 1925 and dedicated it to the acting profession in memory of his son Jack, who had died at the age of 26 after onstage complications with re-aggravated World War I injuries. He renamed the building Denville Hall and created a charity in the same name.[2] It was opened formally as a rest home in July 1926 by Princess Louise, the then Princess Royal.[4]

The building, heavily extended in the intervening years, is locally listed.[1] A further remodelling and expansion project with landscaping, by Acanthus LW Architects, was completed in 2004.[5]

Simon Williams, who was co-chairman of Denville Hall for 15 years, incorporated some of his experiences in his play Laying the Ghost, basing Yew Tree House on the Hall.[6]

Facilities and services

Though actors have priority,[7] the home is available to other people in the entertainment industry (including the circus),[8] such as agents and dancers,[7] and their spouses[9] over the age of 70 and offers residential, nursing, convalescent, dementia and palliative care. Residents can stay on a long-term or short-term basis, and physiotherapy is provided.[10][11] There is also a subsidised bar.[9][12]

Notable residents

Many British actors and actresses have spent their retirement years at Denville Hall,[13] including: (Note: All actors and actresses listed here are deceased)

Supporters

The hall and charity have had a number of notable supporters. Lord Attenborough, whose widow Sheila, Lady Attenborough, also resided at Denville Hall, was president.[62] In the late 1960s and early 1970s, performers including Sean Connery, Michael Caine, Paul Scofield and Elizabeth Taylor (for her television debut) donated their fees to rebuilding the house.[63][64] In 1999 the original set from The Mousetrap, after 47 years' continuous use, was auctioned to raise money for Denville Hall.[65] Restaurateur Elena Salvoni donated a portion of the profits of her 2007 autobiography, Eating Famously, to the hall.[62] Terence Rattigan left his estate to charity, with all royalties from his plays being donated to Denville Hall and the King George V Fund for Actors and Actresses.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Review of Local List of Buildings of Architectural or Historic Importance: Denville Hall" (PDF). Hillingdon London Borough Council. May 2010. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
  2. ^ a b c . Denville Hall. Archived from the original on 4 December 2013. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
  3. ^ "Rep. Pioneer left £57,400". The Bulletin. 15 June 1955. p. 12. Retrieved 17 January 2019. He left £5,000 to Denville Hall in his will.
  4. ^ "Denville Hall 1926". British Pathe. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
  5. ^ "Projects: Denville Hall". Acanthus LW Architects. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
  6. ^ . Plymouth Herald. 20 January 2009. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  7. ^ a b c d Pearson, Katie (18 April 2005). "For my final act". The Times. p. 6. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
  8. ^ "Religious service in circus ring at Glasgow". The Glasgow Herald. 29 September 1938. p. 9. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  9. ^ a b Simkins, Michael (11 July 2009). "Ageing thespians should stick together". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  10. ^ "Home". Denville Hall. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  11. ^ . Carehome.co.uk. Archived from the original on 1 December 2008. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  12. ^ Grove, Valerie (10 June 2010). "A modest man but certainly not retiring". The Times. Retrieved 17 January 2019. I wonder how West, at 75, regards the prospect of the actors' retirement home, Denville Hall, north of London. 'Well, the bar opens sometime after breakfast'.
  13. ^ . British Pathe. 28 April 1947. Archived from the original on 11 June 2011. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  14. ^ "Obituaries". The Stage. 28 November 2019. p. 40.
  15. ^ a b Farquhar, Simon (22 January 2016). "Sheila Sim, Lady Attenborough: Winsome actress who gave up her blossoming career to provide a 'cocoon' for her husband, Richard Attenborough". The Independent.
  16. ^ Gallagher, Paul (6 November 2014). "Residents at Richard Attenborough's care home 'given wrong drug doses'". The Independent. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  17. ^ "Margot Boyd". The Daily Telegraph. 25 May 2008. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  18. ^ "Obituaries: Alan Brien". The Daily Telegraph. 3 July 2008. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  19. ^ "Risque panto dame dies at 94". The Glasgow Herald. 26 August 1987. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  20. ^ "'Blackadder' Actress Patsy Byrne Dies at 80". The Hollywood Reporter. 21 June 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  21. ^ "Peter Byrne 1928–2018". It's Behind You Dot Com – Green Room. 15 May 2018. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
  22. ^ Wilson, Scott (2016). Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons (3rd ed.). McFarland & Company. ISBN 978-0-78647-992-4.
  23. ^ "Brian Cant, Play School presenter, dies at 83". BBC News. 20 June 2017. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
  24. ^ "Actress Pat Coombs dies". BBC News. 27 May 2002. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  25. ^ Obituary in The Guardian
