Every year the second Tuesday of October marks Ada Lovelace Day (12th October 2021), founded in 2009 in recognition of Ada’s ground-breaking contribution to computer technology, and to celebrate the achievements of women in science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM).
Guests can walk in the footsteps of Ada Lovelace at De Vere Horsley Estate, Surrey, which was originally her marital home. De Vere Horsley Estate is part of De Vere, a collection of historic mansion house estates and distinctive contemporary hotels and event destinations with market-leading conference facilities.
About Ada Lovelace
Ada Lovelace, born in 1815, was a well-known mathematician and writer, and was regarded as one of the world’s first computer programmers owing to her pioneering work on Charles Babbage’s mechanical general-purpose computer, the Analytical Engine. Ada Lovelace was the only child of Annabella Milbanke and the poet Lord Byron. Her mother had mathematical training and insisted on Ada studying mathematics too, an unusual education for a woman in the 1800s.
At the age of 17, Ada met the mathematician Charles Babbage – inventor of the mechanical calculator – who become her mentor. Lovelace was commissioned to translate a French article about Babbage’s latest machine. She translated the piece but also added extensive notes of her own and found that the machine had the potential to translate music, pictures, and text into digital form. Her notes were published in 1843 however, it took over a century for it to be recognised as the first computer algorithm and this is why today Ada is known as the first programmer. Since then, Ada has often been referred to as ‘prophet of the computer age’.
De Vere Horsley Estate
De Vere Horsley Estate, located in East Horsley, Surrey offers a 19th-century mansion house, Horsley Towers which has a rather regal history and was designed by Sir Charles Barry, who also designed the Houses of Parliament and Highclere Castle. After being the martial home of Ada Lovelace, the property was later bought by Sir Thomas Sopwith, the inventor of the Sopwith Camel aeroplane. The estate’s rich history is evident throughout, from the stunning original features to quirky décor, which includes subtle nods to Sir Charles Barry and his architectural work, to Tommy Sopwith and his work as an English aviation pioneer in Surrey. The Sopwith Aviation Company produced more than 18,000 aircrafts in World War I for allied forces, including 5,747 Sopwith Camel fighters which are known as Great Britain’s most famous fighter of World War I and the most effective fighter deployed by any nation in the war.
The hotel’s historic Horsely Towers can be seen in Netflix’s award-winning series The Crown. In season two, episode six, Horsley Towers feature as the German Marburg Castle in Hesse, and the estate also featured in the 2016 film, Alice Through the Looking Glass starring Helena Bonham-Carter.
Impress your guests
Horsley Towers has recently undergone a multi-million-pound transformation, which has seen its event spaces, including the iconic Great Hall, renovated to ensure the property retains many of its original features dating back to 1822. Horsley Towers, which sits alongside a picturesque lake, features 28 bedrooms, two function spaces, three meeting rooms and acres of beautiful grounds can be hired out exclusively for events, guaranteed to offer your guests an unforgettable experience. Spaces include The Great Hall which boasts a vaulted ceiling and oak-panelled walls with space for up to 120 guests, the Sopwith Suite providing an elegant space with original features and timeless décor with space for up to 130 guests, and The Charles Barry Room which sits alongside the Towers Bar making it ideal for evening receptions.
The wider estate offers a further 33 meeting and event spaces, with space for up to 200 guests. Horsley Place and the estates original stables has been renovated to create a purpose-built training, conference and meeting area. Horsley Place is surrounded by several tranquil courtyards and designed around nine main conference spaces and 24 adjacent breakout rooms where guests can access plenty of outdoor space – ideal for a stroll between sessions or for outdoor teambuilding.
Set in acres of Surrey parkland, the estate is surrounded by perfectly manicured grounds and a large lake, perfect for delegates to get some fresh air and clear their mind with a leisurely stroll between breakout sessions or enjoy a game of frisbee golf on the grounds. De Vere Horsley Estate also has superfast 100MB outdoor Wi-Fi installed, to ensure guests always stay connected.
Your Wellbeing at Heart
At De Vere we always put the safety of our guests and staff first – and even more so today. Our specially designed Your Wellbeing at Heart programme ensures a healthy and safe visit for guests and a safe working environment for our team members. With the support of ChemEco, De Vere has carefully crafted a range of new measures, from enhancing the already meticulous deep cleaning of meeting and event spaces, bars, restaurants, and bedrooms, to thoughtful physical distancing measures inside and outside the hotels. This includes regularly sanitising public areas using jet action ‘misting’ technology which uses hard acting yet environmentally friendly solutions from ChemEco.
Since July 2020, De Vere has raised a total of £560,696.69 for NHS Charities Together. The money was raised when De Vere pledged 10% of each bedroom booking from hotels in the portfolio, including Horsley Estate, to the charity after reopening in July 2020 and May 2021 following the lockdown periods.
To learn more about meetings and events with De Vere Horsley Estate, please visit: www.devere.co.uk/horsley-estate/events/
