Rose Hill and Butter Hill House
Photograph: Kathy Atherton

Butter Hill House and Rose Hill House on South Street were originally one. The structure is mostly eighteenth century, though parts of it are older and it also has Victorian additions, including a picturesque archway known as Rose Hill Arch which originally led to the rear of the property but now spans the public highway.

When the Butter Hill estate was sold in 1831 the house was split into two. Between 1838 and 1869 a collection of large Italianate and Tudor style villas was built around a paddock in the grounds of Rose Hill and a brick arch was built as an entranceway. With its paddock just yards from the High Street and brick arch, Rose Hill remains one of Dorking’s most charming developments.

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