Florence Nightingale famously wrote, “It breaks my heart to leave Lea Hurst.” Now, the same historic country estate in Derbyshire, UK, where the pioneering nurse and statistician spent her childhood, is seeking its next owner.
Lea Hurst, a Grade II-listed home, has been listed for sale at £3.75 million (approximately $4.8 million) by England’s Blue Book Agency. Originally inherited by Nightingale’s father, William Nightingale (née Shore), from his great-uncle in 1815, the property underwent significant transformation from a 17th-century farmhouse to the grand Elizabethan-style residence it is today.
After the Nightingales moved to Embley Park in Hampshire in 1825, Lea Hurst continued to serve as their summer residence until it remained within the family until 1946. In subsequent years, the estate functioned as a home for retired nurses and later as a nursing home under the Royal Surgical Society until 2004. Florence Nightingale, who passed away in 1910 at the age of 90, is renowned for establishing the world’s first professional nursing school in London.
The current owner, Peter Kay, acquired the property in 2011 and dedicated three years to meticulously restoring it, including the recreation of its original Victorian gardens. The Kay family has also curated a collection of historic artifacts, including letters written by Nightingale, photographs, drawings, and furniture associated with the house and the Nightingale family.
“It has been a great pleasure and privilege to have owned the Lea Hurst estate,” said Peter Kay in a statement. “We were drawn to Lea Hurst by its grand early Victorian gothic architectural styling and its stunning position overlooking the Derwent Valley. But it was the fact that this house was once the beloved home of one of our most important historical figures, Florence Nightingale, that made this an irresistible purchase for me.”
The estate features a 13-bedroom residence set on over 19 acres of scenic land, bordered by the Derwent Valley and mature parkland. The home’s grand entrance leads to a reception hall with high ceilings and flagstone flooring, complemented by a formal drawing room, dining room, butler’s pantry, library, and a chef’s kitchen with modern amenities. Upstairs, the bedrooms include Nightingale’s former quarters, complete with original features such as a stone fireplace and ensuite bath.
“Our youngest two children were born in the house. It has been a wonderful place for our children to grow up in,” added Kay.
