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Northwood was built in 1916, by the celebrated English architect Roland Hotz, who designed other eminent buildings in Shimla such as the original Wildflower hall, the old Cecil hotel and the Parish hall. Roland Hotz built Northwood as his personal residence which is borne out by its idyllic setting, sturdy stone masonry, and ingenious architectural design. |
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In 1920, Northwood came into the possession of Mrs Hermione Montagu, the niece of Lady Constance Ker and Sir Arthur Milford Ker, the eminent banker who resided at ‘Chapslee’ on Elysium hill. Mrs Montagu was one of the last British residents of colonial India and continued to live in Northwood till her demise in 1985 at the age of 93. The enigmatic personality of Mrs Montagu with her menagerie of dogs, cats, geese and the African grey “Jacko”, is featured in many writings on colonial India, including “Freedom at Midnight” by Dominique Lapierre, and several BBC documentaries. During her lifetime, Mrs Montagu was cared for by her long standing companion Pronoti Singh, daughter of Shailendra and Ksheuti Barooah of Thengal, Assam and it was to her that Mrs Montagu left Northwood on her passing. Pronoti Singh is the Founder Principal of Chapslee School and is married to Kanwar Ratanjit Singh, grandson of Raja Charanjit Singh of Kapurthala. They are the present owners of ‘Chapslee’, one of the oldest and finest residences in Shimla, now an exclusive heritage hotel. It is in the fitness of things therefore, that this association between the properties and their owners remains unbroken, and history lives on. |
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