We were delighted to welcome Ivo Bligh, 12th Earl of Darnley, and his family on Wednesday as he revisited the place his father had called home until 1957, when Cobham Hall was sold and later became the school it is today.
The Earl returned to view art restorations for which he had very generously funded. Ivo Bligh owns many of the paintings that hang in the School, and his donation has supported the
preservation and restoration of a large number of their fine and historic frames. He was thrilled with the portraits he viewed and with the quality of their finished restoration.
Taking a tour around the estate, the Earl reminisced about rooms and spaces that had held so many memories for his father. His sons found this particularly interesting, as this was their first visit
to Cobham Hall in practical memory. Ivo and his family took the opportunity also to walk the grounds, visiting the Dairy and the Darnley Mausoleum. He remarked on how much better condition
these and other of our buildings are in today compared with when he was a boy – a great compliment to the hard work and dedication our estates team puts into the School and its grounds.
It was a great pleasure to meet the Earl and his family. We send him our sincere thanks for his generous support, helping to preserve Cobham Hall’s wonderful art for generations of our students to come.
