Maze Farm stood on the site, owned by the renowned judge, Sir John Vaughan.

Rebuilt by Daniel Norton, and named Northwood Hall, as the most important house in the area. The hall had elaborate Victorian Gothick architecture (some survives), landscaped grounds and garden buildings.

Bought by Alfred Denville, impresario, actor-manager and MP. He dedicated the Hall to the acting profession, in memory of his son Jack, who had died at the age of 26 after an injury on stage reactived earlier damage sustained in the Great War. The hall was renamed Denville Hall, and opened fully in 1926. Denville Hall became a charity in 1925.

The Actors' Charitable Trust, TACT, assisted in the running of the Hall, as its finances had become dire. TACT is a charity that helps actors' children, and it had extensive experience of running orphanages. Although separate charities, TACT and Denville Hall are still linked in that they share Trustees.

A neighbouring house was purchased, bringing the portfolio of property to six. Some of these were later sold in the 1970s and 1980s to fund the running of the home.

Sir Emile Littler, Lew Grade, Prince Littler, Patrick Ide, Richard Attenborough and others contributed to the refurbishment of the Hall and the building of a new wing. This project was managed by a committee of actors, led by Sheila Sim (Lady Attenborough). Its forecast cost of £100,000 soon rose to £200,000 but fundraising was successful and the work finished by 1969.

An extension was planned, and funded through the sale of some allied properties. Princess Alexandra visited. Radio 4's "Down Your Way" was broadcast from Denville Hall in 1975.

Further neighbouring properties were sold by Denville Hall to offset its operating deficit of £5,000 per year.

Major planning and research began into ways in which Denville Hall could care for actors with dementia, as well as improve its facilities for all residents.

The £4,500,000 redevelopment project took almost 4 years. The 1960's wing was demolished and a new wing built with a ground floor designed for those with dementia. The final phase of the job was to refurbish the old Hall, making all bedrooms en suite, and adding a larger Bar and a Theatre space.

The final cost was £6,700,000 and the project was made possible because of the extraordinary benefaction from the late Baroness Jeanne de Rothschild, and a very large donation from the late Sir Paul Getty. Other legacies included those from Sir John Gielgud and Sir Alec Guinness.