The house was built in 1800 in the late Georgian style to replace Southwick Park house. The three-storey house is distinct for its two-storey foyer lit from a cupola and a series of elliptical rooms. A semi-circular portico is centered on the house's colonnade of paired Ionic columns.[1]
World War II
The house became important during World War II. In 1940 the estate owners allowed the Royal Navy to use the house to accommodate overnight pupils of the Royal Navy School of Navigation, HMS Dryad, which was based in Portsmouth Naval Dockyard. In 1941, after heavy bombing of the dockyard, the house was requisitioned and became the new home of HMS Dryad.[2]
In 1943, with the planning for D-Day already underway, the house was chosen to be the location of the advance or forward command post (Sharpener Camp) of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force. Because of this, HMS Dryad was moved out of the house onto further land requisitioned from the estate.[2]
D-day preparation
D-Day map in map room, 2019, with markers for positions of forces at the 6 June 1944 landingsDrawing showing map room in operation, 1944
In 1944, in the months leading up to D-Day, the house became the headquarters of the main allied commanders, including Allied Supreme Commander General Eisenhower, Naval Commander-in-Chief Admiral Ramsay and Army Commander-in-Chief General Montgomery.[3]
The large wall maps that were used on D-Day are still in place in the house in the main map room.[4]
Area of the map showing D-day departure routes from the south coast of England; Isle of Wight in centreArea of the map showing arrival routes at the Normandy beaches around ArromanchesFormer US president Eisenhower (right) revisited the map room in 1963 and was interviewed by Walter Cronkite
After HMS Dryad
In 2004, the functions of HMS Dryad were transferred to HMS Collingwood in Fareham and the site reverted to its original name of Southwick Park.[5]
