Chapslee Estate

Chapslee Estate was built between 1828 and 1835 by Doctor Blake, a surgeon employed by the British East India Company. It stands in Bharari, close to Lakkar Bazaar in Shimla, and is one of the older surviving estates in the hill station. Its early history is closely connected to the British colonial administration. Lord Auckland, then Governor-General of the East India Company territories, initially rented the property because the accommodation at adjoining Auckland House was insufficient. In 1836 he purchased it and gave it the name Secretary's Lodge, using it for his private and military secretaries and aides-de-camp. Secretary's Lodge acquired political importance during the events leading to the First Anglo-Afghan War. After a tripartite agreement involving the Government of India, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, and Shah Shuja, Lord Auckland issued the Simla Manifesto from the lodge on 1 October 1838. The declaration set out the British intention to restore Shah Shuja to the Afghan throne. The later reversal of that policy was acknowledged by a subsequent administration four years later. Lord Hardinge, who followed Lord Ellenborough as Governor-General, also continued to use the property for government-secretariat purposes. General Peter Innes purchased the house in 1848 and renamed it Chapslee. It later passed through several owners and served as the residence of a number of prominent colonial-era figures, including Colonel William Gordon, Sir Courtenay Ilbert, General Pemberton, General Sir C. E. Nairne, Surgeon-General Bradshaw, and Surgeon-General Cleghorn. In 1896 Sir Arthur Mitford Ker, manager of the Alliance Bank, acquired the estate. Ker enlarged the house and improved its appearance while preserving the original building, producing much of the form visible in the modern estate. After Ker's death, Raja Charanjit Singh of Kapurthala purchased Chapslee. He made it a summer residence and refurbished the interiors. Following his death in 1970, ownership passed to his grandson, Kanwar Ratanjit Singh. The estate subsequently developed a mixed educational and hospitality role. Chapslee School was established on the premises in 1973, and the house was converted into a hotel in 1976. This conversion placed Chapslee among the early heritage hotels in India, although it retained the character of a private family residence rather than becoming a large commercial resort. The estate was affected by India's land-ceiling legislation during the 1970s, and sections of the larger property were sold to different owners. The remaining estate continues to be run by Kanwar Ratanjit Singh and his family as an exclusive heritage home and hotel, with the school also associated with the premises. Access is constrained by Shimla's restricted-road system, which requires special permits for vehicles using the estate road. The property lies on the route toward Longwood, a residential area of Shimla. In the twenty-first century, Chapslee's public profile has derived from its heritage value and selective media exposure rather than from a broad consumer brand program. Its appearance in the Punjab, India episode of Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, broadcast by CNN on 13 April 2014, introduced the estate to an international television audience. The property's historical narrative spans British official use, private colonial ownership, Kapurthala royal residence, education, and heritage hospitality.

• 2014

  International television appearance

  [1]Chapslee Estateen.wikipedia.org

  Chapslee is featured in the Punjab, India episode of Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, broadcast on CNN on 13 April.

• 1976

  Estate converted into a heritage hotel

  [1]Chapslee Estateen.wikipedia.org

  The principal residence is converted into a hotel, making Chapslee one of India's early heritage-hotel properties.

• 1973

  Chapslee School established

  [1]Chapslee Estateen.wikipedia.org

  Kanwar Ratanjit Singh establishes a school on the estate premises.

• 1896

  Major expansion under Sir Arthur Mitford Ker

  [1]Chapslee Estateen.wikipedia.org

  Sir Arthur Mitford Ker acquires the property, retains its original structure, and substantially enlarges and improves the estate.

• 1848

  Estate becomes Chapslee

  [1]Chapslee Estateen.wikipedia.org

  General Peter Innes purchases Secretary's Lodge and changes its name to Chapslee.

• 1838

  Simla Manifesto issued at Secretary's Lodge

  [1]Chapslee Estateen.wikipedia.org

  The Simla Manifesto, announcing the British policy of restoring Shah Shuja to Afghanistan, is issued from the property on 1 October.

• 1836

  Lord Auckland purchases and renames the property

  [1]Chapslee Estateen.wikipedia.org

  Lord Auckland purchases the estate after initially renting it and names it Secretary's Lodge for use by his secretaries and aides-de-camp.

• 1828

  Construction begins

  [1]Chapslee Estateen.wikipedia.org

  Doctor Blake begins construction of the estate, which is completed during the period from 1828 to 1835.

An intimate, privately operated heritage destination built around a preserved nineteenth-century Shimla estate, its colonial administrative history, and its later association with the Kapurthala royal family.

• Heritage hospitality · 1976

  Chapslee Heritage Home and Hotel

  The historic main residence operates as an exclusive heritage home and hotel. Its appeal is based on the preserved nineteenth-century estate, period character, family stewardship, and associations with colonial administration and the Kapurthala royal family. It is a small-scale heritage accommodation offering rather than a standardized international hotel chain.

• Education · 1973

  Chapslee School

  A school established on part of the Chapslee Estate by Kanwar Ratanjit Singh in 1973. The school forms part of the estate's later mixed-use identity, alongside the private residence and heritage-hotel operation.

• 1976

  Conversion to heritage hospitalityStrategy

  Background

  The family sought to preserve and sustain the historic estate after its period as a royal summer residence.

  Action taken

  The estate was converted into a hotel while retaining its historic-house character.

  Aftermath

  Chapslee became one of India's early heritage hotels and developed an identity centered on private, historically themed accommodation.

  Source

• 1973

  Educational use introducedStrategy

  Background

  Following the transfer of ownership to Kanwar Ratanjit Singh, the estate was developed for a broader public and institutional role.

  Action taken

  A school known as Chapslee School was established on the premises.

  Aftermath

  The estate became a mixed-use property combining historic residential functions with education.

  Source

• 2014

  Chapslee Estate featured on Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown[1]Chapslee Estateen.wikipedia.org

  Campaign

  Chapslee Estate appeared in the Punjab, India episode of season three of Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, broadcast on CNN on 13 April 2014. The appearance brought international television attention to the historic property and its heritage-hospitality identity.

1. 1Chapslee Estateen.wikipedia.org