Moor Park, Farnham, Surrey, England is a listed building and of riverside grounds, in the former chapelry of Compton. The grounds formerly extended to Mother Ludlam's Cave, a cave entrenched in local folklore which faces across the Wey (north branch) to the ruins of Waverley Abbey.
Following an early 20th century settlement to a dispute, public access is to a path running the length of the grounds. The building dates from 1630 but has been substantially altered, later that century, and in 1750 and 1800. Former names for it are Morehouse and Compton Hall. It was home to philosophical writer and satirist Jonathan Swift at the end of the seventeenth century; and served as a hydrotherapy retreat in the nineteenth century when it was visited by George Combe, who died here, the leading phrenologist of the day, and by naturalist Charles Darwin.
Approaches to Moor Park
The North Downs Way runs along the pavement north of the site and runs east through woods of Runfold.
Access is possible by road, but walking provides many further areas to view. A major spur of the long-distance footpath, the Greensand Way commences in the grounds, passes the front of the house, leading to Moor Park Nature Reserve, Mother Ludlam's Cave and has a bridge to Waverley Abbey all at the far end of the grounds.
Moor Park Lane, a northern bridleway and former carriage drive, links the house to the A31 road at the Shepherd and Flock pub, Farnham with parking. To one side of this in water meadows with several channels is High Mill, which is Grade II listed and the partially hidden (and dry) remains of an artificial waterfall which featured on picture postcards in Victorian times.
Medieval period
A house has stood on the site, next to the River Wey at the hamlet of Compton since at least the Tudor period when it had , 200 of which were detached in Farnham. In the pre-19th century sense, it was never a 'park' as its owner never had a right of free warren. The Feet of Fines for the county for the 35th year of Edward I (suggesting 1307) records a real estate action of 'land in Farnham' between Stephen de Trolleburg and his wife against Robert son of Richard de Westbroke.
Whether they had held it or not in 1307, Compton Hall was held by indefinitely long lease of the Bishop of Winchester at a customary rent of 4s () by the family mentioned: William Westbroke/Westbrook holding from 1516 until his 1537 death without issue, when by moiety title the site devolved to the male grandsons of Florence Scarlett and Elizabeth Hull, which had become subject to a 40s a year lease to Henry Stynte in 1571, them having moved to Godalming. Five to six years later, Richard Cresswell then Anthony Bagge received it. Later, owner Robert Ashton leased it to his nephew, John Cotton. It formed part of the 1632 death estate of Sir Richard Clarke.
Sir William Temple, patron of Swift
About 1686 the house was bought by Sir William Temple from the Clarke estates and it was he who renamed it Moor Park after the Hertfordshire mansion of that name. The latter property also influenced the magnificent -gardens that he laid out along the nearest part of the riverside. These are separately listed by English Heritage, acting under their legislative remit,
Jonathan Swift
It was while at Moor Park that Temple employed Jonathan Swift as his secretary, and it was here that Swift wrote A Tale of a Tub and The Battle of the Books and met Esther Johnson, daughter of an impoverished widow who acted as companion to Temple's sister. Swift acted as her tutor and mentor, giving her the nickname "Stella", and the two maintained a close relationship for the rest of Esther's life: some believed that they secretly married in 1716. Swift met many of Temple's distinguished guests during his time here: King William III, John Dryden, Joseph Addison, Richard Steele and others.