Champneys
A large house in the parish of Wigginton, near Tring
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 Main Entrance Gates |
 South Terracce |
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 The Chalets from the Lawn |
 The Tennis Courts |
 The South Terrace and Lawn looking East |
 The Drive looking West |
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 The West Wing and Terrace |
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The history of the estate dates back to 1307 and is detailed in the Victoria County History for Hertfordshire. The current house was built by the Valpy family, who brought the estate in 1874. The house was brought by the Rothschild family in 1900 and in 1925 naturopath Stanley Lief purchased the house and opened it as England's first nature cure resort. Champneys is now known worldwide as a health resort for the rich.
Books
There is a chapter on Stanley Lief (including a portrait photo) and his connection with Champneys in More Tring Personalities. There is also a short history, with a picture of the house in about 1910, in A Hertfordshire Valley.
Article: The Nature Cure - Focus on Stanley Lief of Champneys - in Hertfordshire Countryside, September 2006
Local Links
There is a web page for Wigginton
During the First World War the Inns of Court exercised over the Champneys Estate.
Some External Links
For a brief history of Naturopathy in the UK see The General Council and Register of Naturopaths.
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If you know of other books, websites, etc, relating to this place, please tell me.
Page updated May 2007
