Every year the second Tuesday of October marks Ada Lovelace Day (10th October 2023), founded in 2009 in recognition of Ada’s ground-breaking contribution to computer technology, and to celebrate the achievements of women in science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM).
Guests can walk in the footsteps of Ada Lovelace at Horsley Towers at De Vere Horsley Estate, Surrey, which was originally her marital home. De Vere Horsley Estate is part of De Vere, a collection of historic mansion house estates and distinctive contemporary hotels and event destinations.
About Ada Lovelace
Ada Lovelace, born in 1815, was a well-known mathematician and writer, and was regarded as one of the world’s first computer programmers owing to her pioneering work on Charles Babbage’s mechanical general-purpose computer, the Analytical Engine. Ada Lovelace was the only child of Lord and Lady Byron. Her mother had mathematical training and insisted on Ada studying mathematics too, an unusual education for a woman in the 1800s.
At the age of 17, Ada met the mathematician Charles Babbage - inventor of the mechanical calculator - who become her mentor. Lovelace was commissioned to translate a French article about Babbage’s latest machine. She translated the piece but also added extensive notes of her own and found that the machine had the potential to translate music, pictures, and text into digital form. Her notes were published in 1843 however, it took over a century for it to be recognised as the first computer algorithm and this is why today Ada is known as the first programmer. Since then, Ada has often been referred to as ‘prophet of the computer age’.
De Vere Horsley Estate
De Vere Horsley Estate, located in East Horsley, Surrey offers a 19th-century mansion house, Horsley Towers which has a rather regal history and was designed by Sir Charles Barry, who also designed the Houses of Parliament and Highclere Castle.
Horsley Towers has recently undergone a multi-million-pound transformation and is part of De Vere Reserve, which comprises a selection of luxury guest rooms, suites and event spaces located in historic mansion houses. Set in acres of Surrey parkland, the estate is surrounded by perfectly manicured grounds and a large lake. In addition to the 28 bedrooms in the Horsley Towers, Horsley Place, a distinctive contemporary hotel set within De Vere Horsley Estate, has a further 152 bedrooms.
Horsley Towers features a relaxed and contemporary reception and communal areas with soft floral and geometric patterns, tweeds, and accents of royal blue. In bedrooms tan leather furniture, tweeds and a muted heritage colour palette combine with contemporary lighting and sleek bathrooms to create spaces that are comfortable and stylish.
For further information, visit devere.co.uk/Horsley-Estate or call 01483 917 075.