Epstein's British 'mentor' tied to 15th-century manor that helped seed his rise in the establishment

Newly released documents tie Jeffrey Epstein to South Wraxall Manor, a 15th‑century estate near Bradford‑on‑Avon, as a stepping stone into Britain’s elite. The materials, part of a birthday book kept by Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell and released by a U.S. congressional committee, describe Epstein’s stays with the Leese family and their ties to the Bullingdon Club, a network long associated with Britain’s political and business circles.

According to the notes, Epstein formed a close friendship with the Leese family and was introduced to the Bullingdon Club, which helps explain how he later met Maxwell. In a 2003 birthday entry for Epstein’s 50th birthday, Nick Leese—Douglas Leese’s son and a former Bullingdon member—recounted Epstein’s stays at South Wraxall Manor and referenced experiences described as 'massage classes at Wraxall' and a wild night out in which a woman was allegedly assaulted in a car en route to Tramps, a famous London club.

Another entry in the birthday book is from Labour figure Lord Mandelson, who was later briefly named U.S. ambassador. The notes quote Mandelson describing Epstein as 'my best pal'—a line that has drawn renewed scrutiny after Mandelson’s emails to Epstein surfaced in recent years.

South Wraxall Manor has a centuries‑old history. Founded by the Long family in the 1420s, the estate passed to the Longs of Rood Ashton in the 19th century. Douglas Leese bought the house in the 1960s and made it a family home. In the decades since, the property changed hands again; John Taylor of Duran Duran and his partner Gela Nash were reported as buyers about two decades ago.

Beyond the Leese connection, debt mogul and convicted fraudster Steven Hoffenberg, a former associate of Epstein, said he was introduced to Epstein by Douglas Leese. Hoffenberg has claimed Epstein’s wealth and financial network were dynamic, a portrayal that has fed ongoing questions about Epstein’s sources of wealth.

In Parliament earlier, in 1996, George Galloway MP cited notes about Leese’s profits from an arms deal with Saudi Arabia, saying some commissions on the Al Yamamah deal were handled by the British businessman through an offshore bank; the remarks arose amid debates over a report by the National Audit Office that authorities had kept under wraps for years.

Epstein died in 2019 at age 66 while awaiting trial on multiple sex offences, leaving behind a network that continues to prompt questions about how he navigated access to Britain’s elite.