The Creation of Bevois Mount Estate
THE BROKEN LINE running down the middle of the 1844 plan of Bevois Mount (below) is the boundary of South Stoneham Parish and St Mary’s Parish. It was also, during the Middle Ages, the boundary between two important estates. To the west was the piece of land known as Padwell which at the end of the twelfth century belonged to Gervase le Riche and to the east land already known as Bevois Mount belonging to St Denys Priory.
Gervase le Riche was a burgess of the town and a huge land owner; his possessions included lands in Dorset and the Isle of Wight. His home, West Hall, was the largest tenement within the walled town so it’s not hard to work out how he came by his name. In 1196 he founded the Hospital of St Julian or God’s House (Maison Dieu) for the use of pilgrims travelling from France to visit the tomb of St Thomas Becket in Canterbury. He endowed the hospital with many of his lands, including Padwell – presumably with the motivation of expediting his journey through purgatory. In 1343 Edward III bestowed the wardenship of God’s House on the newly founded Queen’s College, Oxford and a succession of tenants held it from the college until it was rented and subsequently bought by the 3rd Earl of Peterborough.
The Priory of St Denys was founded by Henry 1 in about 1124 and both he and his immediate successors made many grants of land to the Black Canons of St Augustine amongst which was “Sir Bevoys Hill and its appurtenances”. After the dissolution of the monasteries, the St Denys estate was transferred to Francis Dawtrey, son of Sir John Dawtrey, MP for Southampton and owner of Tudor House from 1491–1518. A map of 1658 shows the land as then belonging to a Mr Harsint. Again the Earl of Peterborough probably rented this land at first but he had certainly bought it before his death in 1735 because he was able to make provision for his widow Anastasia to continue living there and after her death it passed to his nephew, General Sir John Mordaunt.
— Allyson Hayes
Gervase le Riche was a burgess of the town and a huge land owner; his possessions included lands in Dorset and the Isle of Wight. His home, West Hall, was the largest tenement within the walled town so it’s not hard to work out how he came by his name. In 1196 he founded the Hospital of St Julian or God’s House (Maison Dieu) for the use of pilgrims travelling from France to visit the tomb of St Thomas Becket in Canterbury. He endowed the hospital with many of his lands, including Padwell – presumably with the motivation of expediting his journey through purgatory. In 1343 Edward III bestowed the wardenship of God’s House on the newly founded Queen’s College, Oxford and a succession of tenants held it from the college until it was rented and subsequently bought by the 3rd Earl of Peterborough.
The Priory of St Denys was founded by Henry 1 in about 1124 and both he and his immediate successors made many grants of land to the Black Canons of St Augustine amongst which was “Sir Bevoys Hill and its appurtenances”. After the dissolution of the monasteries, the St Denys estate was transferred to Francis Dawtrey, son of Sir John Dawtrey, MP for Southampton and owner of Tudor House from 1491–1518. A map of 1658 shows the land as then belonging to a Mr Harsint. Again the Earl of Peterborough probably rented this land at first but he had certainly bought it before his death in 1735 because he was able to make provision for his widow Anastasia to continue living there and after her death it passed to his nephew, General Sir John Mordaunt.
— Allyson Hayes
Three Country Houses
BEVOIS MOUNT HOUSE was built in 1723 by the 3rd Earl of Peterborough, Charles Mordaunt. His wife, Anastasia Robinson, continued living there after his death in 1735 and was given help completing the gardens by Alexander Pope, a frequent visitor and friend.
In the Sporting Magazine 1804 (volume 24) the gardens are described thus:
“Before I entered the town, I turned from this avenue, with a desire to press the velvet covering of Mount Bevois.”
“The tasteful distribution of the grounds about Mount Bevois is truly enchanting.”
“The sudden vistos terminated by some well known stationary object, the flowery dells, the opening lawns, the widening alleys.”
“And now the landscape opens with astonishing beauty. The spires of Southampton, the almost surrounding waters, The New Forest, terminated with the Isle of Wight, and a thousand moving objects, contribute to make the mind tranquilized beyond the ordinary course of human feeling.”
In the Sporting Magazine 1804 (volume 24) the gardens are described thus:
“Before I entered the town, I turned from this avenue, with a desire to press the velvet covering of Mount Bevois.”
“The tasteful distribution of the grounds about Mount Bevois is truly enchanting.”
“The sudden vistos terminated by some well known stationary object, the flowery dells, the opening lawns, the widening alleys.”
“And now the landscape opens with astonishing beauty. The spires of Southampton, the almost surrounding waters, The New Forest, terminated with the Isle of Wight, and a thousand moving objects, contribute to make the mind tranquilized beyond the ordinary course of human feeling.”
In 1769 Spear Hall was built in two acres of the top north east corner of the estate for William Bricknell.
Bevois Hill House can be seen on the 1844 map
but the actual date it was built is not yet known.
but the actual date it was built is not yet known.
The Sale of the Estate
AFTER Sophia Hulton (the then owner of Bevois Mount House) died in 1840, the estate was unsold for four years. Spear Hall and Bevois Hill house and their grounds remained occupied till 1887–1890. In 1844 the Hampshire Advertiser announced that “the Bevois Mount estate which has been so long on sale is at length finally disposed of”. It was purchased by William Betts who then sold off building land south of the present day Mordaunt Road. He built the Stag Gates, a new lodge and boundary walls enclosing the remaining land associated with Bevois Mount House. It is assumed that at some point he purchased both Spear Hall and Bevois Hill House as they were included in estate. By 1855 William Betts was forced to sell the estate, due to a change in his circumstances, at a considerable loss. A description of the sale is in the newspaper advert below.
The map to the right is part of estate agents details, probably during the first sale of land. |
The Hampshire Chronicle, 23rd June 1855
“It is a subject of great regret to the old inhabitants and others to see this extensive and commodious mansion taken down. The beauty of the grounds and picturesque scenery are not surpassed in England where, when it is recollected that it was purchased by the Earl of Peterborough on his return from the Spanish war, and was the favourite resort of the poet Pope, Voltaire and other literati of the day. They enjoyed the retired and beautiful shaded walks with St. Andre and others; memorials of their genius were, a few years ago, preserved in the summer houses in the grounds.” |
During the 1850’s and 1860’s the development of the estate was rapid and many of the streets existing today were built. Some street names have changed over time. For example: Lodge Road was Bevois Road. Forster Road was Ascupart Road. Methuen Street was York Street. Valley Road became an extension of Earls Road. Rockstone Lane, 1871–1887 street directories, was Bevois Place. The 1871 map (left), surveyed 1866-1869, shows how close the river Itchen was to Bevois Mount. |
As seen from the map of 1905 (right) most roads had been completed showing the addition of : Gordon Avenue Livingston Road Rigby Road Clausentum Road Ancasta Road and Alma Road extended to Portswood Road By 1908 Highcliffe Gardens had been built. Clifford Dibben Mews and Bevois Gardens are the most recent roads to be formed and Cedar Gardens remains an unadopted road. |
Aerial photograph of the Bevois Mount Estate and the river Itchen, 2011. The red dots indicate
the boundaries of the estate and the blue line shows land claimed from the River Itchen.
Many thanks to CJB photography (© CJB photography.co.uk)
the boundaries of the estate and the blue line shows land claimed from the River Itchen.
Many thanks to CJB photography (© CJB photography.co.uk)
— F.B.
© Bevois Mount History and third party contributors
© Bevois Mount History and third party contributors