- Pax Hill
Pax Hill, near
Bentley, Hampshire ,England , was the family home ofRobert Baden-Powell , founder of the Boy Scouts, and his wife, Olave, for over twenty years during the 20th century. It is located at the end of a half-mile drive, off the mainA31 road .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 withdovecote at one side of the front of the house. Elsewhere, there were two summer houses, ashrubbery and atennis 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 theRiver 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 toKenya in 1939 and Robert Baden-Powell died in 1941. The following year, due toWorld 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 inHampton 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 theCommonwealth of Nations . The house became a Domestic Science Training School run on Guiding principles. The interest from £40000 in theB.P. Memorial Fund was used to fund its upkeep. In April 1953, Pax Hill was sold with the consent of Olave Baden-Powell. It has been a nursing home since 1988.See also
*
Don Potter References
*cite web| title = Pax Hill | url = http://www.pinetreeweb.com/bp-pax-hill.htm | accessdate = 2006-10-17
*cite book| last =Liddell | first =Alix | authorlink= Alix Liddell | title =Story of the Girl Guides 1938-1975 | publisher =Girl Guides Association | date =1976 | location =LondonExternal links
* [http://www.paxhill.co.uk/ Pax Hill Residential and Nursing Home for the Elderly]
* [http://www.olavebadenpowell.org/life/time.htm Olave Baden-Powell timeline]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
