Many of the large trees along the long entrance drive, holm oaks, cedars and especially beech, fell in the 1987 storm. The woodlands, which were used for amenity purposes, and unmanaged as such, have suffered extensive damage - up to 75% of the trees were uprooted. An entire lime avenue in the parkland has been damaged to the extent that all trees have had to be reduced to around 3 metres in height. A limited amount of recent planting is visible in some corners of the parkland.
The house is a massive and generally successful example of George Devey’s country house style.
The house stands on a gentle slope and overlooks the vestiges of a formal and walled garden to the south-east. Here is a balustraded terrace, neglected Dutch garden, and the rather romantic St Mary's Church, a neo-Norman structure built in 1853-4 by Salvin (Newman). (The school prospectus says Devey rebuilt it.)
There are extensive playing fields fringed by woodland to the west of the house, and a rather stark swimming pool which stands out on the south-west corner of the main lawn.
Principal building:
School Created 1829 to 1851 by George Devey

Betteshanger House is a former estate, with its heyday in Victorian times. At that time, the associated woodland, parkland and gardens formed part of the unique, wooded, historic landscape of private estates that lie west of Deal and east of Wingham. Others include Waldershare, Goodnestone, Knowlton, Updown and Northbourne Court as major examples.

The house is a massive and generally successful example of George Devey's country house style, but cleverly embodying 16th and 17th century local features such as Flemish gables and windows in stone, flint and brick.

Devey enlarged a smaller, early-19th century house from 1851 onwards for Lord Northbourne. The enlargements included a tower, and were not completed until the 1880s, after Devey's death. He also built various estate cottages, including two lodges and the old cottage hospital on the main road (1875).

The late Lord Northbourne (died 1982) granted the house and estate to Northbourne Park School in 1934. The grounds are characterised by copses, parkland with specimen trees, and the derelict remnants of more formal gardens of the 19th and early-20th century.

People associated with this site
Architect: George Devey (born 23/02/1820 died 04/11/1886)

Architect: Anthony Salvin (born 1799 died 1881)

Historic England archive material: BF082392 BETTESHANGER HOUSE, NORTHBOURNE