History & A Home: Photographing Holworth House

History & A Home: Photographing Holworth House

I’ve been fortunate in the 30-plus years I’ve been doing commercial photography to have met and captured some amazing people, including royalty, and photographed some incredible places that most don’t get to see. Someone once said the camera is like a passport to explore, and it certainly has been for me at times. But when it comes to property shoots, Holworth House is probably the highlight for me. Being a bit of a history buff, this place had everything I could ask for – and then some.

The Discovery

What started as a regular property shoot near Dorchester turned into something pretty special. This old house sits tucked away in the trees below the coast path in the little hamlet of Holworth, and it turns out it has quite a story to tell. It was actually a family retreat for Major John “Jack” Churchill – Winston Churchill’s younger brother – back in the 1930s.

The Setting

The location is absolutely stunning. You’ve got these incredible views across to Portland and the Dorset coast – the kind of panoramic scenery that makes you understand exactly why the Churchill family picked this spot for their getaways. There’s this amazing beach down below that you can reach from the coastal path. I bet the Churchill kids spent hours down there mucking about in the rockpools.

The Chapels

What really caught my eye were the two chapels on the site. One of them dates back to the 1920s with this gorgeous interior – proper craftsmanship from that era. It was built by Dr. Linklater’s widow as a memorial when he died in 1926. The chapel sits right on the cliff edge overlooking that dramatic coastline – must be one of the most beautiful spots for quiet reflection you could imagine.

The Churchill Connection

The Imperial War Museum actually has family footage that Jack Churchill shot himself at Holworth House. You can see him with his wife Lady Gwendeline and their kids – Peregrine, Johnnie, and Clarissa. The footage shows “Johnnie and Angela Churchill with baby” and trips to places like Abbotsbury Swannery and Lulworth Castle.

If you’re curious about seeing this footage, you’d need to contact the IWM Film Archive directly at [email protected] or visit their Research Room facilities. You can check out their film collection at https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/film.

Documenting a Slice of Time

As I moved through the rooms with my camera, I kept thinking about the Churchill children running around these very spaces, or exploring the grounds that lead down to the coast.

This was such an enjoyable shoot – I felt less like I was photographing a property and more like I was documenting a slice of time. Being a bit of a history geek, this wasn’t just about getting great shots of the interiors. It was about capturing a place where real history happened. You could almost hear the echoes of family life from the 1930s in every room.

The Challenge of the Perfect Shot

I had to return to the property with Marcus from Eaves (@eaves.house) who was the appointed agent, a couple more times, but I wasn’t too disappointed. We really wanted to capture some aerial images showing the dramatic location, but unfortunately, although the weather was fine, it just wasn’t quite clear enough over the sea for what we needed.

The thing with capturing the coast is that you can have a perfectly decent day, but if there’s any haze or mist hanging over the water, those sweeping aerial shots just don’t have the impact they should. With views like these across to Portland, we needed crystal clear conditions to really do the location justice. Sometimes the best shots are worth waiting for!