The Annesville Homestay is a Private Residence built on a 4 Acre Estate located 3 ½ Miles (or 5.6 Km) from the centre of Shillong (the Capital of the Indian State of Meghalaya), and on the National Highway 40 (the Cherra Road). The Estate is nestled against the Upper Shillong Protected Pine Forest and offers a commanding view of Shillong City. The Main Villa is reminiscent of the colonial era and offers an exclusive home-away-from home experience.
The Villa houses One Suite, Two Super Deluxe Rooms, One Deluxe Room and One Executive Room. Additionally, Two Super Rooms are available in the Annexe. The Estate also offers an independent Family Cottage consisting of a Living-cum-Dining, a Bedroom and Bath.
The 150 year old history of Annesville Estate is inextricably linked with the founding of the Civil Station of Shillong by the British Imperial Government in the late 1860s. The erstwhile Deputy Commissioner of the Khasi and Jantia Hills, Major Henry Stewart Bivar (later Brigadier), was entrusted with the task of finding a suitable location for the new Headquarters. In October 1866, the GOC of the Eastern Frontier, Brigadier General Charles Reid, arrived in Shillong to formalize the establishment of the Shillong Cantonment and went on to acquire for himself an estate “west of Captain Hill’s in Upper Shillong on the Cherra Road.” This estate was acquired in the early 1900s by the family of Babu Jeebon Roy, an officer of the Imperial Indian Government who was Major Bivar’s “constant companion, advisor and guide”, and is referred to in history as the “Father of Modern Khasis”.
Annesville Estate, is currently owned by the great-grandson of Babu Jeebon Roy, Mr. B.K. Dey Sawian, who resides on the property with his family. The Villa and Estate, as carved out of Brigadier General Reid’s original estate, have been named after Mr. Sawian’s late wife Mrs. Aneeta Dey, the daughter of Vice Adm. RN Batra (PVSM), an erstwhile Royal Indian Navy officer and veteran of the Second World War.