Pax Hill

Pax Hill (Peace Hill), near Bentley, Hampshire, England, was the family home of Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the Scout movement, and his wife, Olave, for over twenty years during the 20th century.[1] It is located at the end of a half-mile drive, off the main A31 road.

Pax Hill
View of the house
General information
LocationBentley, Hampshire, England
Technical details
MaterialRed-brick
Design and construction
Other designersRobert Baden-Powell
Known forFamily home of Robert Baden-Powell

Pax Hill is a red-bricked house fronting south with higher ground behind. In the Baden-Powell family's time, there was a rose garden with dovecote at one side of the front of the house. Elsewhere, there were two summer houses, a shrubbery and a tennis court. Scouts and Guides camped on either side of the drive. The Baden-Powells added two wings. The west wing was designed by Robert Baden-Powell himself and he also modelled the frieze for the new bathroom, depicting fish in the River Wey.

The house was originally called "Blackacre" and was purchased with a gift from Olave Baden-Powell's father in 1918. In 1929, it was burgled and a number of souvenirs were stolen. They moved to Kenya in 1939 and Robert Baden-Powell died in 1941. The following year, due to World War II, Pax Hill was occupied by Canadian military troops and by way of recompense, Olave Baden-Powell was awarded a 'grace and favour' apartment in Hampton Court Palace.

After World War II, Olave Baden-Powell gave Pax Hill to the Girl Guides Association (now Girlguiding UK) to be used as a centre for members from the Commonwealth of Nations.[2] The house became a Domestic Science Training School run on Guiding principles. The interest from £40,000 in the B.P. Memorial Fund was used to fund its upkeep. In April 1953, Pax Hill was sold with the consent of Olave Baden-Powell. In the late 1970s and early 1980s Pax Hill was a boys boarding school. It has been a nursing home since 1988.

See also

References
  1. "Pax Hill". www.pinetreeweb.com. Archived from the original on 2006-10-21. Retrieved 2006-10-17.
  2. Liddell, Alix (1976). Story of the Girl Guides 1938–1975. London: Girl Guides Association.

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