  26. ^ Obituary in The Stage, 15 July 1999 (pg.27)
  27. ^ "Veteran actor Maurice Denham dies". BBC News. 25 July 2002. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  28. ^ Tindall, Gillian (9 March 2017). "Leonard Fenton, actor". Spitalfields Life. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  29. ^ Hevesi, Dennis (17 November 2011). "Dulcie Gray, Stalwart British Actress, Dies at 95". The New York Times. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  30. ^ Billington, Michael (12 September 2017). "Sir Peter Hall obituary: powerful force in British theatre". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  31. ^ "Robert Hardy: Harry Potter and All Creatures Great and Small star dies". BBC News. 3 August 2017. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  32. ^ "On the Buses star dies". BBC News. 31 May 2000. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  33. ^ "Allo 'Allo: Where are they now?". Chortle. 14 December 2017. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  34. ^ Farquhar, Simon (23 January 2014). "John Horsley: Character actor whose comedic talent brought him fame as Doc Morrissey in 'The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin'". The Independent. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
  35. ^ "Jo Kendall dead - I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again star dies as John Cleese pays tribute". Daily Mirror. Trinity Mirror. 30 January 2022. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  36. ^ "Obituaries: Annette Kerr". The Daily Telegraph. 28 October 2013. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  37. ^ "Obituaries: Mark Kingston". The Daily Telegraph. 26 October 2011. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  38. ^ "Biography of a Water Rat".
  39. ^ Pace, Eric (31 May 1993). "Roger MacDougall, A Screenwriter, 82, And a Playwright". The New York Times. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  40. ^ "Comic actress Betty Marsden dies". BBC News. 20 July 1998. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  41. ^ Catholic Association of Performing Arts (CaAPA): Newsletter – December 2018
  42. ^ "Actress Peggy Mount dies". BBC News. 13 November 2001. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  43. ^ "Daphne Oxenford, voice of Listen With Mother, dies". BBC News. 4 January 2013. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  44. ^ Botting, Josephine (4 February 2019). "Muriel Pavlow (1921–2019)". British Film Institute.
  45. ^ The Times, death announcement, 13 March 1984
  46. ^ Criddle, Cristina (21 August 2016). "Actor and disability campaigner Lord Rix dies after urging for assisted dying to be made legal". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
  47. ^ Sutherland, Gill (8 September 2021). "Family of actor Clifford Rose launch appeal to help with care home fees". Stratford Herald. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
  48. ^ Foster, Patrick (3 December 2016). "Dementia left Andrew Sachs unable to recognise Fawlty Towers footage, actor's son reveals". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  49. ^ "Peter Sallis: Last of the Summer Wine actor dies aged 96". BBC News. 5 June 2017. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  50. ^ "'Allo 'Allo star dies". BBC News. 4 August 2002. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  51. ^ "Gerald Sim obituary". The Guardian. 4 March 2015. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  52. ^ "Anthony Steel obituary". The Guardian. 26 March 2001. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  53. ^ "Club comedian Oates dies ...as does comic actor Stevens". Chortle. 14 November 2006. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  54. ^ "Sylvia Syms: Veteran British actress dies at 89". BBC News. 27 January 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  55. ^ "Josephine Tewson: Keeping Up Appearances actress dies at 91". BBC News. 19 August 2022. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  56. ^ "Titanic and Omen actor David Warner dies at 80". BBC News. 25 July 2022. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  57. ^ Harley, Nicky (3 May 2017). "Darling Buds of May actor Moray Watson dies, aged 88". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  58. ^ "Kenneth Partridge, interior designer". The Daily Telegraph (obituary). 21 December 2015. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  59. ^ Michael Coveney, "Whitelaw, Billie Honor (1932–2014)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Feb 2018 available online. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  60. ^ "John Woodnutt". The Independent. 31 January 2006.
  61. ^ Loxton, Howard (8 February 2006). "Obituaries: Edgar Wreford". The Stage. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  62. ^ a b Salvoni, Elena. Eating Famously. WSM Wordsworth Limited. p. 8. ISBN 978-0-9556171-0-2. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  63. ^ "Sean Connery, Michael Caine and Paul Scofield pledged their wages to England's Theatrical Charity Council, primarily for the rebuilding of Denville Hall". Los Angeles Times. 5 January 1969.
  64. ^ "Liz Taylor in dramatic TV debut". Schenectady Gazette. 27 December 1969. p. 15. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  65. ^ . What's on Stage. 11 June 1999. Archived from the original on 28 November 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2019.

