The WI-Flyers visit Farnborough Hill - June 2025

Members of the WI-Flyers (Farnborough) paid a visit to Farnborough Hill on Saturday 21 June.  We enjoyed a tour of this fabulous building and learned a great deal about its links with Farnborough Abbey and with the Royal Family.

The impressive house was built in 1860 by Thomas Longman, who founded the Longman publishing house.  In 1880, the exiled Empress Eugénie, widow of Emperor Napoleon III of France, bought the house and lived here until her death in 1920.  It was then bought by a religious order of nuns, who had already established a school for girls in Farnborough but needed bigger premises.  It has been a school since 1927. 

Farnborough Hill really is a hidden gem; it is situated in the middle of Farnborough but is well tucked away and rarely visited by those in the local community.  We were able to see many of the beautiful rooms inside the house as well as the lovely gardens surrounding it. 

At the end of our tour we were definitely in need of refreshment and were then treated to some superb tea and cake in the grand salon.  We were hosted throughout by charming members of the teaching and administrative staff, Mrs Katy Bell, Miss Polly White and Ms Ailsa West, who were very attentive and looked after us superbly, answering all our questions and topping up our teacups.

It really was an excellent tour – and a very special afternoon.