Highgate House has a long and fascinating history. Long before it became part of Christian Conference Trust in 2024, this 17th-century manor in Creaton had already lived many lives. Built in 1663, it has been a farmstead, an inn, an important coaching station, a family home, a bed and breakfast, and a residential training centre.
Today, Highgate House is being used for a new purpose: welcoming Christian groups for conferences, retreats, and time away together. As we continue caring for the site, we are also grateful for the history that has shaped it.
Let’s look back at a few familiar parts of Highgate House and see how they have changed over the years.
From swimming pool to restaurant
One of the most striking changes at Highgate House is the area now used as the restaurant.
In the 1970s, this space looked very different. It was once home to a swimming pool, first as an outdoor pool and later as an indoor pool. At one stage, the pool area even had an electrically operated sliding roof.
Today, the same area is a restaurant, used by guests throughout their stay. What was once a place for swimming has become a place for meals, conversation, and fellowship.
For guests visiting Highgate House now, the restaurant is an important part of the experience. It is where groups gather at the start of the day, share food between sessions and enjoy time together around the table.
The air raid shelter beneath the lawn
Another part of Highgate’s story can be found beneath the main lawn, where there was once an air raid shelter.
The shelter remained in place for many years before being removed in the 1990s. Although there is not a clear photograph of the shelter itself, one old snowy photograph shows a raised mound on the lawn. It may look like snow at first, but the raised area was actually the shelter underneath.
It is a small but powerful reminder that Highgate House has stood through very different periods of national history.
The conservatory and the old cellar
A photograph from the 1970s shows the house before the conservatory was added.
During later work, it became clear that there had once been access to the cellar from this part of the building. That access was dug out and reinstated, and the conservatory was then installed above it.
Hawthorn Block
The area now occupied by Hawthorn bedrooms was once simply a field.
Built in the 1980s, Hawthorn added six good-sized bedrooms and a gym to the site. It was part of Highgate’s development as a place able to welcome residential groups.
Today, our guests still use these Hawthorn bedrooms and the gym!
Floyd Block
Floyd Block was started in 1979 and added eleven bedrooms, increasing the site’s capacity.
There is also an interesting detail connected with this part of Highgate House. Two old wells can be found by Floyd Block. In the 1980s, the water was tested and, for some years, was used to feed the troughs for animals on the farm.
It is a reminder of Highgate’s rural setting and the practical history of the site.
The elm trees on Grooms Lane
In the 1970s, Grooms Lane was lined with a magnificent row of elm trees.
Sadly, the trees became infected with Dutch elm disease and eventually became unsafe. In one of the old photographs, a section of trunk can be seen where it had broken away. The trees had to be taken down, but new trees were planted at the time.
Those replacement trees have now flourished, creating a new landscape for guests and visitors to enjoy today.
Looking back
Highgate House has changed many times over the centuries. From its early days as a farmstead and inn, through its years as a coaching station and later a residential training centre, the house has always been a place where people have gathered, stayed and been welcomed.
Now, as part of Christian Conference Trust, Highgate House serve the kingdom of God. Our hope is to care well for this historic site while using it to serve Christian churches, charities. and organisations for many years to come.
