Halfway between Guildford and Epsom in Surrey, stands a remarkable neo-Norman Gatehouse acting as the entrance to East Horsley Place, a 2,000-acre estate. Mr. William Currie bought the estate in 1784 and built a new house, in the mock-Elizabethan style, at the highest point in his park.

In May 1840, the 8th Lord King acquired East Horsley Place, from Currie and began incredible alterations to the unpretentious mock Elizabethan mansion and surrounding buildings. At the age of 30 he married Augusta Ada Byron (known as Ada) daughter of Lord Byron, the poet. In 1838 he made her a Countess when he was created Viscount Ockham and 1st Earl of Lovelace on the occasion of the coronation of Queen Victoria. The name "Lovelace" was resurrected from Ada's past lineage...