Bevois Hill House
BEVOIS HILL HOUSE is often confused with Bevois Mount House. The 1846 map above shows it as a separate building and grounds. It was built in grounds of at least an acre that ran parallel with Portswood Road. Its southern boundary ran parallel with the present day Lodge Road (originally known as Bevois Road) and its northern ran along Avenue Road. The western boundary is still seen when taking the public footpath from Avenue Road through to Rigby Road, a large part of this wall from the estate still exists. The date it was built is not yet known but it appears in local street directories from 1849.
The house is shown in historic maps (above 1871) that name Bevois Hill House as a separate building and shows it located in the area described above. It was demolished in the 1890’s. The last owner Captain Rigby Collins, of the 16th Lancers, is apparently the namesake of Rigby road.
The following residents of Bevois Hill House appear in street directories and accounts of the time:
1841–1848 Thomas Hack (b. 1811 – d. 1865), Architect for the Royal Yacht Club, Royal South Hants Infirmary
and Chapel
1849 Major Wilson
1853 Alfred Bentley
1859 William & Elizabeth Blake (listed as a school taking boarders)
1865–1870 Robert Day
1871–1891 Captain & Mrs A. Rigby Collins
1891–1893 Annette Rigby Collins
The western boundary wall built by Rigby Collins remains, as seen in image below. Captain Rigby Collins, the last owner of Bevois Hill House, apparently built this eight foot high wall as he was the owner of Dandie Dinmont dogs and found “the high wall useful”. This seems somewhat excessive on viewing images of this breed.
1841–1848 Thomas Hack (b. 1811 – d. 1865), Architect for the Royal Yacht Club, Royal South Hants Infirmary
and Chapel
1849 Major Wilson
1853 Alfred Bentley
1859 William & Elizabeth Blake (listed as a school taking boarders)
1865–1870 Robert Day
1871–1891 Captain & Mrs A. Rigby Collins
1891–1893 Annette Rigby Collins
The western boundary wall built by Rigby Collins remains, as seen in image below. Captain Rigby Collins, the last owner of Bevois Hill House, apparently built this eight foot high wall as he was the owner of Dandie Dinmont dogs and found “the high wall useful”. This seems somewhat excessive on viewing images of this breed.
– F.B.
© Bevois Mount History
© Bevois Mount History