Sulhamstead House Sulhamstead House, commonly known as the White House, was the
manor house of Sulhamstead
Abbots. It was built by Daniel May, son of the
Basingstoke brewer, Charles May, in 1744, becoming the home to his sister's descendants, the Thoyts family. The house was largely rebuilt in 1800 for
William Thoyts, the
High Sheriff of Berkshire. It was the childhood home of his great granddaughter,
Berkshire historian and
palaeographer,
Emma Elizabeth Thoyts (1860–1949). Its refurbishment was paid for in 1910 by
William G Watson, who was created a
baronet of Sulhamstead). The baronetcy is extinct. In 1949, the house became the headquarters of the
Berkshire Constabulary. Since their merger into
Thames Valley Police, it has functioned as that force's training centre and museum. It is a
Grade II listed building. The Sulhamstead estate is owned by the
Astor family.
Folly Farm This was built around a small timber-framed
cottage dating to around 1650, which was gradually enlarged into a
farm house and now survives as a small wing of the house. The house was transformed in 1906 by the
Arts and Crafts architect
Edwin Lutyens into a
country house for H. H. Cochrane. It was extended, by Lutyens, for
Zachary Merton, six years later. It is one of Lutyens' best-known house designs. Lutyens collaborated with
Gertrude Jekyll to make the diverse, multi-level garden.
Folly Farm is a
Grade I listed building, as it is an exceptional example of Arts and Craft architecture.
Other buildings The church of
St Mary's (formerly
St Bartholomew's) dates from the 13th century and is a
Grade I listed building. The active
village hall for Sulhamstead and
Ufton Nervet is halfway down the road Sulhamstead Hill, built in 1927.
Sulhamstead Lock,
Tyle Mill and
Tyle Mill Lock on the
Kennet & Avon Canal have a
wharf,
lock and
swing bridge. The singer-songwriter
Kate Bush lived in a large canalside home for several years until 2004. ==Omer's Gully==