Beauport Park
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Beauport Park consists of the Beauport Lodge and house, together with approximately 800 acres of mixed meadow/woodland, now sub-divided into a number of distinct plots and occupancy.
Romano British Usage
An extensive series of ironworks (bloomeries) have been identified within Beauport Park, leading to a supposition that this was the third-largest iron producer in the Roman Empire[1]
Early records
David Denham (an associate of John Collier (1685-1760)), whose will was proved in 1719 was recorded as having lived here.The connection with Collier would seem to have been via David’s wife Elizabeth (Delves) who was the aunt of Collier’s wife Mary. Denham’s son, also David, is recorded as being a ‘clerk’ to Collier in 1729. Denham either built or rebuilt a house on the estate. Eventually the house fell into Collier’s hand as with many other estates and properties around the town.[2]
Murray Ownership
Beauport (Park) was either built or rebuilt by General Murray (1721-1784)[3] and his wife Cordelia (nee Collier) in 1762 and named after a village near Quebec, Canada. Murray died in 1784 without any heirs who were interested in keeping the property. His son (James Patrick Murray (1782-1834)) eventually selling the house to the executor of a John Lamb in January of 1804. This Lamb was not related to the Lamb family but originally had the name of 'Burges'[2]
Later History
When the grounds were mapped during the mid 19th century, a maze and 'tilting ground' (jousting ground) were represented within the estate. Charles Montolieu Lamb (1785-1864) was known to have made several alterations to the property during his occupation. [4] Thomas Brassey later made the house the seat of the his family[5]. During the cold winter of 1846 a Curling match was reportedly played within the grounds, drawing a large number of spectators[6],A visitor's guide published in the Hastings & St. Leonards Observer during 1869 states the following[7]:
4 miles, a mansion built by General Murray, and now the seat of T. Brassey, Jun., Esq. Open to visitors on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, from two till four, by tickets, to be obtained at Dorman's library, and Hoad's office, St. Leonards; and Prior's library, Hastings.
WW2
When the buildings were occupied by Canadian soldiers, it is claimed that a number of tunnels and hides were constructed for the Auxiliary Units both under the building and in the surrounding woodlands.
Post-war
A caravan park 'Yewlands' (run by Mr. Booth during the early 1950s) occupied part of the estate during the late 1940s and 1950s, this has extended somewhat and is now known as the 'Beauport Holiday Park' with a mixture of static and touring caravans.==Current Day== The building and grounds are now a hotel, golf course and fitness centre, with the original estate transected by The Ridge and Queensway. Some of the original outbuildings may also be found in Beauport Home Farm Close, a fairly recent development.
Images
- Images
1804 Map of Beauport Estate
Yewlands Caravan Park c1960
Yewlands c1960s
Ionic style temple in Beauport Wood. St.Leonards on sea
References & Notes
- ↑ Momentous Britain on Battle of Hastings possible alternative battlefields, accessdate: 26 July 2020
- ↑ a b O1.2 BEAUPORTv2.pdf: O1.2 BEAUPORTv2.pdf, accessdate: 12 December 2019
- ↑ Wikipedia: James Murray (British Army officer, born 1721) - Wikipedia, accessdate: 12 December 2019
- ↑ A Guide to Hastings & St Leonards (Thomas Ross 1835) pg.51 Google Books
- ↑ Osborne's Visitor's Guide to Hastings and St Leonards c1854 3rd ed. Pg. 76 Google Books
- ↑ Brett Manuscript Histories Vol. 3 Chap. 36
- ↑ Hastings & St Leonards Observer 12 March 1869 pg. 4
