A beautiful 15th century house that was home to a supermodel caught up in the Profumo scandal
Bronwnen Pugh was acclaimed as one of the world's most beautiful women in the 1950s and married Viscount Astor in 1960 — only for her life to turn upside down as her husband was caught up in the Profumo scandal. Following his death, she left Cliveden to start a new life at Tuesley Manor, near Godalming, at a house which is now seeking a new owner.


Godalming has a special place in the history of English country houses and gardens: it was the setting for the early collaborations between the architect Edwin Lutyens and the plantswoman and garden designer Gertrude Jekyll, both of whose fortunes were also intertwined with Country Life.
This ancient town, six miles south of Guildford in south-west Surrey, lies in a great valley of green meadows, with the River Wey meandering through and wooded hills rising all around, on the spurs of which the outlying parts of the town are scattered. This beautiful landscape hides many delightful homes, and one of them is currently for sale at a guide price of £4.95 million: Tuesley Manor.
At some point in the 11th century, the manor of Godalming was divided into two. The principal part was the King’s Manor, which was held by the Bishops of Salisbury from 1221 until the Dissolution and sold by Elizabeth I in the early 1500s to George More of Loseley Park, whose direct descendants still own the estate.
The second part, including the hamlet of Tuesley, was known as the Rectory Manor, which was granted to Salisbury Cathedral by Henry I in the early 12th century, and remained with the Dean and Chapter until the mid 19th century. Leased by the Cotillion family for much of that time, the manor was transferred in 1846 to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, who began to break up and sell off the estate in the early 1860s.
Currently for sale through the Guildford office of Knight Frank, Tuesley Manor dates from the 15th century, and, according to Historic England, was re-clad and extended in the 16th, late 17th and 19th centuries.
Discreetly located off Tuesley Lane, 1½ miles south of Godalming and six miles from Guildford, the house has been further extended and upgraded by the present owners, who bought it in 2002.
The manor house stands in a wonderfully private setting, protected to the north by a large bank of woodland and to the south by a high stone wall that separates it from the country lane.
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
To the north of the house, sloping lawns run down to the brook that traverses the garden from east to west, before rising up to meet the ancient woodland.
The 12 acres of grounds include a disused tennis lawn and, to the west, an indoor swimming pool housed in a traditional barn with retracting side walls.
It was to Tuesley Manor that the late Bronwen, Lady Astor, moved from Cliveden following the death in 1966 of her husband, William Waldorf, 3rd Viscount Astor, in the wake of the Profumo affair that rocked 1960s Britain and led to the collapse of the Macmillan government.
Lady Astor had been one of the supermodels of the early 1960s, but moved her life on in a different direction after arriving at Tuesley. She reinvented herself as a psychotherapist and spiritual adviser, she converted to Catholicism in 1970 and, for a time, ran a small retreat centre in the grounds of her Surrey home.
Today, Tuesley Manor is a family country home of character and charm that retains many of its original features. Built of the local Bargate stone and brick under a tiled roof, the extensively refurbished main house is an interesting mix of old and new.
It offers more than 6,800sq ft of living space on three floors, including a large kitchen/breakfast/family room leading to an airy dining room overlooking the courtyard garden.
The spacious drawing room, located next to the open hall with its inglenook fireplace and original oak beams (the oldest part of the house), has views over the main gardens, with a study, gym and mezzanine store room completing the ground-floor line-up.
The first floor is home to the principal bedroom suite, which has access to an east-facing roof terrace, with three further bedrooms and two bathrooms on the second floor.
Further accommodation is available in the two-bedroom Garden Cottage and the one-bedroom The Retreat, which boasts an open-plan kitchen/living room and a games room, currently used as an artist’s gallery, which opens onto the gardens.
Tuesley Manor is for sale at £4.95 million — see more details and pictures.
Credit: Strutt and Parker
Best country houses for sale this week
An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for
-
A flat for sale in the building where Agatha Christie lived, and it's both the most interesting and most affordable home for sale in Hampstead today
The Isokon Lawn Road flats in Belsize Park are a Grade I-listed architectural icon with a fascinating history, and one of them is currently for sale. Toby Keel takes a look.
By Toby Keel Published
-
Guinness, The Beatles and Beckham's first game for England? It can only be the Country Life Quiz of the Day, October 15, 2025
Test your general knowledge in Wednesday's quiz.
By Country Life Published
-
A flat for sale in the building where Agatha Christie lived, and it's both the most interesting and most affordable home for sale in Hampstead today
The Isokon Lawn Road flats in Belsize Park are a Grade I-listed architectural icon with a fascinating history, and one of them is currently for sale. Toby Keel takes a look.
By Toby Keel Published
-
Five homes with their own orchards that will be the apple of your eye (almost literally)
If you've been looking enviously this year at neighbours with apple trees that have been heaving with fruit, here is the solution: five lovely homes for sale that come with their own orchards.
By Arabella Youens Published
-
A beautiful Victorian vicarage that was home to one of the Cadbury family heiresses is on the market
Penny Churchill tells the tale of Monks Bridge in Warwickshire.
By Penny Churchill Published
-
An outrageously opulent mansion in London's answer to Beverly Hills, with a gym that 'wouldn't look out of place in a 7* hotel'
'One of the finest houses in St George's Hill' is on the market. Annabel Dixon takes a look at what's on offer.
By Annabel Dixon Published
-
Six homes with fantastic features, from pools and paddocks to waterside settings, as seen in Country Life
Our look at the best homes to come to the market via Country Life this week includes a Chipping Norton farm and a Cornish dream home
By Toby Keel Published
-
Queen Victoria's chaplain's house on the Isle of Wight is for sale, and it's a riot of colour, charm and joy
A stone's thrown from Queen Victoria's beloved Osborne House on the Isle of Wight, the house where her chaplain lived is now on the open market.
By Penny Churchill Published
-
An Art Deco masterpiece with five-bedrooms, a private pool, a cinema, a helipad and the ability to conquer oceans
Lady Christine is the very essence of opulence and could be yours for a cool €55.75 million.
By James Fisher Published
-
The elegant 19th century townhouse where JFK and Jackie Kennedy dreamed of the presidency, and made their wish came true
This beautiful five-bedroom house in Washington DC's Georgetown was once home to perhaps the most celebrated couple of the 20th century: John F. Kennedy and his wife, Jackie Kennedy.
By Toby Keel Published