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You are in [Places] [Great Estates] [Inglewood House]

Inglewood House lies between Hungerford and Kintbury. The fine mansion shown in this photograph is thought to have been built at the end of the 18th century, with further extensions between 1829 and 1863.

The estate of Inglewood was owned by the Blandy family from c1592, eventually, in the 18th century, passing from John Blandy to his daughter Elizabeth, wife of William Shaw. Elizabeth died in 1758, and it appears that the estate passed to her second son Blandy Shaw, who died without issue in 1782. Blandy Shaw's brother William also died childless in 1784, and Inglewood was in the hands of his widow Anne^[1].

The following year, 1825, Anne Shaw had the property insured with the Royal Exchange Insurance Company in London. The property included "her mansion house, brick and tiled, situate at Inglewood aforesaid (£2,000); furniture included and a mangle therein (£1,500); plate in the same (£300); on her coach house and stables, brick and tiled (£500)".

Anne Shaw continued to live at Inglewood after her husband's death for a further 42 years. She died in 1826, and left the Inglewood estate to Charles, Thomas Edward and Eleanor, the children of Colonel Charles Bevan. The link between Anne Shaw and the Bevan family is not yet firmly established.

Three years later, in 1828, the Bevan family advertised the sale of "Inglewood Mansion and Estate" in the Reading Mercury and Oxford Gazete of 21st October 1828. The advertisement includes the following description of the house:

"The Capital Family Mansion, the approach to which is by a grove of stately elms, environed by a lawn, flower garden, orchard and kitchen garden, capital stall stabling for twelve horses, standing for four carriages; piggery, dove and poultry-houses, detached farm-yard, barn and cow-house, about 34 acres of rich meadow land, surrounding the Mansion."

The mansion contains ..."a noble hall, drawing room, dining room and library, and an oak staircase leading to the five principal bedrooms", a variety of servants' accommodation, together with the kitchen larder and store-house. It is clear that this was a substantial house and property.

It was sold to Thomas Dunn for £26,000. Thomas Dunn senior (1729-1818) had made a significant fortune in Canada in the 1760s, when he established for himself the trading lease to the King's posts, guaranteeing him a monopoly of the fur trade and the fisheries throughout the crown's domain. At some time between the date of purchase (1829) and 1863, the house was significantly extended. The eldest son Thomas junior was born in London in 1785, and later served in the British army, eventually retiring inn 1841. He died at Inglewood in November 1851, aged 66 years, leaving the Inglewood estate to his younger brother (later Major General) William Dunn.

William Dunn and his wife Margaret moved from Shinfield to stay at Denford Park until Inglewood was ready for their occupation, possibly 1856. It is probably at this time that the 18th century Inglewood House was greatly extended. (Besides Inglewood and Wallingtons, the Dunn family also associated with Denford Park, Titcombe Manor, Standen Manor and Elcot Park.)


		Summary of Ownership c1592 - 1758 Blandy family 1758 - 1826 Shaw family 1826 - 1828 Bevan family 1828 - 1893 Dunn family 1893 - 1928 Walmesley family 1928 - 1972 De La Salle brothers 1972 - 2004 Inglewood Health Hydro 2006 - Audley Court



		Inglewood House, 1903



		Fire at Inglewood House, 10.4.1912



	Sale Particulars of the 1928 sale of Inglewood Estate. 4,225 acres, 47 lots. (Click to see full pdf)

In 1859 the Dunn family purchased the neighbouring house of Wallingtons, so that from then until 1892 both houses belonged to the same family. William Dunn died in 1863 and Margaret occupied Inglewood until her death in 1890 (or 1888?) She was a great local benefactor, and initiated the building in Kintbury High Street of "spacious public baths and wash houses" at a cost of nearly £4,000. (In 1890 these were converted into a laundry). She also left a Charity (which still exists today) to help apprentices start their careers.

On Margaret Dunn's death in 1890, Inglewood passed to her eldest son William Huw Dunn. He arranged for major work to be done at Wallingtons, and took up residence there in 1892.

Inglewood was put up for sale, and bought in 1893 by the Walmesley family. In 1893 Inglewood was bought by Humphrey Jeffreys Walmesley (1846-1919). H J Walmesley made considerable alterations to the house, the most significant of which was to add a chapel which he had removed in its entirety from his previous home in Lancashire. He was also responsible to the erection of the various imposing brick and iron gateways which still grace the estate. Not satisfied with these changes, he considerably increased the size of the estate by acquiring Hungerford Park, Avington manor, Radley and many other properties.

