Stocks House

A large Georgian mansion, built in 1773 which is the largest property in the village of Aldbury, Hertfordshire. It was built by owners of Stocks Farm and used as their family home for many years.

From 1892 it was owned by British novelist Mary Augusta Ward until her death in 1920. She was part of the Huxley family and Aldous Huxley and Julian Huxley visited on many occasions. She is buried in Aldbury.

Stocks was converted into a girls’ Catholic school in 1944.

The most famous period of Stocks history began when it was purchased by American Playboy executive Victor Lownes in 1972. The mansion was used as a training camp for aspiring Playboy bunnies and was well known for hosting wild, extravagant parties. During this time a massive jacuzzi - thought to be the largest in the country - was installed in the house. The 1970s A-list went to Victor's parties, the same cast list that played the tables at the London Playboy Clubs that he ran. Guests and Bunny Girls who were given green dots to wear were allowed upstairs to Stocks' many bedrooms.

Following Lownes' dismissal from Playboy in 1981 he remained in the property for several years by turning it into a hotel but he was eventually forced to sell it due to the outrageous running costs.

It was owned by various parties following Lownes' sale including England Cricket player Phil Edmonds who added a swimming pool, and golf course to the extensive grounds and turned it into health spa. Harlequin F.C. Rugby Club also owned it for a time.

In 1997 the album cover of Oasis' "Be Here Now" was photographed by the old pool by Stocks.

In 2004 Stocks was sold to Peter Harris, a retired horse trainer and entrepreneur, for an undisclosed sum, rumoured to be in the region of £4.1m. Shortly afterwards 6 months notice was given to the staff of the hotel.

At that time there were rumours that the hotel had been bought to convert to a large private home for his daughter and son-in-law, the jockey Walter Swinburn, most famous for winning the 1981 Epsom Derby riding the legendary Shergar.

A planning application to Dacorum to restore the historic Stocks Hotel back to a private home would seem to confirm this rumour. The plans include a total overhaul of the building, building stables, adding a swimming pool and tennis courts, and converting some of the surrounding land of Stocks Golf Club into a garden and pasture land for cattle.

The extensive renovation work is currently being undertaken by Holloway White Allom and is unlikely to be completed before early 2008.