| The Hoo | |
| Coordinates: | 50.7992°N 0.2533°W |
| Gbgridref: | TQ588024 |
| Location: | Willingdon and Jevington, East Sussex |
| Built: | 1902 |
| Architect: | Edwin Lutyens |
| Architecture: | Neoclassical |
| Designation1: | Grade I |
| Designation1 Offname: | The Hoo |
| Designation1 Date: | 10 December 1973 |
| Designation2: | Historic garden |
| Designation2 Offname: | The Hoo |
| Designation2 Date: | 25 March 1987 |
| Designation3: | Grade II* |
| Designation3 Offname: | Garden Walls and 2 Gazebos on South Side of Nos 1 to 11 |
| Designation3 Date: | 12 August 1981 |
| Designation4: | Grade II |
| Designation4 Offname: | The Barn |
| Designation4 Date: | 12 August 1981 |
The Hoo is an Neoclassical country house in Willingdon, in the Wealden district of East Sussex, England. It was designed by Edwin Lutyens in 1902 for Alexander Wedderburn, a wealthy lawyer. Considered one of Lutyens' best houses, it is a Grade I listed building. The gardens, which had input from Gertrude Jekyll, are designated at Grade II* on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England.
Alexander Wedderburn commissioned Edwin Lutyens to undertake a re-modelling of his existing house at Willingdon on the South Downs in 1901. The result was among Lutyens' favourite works, and is considered among his best country houses. After post-war service as a girls' school, the house was converted to apartments in 1955.[1] The building remains privately owned and was the subject of a sympathetic restoration in 2022.[2]
The core of the current house remains Wedderburn's original cottage. To this, Lutyens added a gable roof with dormer windows, while to each side he constructed large wings. There are examples of the neo-Georgian styling which was to become one of Lutyens' major architectural themes.[3]
The original planting scheme for the gardens, which were designed in a formal style, was undertaken by Gertrude Jekyll. Some modifications have been made since, and some of the outlying parts have succumbed to residential development.[4]
The Hoo is a Grade I listed building and its gardens are listed at Grade II* on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England.