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Included in the estate laid out in 1870s was a walled garden, outhouses, stables, ponds and a tennis court. Part of the original wall is still visible, but the gardens are no longer as productive as they were in their heyday before 1939, when orchards and greenhouses kept the house almost self-sufficient in food! The house became a hospital from 1937 until 1963, after which the property went into rapid decline until it was acquired by the Greater London Council and a hotel was created in 1970, preserving the Gilbertian traditions and Victorian/Edwardian atmosphere! On May 27, 1970, the Ministry of Housing & Local Government designated Grimsdyke a building of special architectural and historical interest, thus safeguarding its future!