Holland House, built between 1761 and 1768, was home to Lord Holland in 1762. Not content with just a sea view, he created several stone follies, including coastal lookouts, a castle, a burial mound, a battle site named ‘Hack ’em Down,’ a convent, and an inn now known as Captain Digby Pub, named after a friend, Captain Digby.

Holland House was once accessed via a stone-arched gate. Kingsgate, originally named Barthelmas Gate, was renamed after King Charles I’s forced landing due to a storm. This gate now stands near the reconstructed convent on the grounds beside the golf course.

Lord Holland’s son, Charles James Fox, inherited the house and later became a founder of the Liberal Party. Known for his womanizing, drinking, and gambling with socialites like Georgiana Spencer, Duchess of Devonshire (an ancestor of Princess Diana  the first wife of Prince Charles, the king of the United Kingdom), Fox’s excesses led to the sale of the house, which was divided into multiple dwellings around 1810.

The history of the family and the house adds to the charm of this beautiful, romantic area.