External links

  • Official website
  • Postcard (1950s?) showing the hall
  • 1926 Pathe newsreel (silent) showing the hall being opened by Princess Louise

denville, hall, historic, building, northwood, town, london, borough, hillingdon, england, which, used, retirement, home, professional, actors, actresses, members, other, theatrical, professions, present, building, incorporates, part, 16th, century, house, whi. Denville Hall is a historic building in Northwood a town in the London Borough of Hillingdon England which is used as a retirement home for professional actors actresses and members of other theatrical professions The present building incorporates part of a 16th century house which was substantially rebuilt in 1851 and later considerably extended after becoming a retirement home in 1926 Many well known British actors and actresses have resided there Denville HallThe building in December 2013Former namesMaze Farm Northwood HallGeneral informationAddress62 Ducks Hill RoadTown or cityNorthwood LondonCountryEnglandCoordinates51 36 37 N 0 26 26 W 51 61029 N 0 44049 W 51 61029 0 44049 Coordinates 51 36 37 N 0 26 26 W 51 61029 N 0 44049 W 51 61029 0 44049Renovated2004OwnerDenville Hall Ltd DesignationsLocally listedWebsitedenvillehall wbr org wbr uk Contents 1 History and description 2 Facilities and services 3 Notable residents 4 Supporters 5 See also 6 References 7 External linksHistory and description EditThe hall includes part of a 16th century house called Maze Farm 1 In the 18th century it belonged to the judge Sir John Vaughan 2 In 1851 it was rebuilt in Victorian Gothic style by Daniel Norton and renamed Northwood Hall 1 2 Alfred Denville impresario actor manager and MP 3 bought the hall in 1925 and dedicated it to the acting profession in memory of his son Jack who had died at the age of 26 after onstage complications with re aggravated World War I injuries He renamed the building Denville Hall and created a charity in the same name 2 It was opened formally as a rest home in July 1926 by Princess Louise the then Princess Royal 4 The building heavily extended in the intervening years is locally listed 1 A further remodelling and expansion project with landscaping by Acanthus LW Architects was completed in 2004 5 Simon Williams who was co chairman of Denville Hall for 15 years incorporated some of his experiences in his play Laying the Ghost basing Yew Tree House on the Hall 6 Facilities and services EditThough actors have priority 7 the home is available to other people in the entertainment industry including the circus 8 such as agents and dancers 7 and their spouses 9 over the age of 70 and offers residential nursing convalescent dementia and palliative care Residents can stay on a long term or short term basis and physiotherapy is provided 10 11 There is also a subsidised bar 9 12 Notable residents EditMany British actors and actresses have spent their retirement years at Denville Hall 13 including Note All actors and actresses listed here are deceased Nicholas Amer 14 Richard Attenborough 15 16 Gabrielle Blunt Margot Boyd 17 Nan Braunton Alan Brien 18 Tony Britton Douglas Byng 19 Patsy Byrne 20 Peter Byrne 21 Kathleen Byron 22 Brian Cant 23 Pat Coombs 24 Brenda Cowling 25 Aimee Delamain 26 Maurice Denham 27 Leonard Fenton 28 Dulcie Gray 29 Peter Hall 30 Margaret Harris Robert Hardy 31 Doris Hare 32 Rose Hill 33 John Horsley 34 Geoffrey Keen Jo Kendall 35 Annette Kerr 36 Mark Kingston 37 David Lodge 38 Roger MacDougall 39 Elspeth March Betty Marsden 40 Frank Middlemass Jeanne Mockford 41 Peggy Mount 42 Daphne Oxenford 7 43 Muriel Pavlow 44 Richard Pearson Arnold Ridley 45 Brian Rix 46 Paul Rogers Clifford Rose 47 Andrew Sachs 48 Peter Sallis 49 Carmen Silvera 50 Gerald Sim 51 Sheila Sim Lady Attenborough 15 Anthony Steel 52 Ronnie Stevens 53 Sylvia Syms 54 Malcolm Terris Josephine Tewson 55 Geoffrey Toone 7 David Warner 56 Moray Watson 57 Elisabeth Welch 58 Billie Whitelaw 59 John Woodnutt 60 Edgar Wreford 61 