On 10 April 1912 there was a major fire in the basement, and the staff rushed to remove valuable works of art to the lawns whilst the fire was extinguished. It was a source of great pride to the local fire brigade that the new Hungerford steam-propelled "Dreadnought" engine arrived well in advance of the Newbury fire crew, which was still horse-drawn!

The event was described in the Newbury Weekly News of 11 April 1912:
"An alarming outbreak of fire occurred yesterday (Wednesday) at Inglewood. but thanks to the prompt arrival of the Hungerford Brigade, the flames were confined to the basement of the building, the mansion and its valuable contents being saved. But so serious did affairs look at one time, that the priceless collection of pictures, bronzes, china and the valuable library, were hurriedly removed from the mansion by many willing helpers. In the space of a few minutes, in the grounds in front of the mansion, there were piles of valuable paintings, including examples of Vandyke. Sir Peter Lely. Whistler, engravings by Morland. family portraits, and pictures by Italian and French masters: the lawns were littered with pieces of antique furniture, delicate china ornaments of Sevres, Dresden. Worcester and Royal Derby, and piles of books including very valuable Bibles, folio editions of Shakespeare and other scarce editions. The cellar where the fire occurred is immediately under the dining room where lunch was being laid at the time. The fire is believed to have occurred through an electrical fault. In the basement was a lot of inflammable materials, including packing cases filled with straw and shavings which had been used for Charles's wedding presents [he had married on 1 January 1912], and it was these cases getting well alight which caused the fire to obtain such a quick hold. It is feared that a great deal of damage has been done to the stock of choice wines, many of the bottles being broken."

In December 1919 Humphrey Walmesley died, the estate passing to Major Charles Talbot Walmesley (1881-1960). Both had taken an active part in local affairs, and gradually built up the Inglewood estate. By the time they sold it in 1928, it comprised 4,200 acres (including Inglewood and Hungerford Park, two smaller residences and eleven farms).

In 1928 Colonel Walmesley decided to sell the estate, and it was advertised for sale. The entire estate was sold in 47 lots, and included Inglewood Park (123 acres), Kintbury Farm (87 acres), Hungerford Park (394 acres), Sadlers Farm (266 acres), Totterdown House (64 acres), Anvills Farm (653 acres), Sanham Green Farm (270 acres), Coldharbour and Little Templeton Farms (287 acres), Templeton (166 acres), Inlease Farm (154 acres), Avington Manor Farm (561 acres), and Radley Farm (645 acres) - 4,225 acres in all. There was extensive fishing, many other properties and woodland. The full Sale Particulars run to over 60 pages!

Inglewood House itself was bought prior to auction in November 1928 for £7,000 for use by the Catholic De La Salle brothers, as a training centre for young men entering the Order. It was known as St John's College.

In 1971 heavy expenses caused the de la Salle brothers to sell Inglewood (and move to nearby Wallingtons which they already owned). The sale was completed in the summer of 1972 - to Mr Nicolian, who originally planned to use the premises as a nursing home - but plans soon changed, and a consortium of businessmen transformed it into Inglewood Health Hydro.

In 1981 a consortium headed by Jonathan Aitken bought Inglewood Health Hydro, and it changed hands again in 1998 when it was taken over by Grosvenor Spas Ltd., a national chain of health clubs.

A further change came in October 2001 when it was bought by Purdew Health Farm Group. In 200 it looked as though it would undergo substantial £16 million renovation. However, these changes never took place, and in February 2004 it was suddenly announced that the Health Hydro was to close. The staff were given one month's notice, and the contents were sold by auction in April 2004.

In 2006 Inglewood House was purchased by Raven Audley Court for "a retirement country house and village". Planning permission was eventually achieved, and site clearance began in April 2007. In the summer of 2009 permission was granted to demolish the rest of Inglewood House on condition that it was rebuilt (albeit in modern materials) so that its appearance was unchanged. Little appears to be happening on site in 2010.

(With thanks to Brother Anthony Porter)

See also:
- Sale Particulars of 1928 Inglewood Estate
- "Inglewood House, Kintbury - A History", by Brother Anthony Porter, 2010
- Hungerford Park
- Fire Service 1910-1924

Notes:
[1] Brian Bouchard contacted to say that Anne Shaw was a daughter of John Riley, the younger, of Epsom in Surrey. See Surrey History Centre ref "SHCOL-895" online. The union of William Shaw of Cheshunt and Elizabeth Blandy of Inglewood was a "Fleet marriage" on 12 March 1720. William Shaw of the next generation married Ann Riley at St James Westminster 19 May 1779.

Updated: 14.3.2011