The manor house was bought by the National Deposit Friendly Society in 1921, for use as a convalescent home. The house was requisitioned in 1939 and, with new buildings added in its grounds, became a military hospital used by the US Army; there was also a vaccine laboratory. In 1951 the west wing was named the David Bruce Laboratory, and by this time the site was used by the Royal Army Medical Corps; the house and grounds were bought by the War Office in 1954. The Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 map of 1958 shows many small buildings in the grounds to the northwest of the manor house.