Supporters EditThe hall and charity have had a number of notable supporters Lord Attenborough whose widow Sheila Lady Attenborough also resided at Denville Hall was president 62 In the late 1960s and early 1970s performers including Sean Connery Michael Caine Paul Scofield and Elizabeth Taylor for her television debut donated their fees to rebuilding the house 63 64 In 1999 the original set from The Mousetrap after 47 years continuous use was auctioned to raise money for Denville Hall 65 Restaurateur Elena Salvoni donated a portion of the profits of her 2007 autobiography Eating Famously to the hall 62 Terence Rattigan left his estate to charity with all royalties from his plays being donated to Denville Hall and the King George V Fund for Actors and Actresses See also EditBrinsworth House retirement home for entertainersReferences Edit a b c Review of Local List of Buildings of Architectural or Historic Importance Denville Hall PDF Hillingdon London Borough Council May 2010 Retrieved 5 December 2013 a b c History Denville Hall Archived from the original on 4 December 2013 Retrieved 5 December 2013 Rep Pioneer left 57 400 The Bulletin 15 June 1955 p 12 Retrieved 17 January 2019 He left 5 000 to Denville Hall in his will Denville Hall 1926 British Pathe Retrieved 5 December 2013 Projects Denville Hall Acanthus LW Architects Retrieved 28 November 2013 Laying the Ghost A fun play with a heart in Polruan Plymouth Herald 20 January 2009 Archived from the original on 3 December 2013 Retrieved 17 January 2019 a b c d Pearson Katie 18 April 2005 For my final act The Times p 6 Retrieved 5 December 2013 Religious service in circus ring at Glasgow The Glasgow Herald 29 September 1938 p 9 Retrieved 17 January 2019 a b Simkins Michael 11 July 2009 Ageing thespians should stick together The Daily Telegraph Retrieved 17 January 2019 Home Denville Hall Retrieved 17 January 2019 Denville Hall care home Northwood Carehome co uk Archived from the original on 1 December 2008 Retrieved 17 January 2019 Grove Valerie 10 June 2010 A modest man but certainly not retiring The Times Retrieved 17 January 2019 I wonder how West at 75 regards the prospect of the actors retirement home Denville Hall north of London Well the bar opens sometime after breakfast Stars then and now British Pathe 28 April 1947 Archived from the original on 11 June 2011 Retrieved 17 January 2019 Obituaries The Stage 28 November 2019 p 40 a b Farquhar Simon 22 January 2016 Sheila Sim Lady Attenborough Winsome actress who gave up her blossoming career to provide a cocoon for her husband Richard Attenborough The Independent Gallagher Paul 6 November 2014 Residents at Richard Attenborough s care home given wrong drug doses The Independent Retrieved 26 January 2018 Margot Boyd The Daily Telegraph 25 May 2008 Retrieved 17 January 2019 Obituaries Alan Brien The Daily Telegraph 3 July 2008 Retrieved 17 January 2019 Risque panto dame dies at 94 The Glasgow Herald 26 August 1987 Retrieved 17 January 2019 Blackadder Actress Patsy Byrne Dies at 80 The Hollywood Reporter 21 June 2014 Retrieved 17 January 2019 Peter Byrne 1928 2018 It s Behind You Dot Com Green Room 15 May 2018 Retrieved 22 May 2018 Wilson Scott 2016 Resting Places The Burial Sites of More Than 14 000 Famous Persons 3rd ed McFarland amp Company ISBN 978 0 78647 992 4 Brian Cant Play School presenter dies at 83 BBC News 20 June 2017 Retrieved 20 June 2017 Actress Pat Coombs dies BBC News 27 May 2002 Retrieved 17 January 2019 Obituary in The Guardian Obituary in The Stage 15 July 1999 pg 27 Veteran actor Maurice Denham dies BBC News 25 July 2002 Retrieved 17 January 2019 Tindall Gillian 9 March 2017 Leonard Fenton actor Spitalfields Life Retrieved 23 July 2020 Hevesi Dennis 17 November 2011 Dulcie Gray Stalwart British Actress Dies at 95 The New York Times Retrieved 17 January 2019 Billington Michael 12 September 2017 Sir Peter Hall obituary powerful force in British theatre The Guardian Retrieved 17 January 2019 Robert Hardy Harry Potter