Dropmore House and the surrounding estate was built on land purchased in 1972 by William Wyndham Grenville, who rose to the office of Prime Minister during the period of the abolition of slavery. He negotiated various road amendments and closures by Acts of Parliament, removing public access from the estate, ensuring a level of privacy that remains today. The initial construction took five years to complete and was entrusted to the architect Samuel Wyatt. Some of the trees still standing today were raised from seeds sent to England by the early botanical explorers. Addittional contributions by Charles Heathcoate Tatham and George Granville have transformed the vast wilderness into an area of exceptional beauty.