and All Creatures Great and Small star dies BBC News 3 August 2017 Retrieved 17 January 2019 On the Buses star dies BBC News 31 May 2000 Retrieved 17 January 2019 Allo Allo Where are they now Chortle 14 December 2017 Retrieved 17 January 2019 Farquhar Simon 23 January 2014 John Horsley Character actor whose comedic talent brought him fame as Doc Morrissey in The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin The Independent Retrieved 22 May 2018 Jo Kendall dead I m Sorry I ll Read That Again star dies as John Cleese pays tribute Daily Mirror Trinity Mirror 30 January 2022 Retrieved 30 January 2022 Obituaries Annette Kerr The Daily Telegraph 28 October 2013 Retrieved 22 April 2019 Obituaries Mark Kingston The Daily Telegraph 26 October 2011 Retrieved 17 January 2019 Biography of a Water Rat Pace Eric 31 May 1993 Roger MacDougall A Screenwriter 82 And a Playwright The New York Times Retrieved 17 January 2019 Comic actress Betty Marsden dies BBC News 20 July 1998 Retrieved 17 January 2019 Catholic Association of Performing Arts CaAPA Newsletter December 2018 Actress Peggy Mount dies BBC News 13 November 2001 Retrieved 17 January 2019 Daphne Oxenford voice of Listen With Mother dies BBC News 4 January 2013 Retrieved 17 January 2019 Botting Josephine 4 February 2019 Muriel Pavlow 1921 2019 British Film Institute The Times death announcement 13 March 1984 Criddle Cristina 21 August 2016 Actor and disability campaigner Lord Rix dies after urging for assisted dying to be made legal The Daily Telegraph Retrieved 31 January 2017 Sutherland Gill 8 September 2021 Family of actor Clifford Rose launch appeal to help with care home fees Stratford Herald Retrieved 9 September 2021 Foster Patrick 3 December 2016 Dementia left Andrew Sachs unable to recognise Fawlty Towers footage actor s son reveals The Daily Telegraph Retrieved 17 January 2019 Peter Sallis Last of the Summer Wine actor dies aged 96 BBC News 5 June 2017 Retrieved 5 June 2017 Allo Allo star dies BBC News 4 August 2002 Retrieved 17 January 2019 Gerald Sim obituary The Guardian 4 March 2015 Retrieved 17 January 2019 Anthony Steel obituary The Guardian 26 March 2001 Retrieved 3 April 2019 Club comedian Oates dies as does comic actor Stevens Chortle 14 November 2006 Retrieved 17 January 2019 Sylvia Syms Veteran British actress dies at 89 BBC News 27 January 2023 Retrieved 27 January 2023 Josephine Tewson Keeping Up Appearances actress dies at 91 BBC News 19 August 2022 Retrieved 19 August 2022 Titanic and Omen actor David Warner dies at 80 BBC News 25 July 2022 Retrieved 25 July 2022 Harley Nicky 3 May 2017 Darling Buds of May actor Moray Watson dies aged 88 The Daily Telegraph Retrieved 17 January 2019 Kenneth Partridge interior designer The Daily Telegraph obituary 21 December 2015 Retrieved 23 July 2020 Michael Coveney Whitelaw Billie Honor 1932 2014 Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Oxford University Press Feb 2018 available online Retrieved 11 October 2020 John Woodnutt The Independent 31 January 2006 Loxton Howard 8 February 2006 Obituaries Edgar Wreford The Stage Retrieved 17 January 2019 a b Salvoni Elena Eating Famously WSM Wordsworth Limited p 8 ISBN 978 0 9556171 0 2 Retrieved 17 January 2019 Sean Connery Michael Caine and Paul Scofield pledged their wages to England s Theatrical Charity Council primarily for the rebuilding of Denville Hall Los Angeles Times 5 January 1969 Liz Taylor in dramatic TV debut Schenectady Gazette 27 December 1969 p 15 Retrieved 17 January 2019 Original Mousetrap Set Auctioned This Month What s on Stage 11 June 1999 Archived from the original on 28 November 2014 Retrieved 17 January 2019 External links EditOfficial website Postcard 1950s showing the hall 1926 Pathe newsreel silent showing the hall being opened by Princess Louise Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Denville Hall amp oldid 1152218128, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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