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Rownhams House

Introduction

The site has a mid-18th-century Georgian house and park, developed into a 19th-century landscape park and pleasure ground, with a well-provided kitchen garden growing exotic fruits and vegetables. The house and stable block, with its unusual clock tower, are now offices. There are transport depots to the west and north of the office complex. A small area of garden and park remain, but the rest is private housing.

The 1791 Milne map shows the house enclosed by fields or park, and owned by Barton Esq. When he died in 1798 there were stables (with clocktower), a coachhouse, offices, granary, dovehouse, two new lodges, gardens and an avenue leading to the house. During the 19th century, various improvements were made and the 1870s Ordnance Survey maps show the house is set in parkland with deciduous and evergreen planting clearly defining its boundaries. Also shown is a lodge, approach drive, walled kitchen garden with greenhouses, large fishpond, pathway to Rownhams Farm and another entrance drive to Rownhams village.

The sales notice and map of 1903 gives the area as 41 acres (16.6 hectares), with 33.75 acres (13.6 hectares) of well-timbered parkland, a 1acre fishpond (0.4 hectares) with a boathouse, and the rest, garden and grounds. The kitchen garden is stated as only partly walled. There are various hothouses, pits and frames.

In addition to the above, the 1924 sales notice lists specimen trees, an aviary by the pool, a space for two tennis courts, a rockery, and a gardener's bothy. Major Richard Winstanley bought the house and remained there until his death in 1954, when the property was again for sale. The house and grounds were advertised as being suitable for offices or a scholastic establishment. It was purchased for offices with two residential flats, with the land to the north and west of the house becoming a transport depot. It is likely that some of the land was subsequently sold.

There are now a number of offices occupying the house and stable block. The gardens are tidy, and the pond has been cleaned and is managed. The park, now much reduced, has reverted to woodland with a number of fine specimen trees. Reference to the icehouse in the grounds has only been recently noted. It has an unusual chimney. Housing development has occurred in the rest of the park.

Visitor Access, Directions & Contacts
History

In the 14th century, the Grand Master of the Knights of Jerusalem held Runhams, which occupied 80 acres (32.4 hectares) of land. This subsequently became Rownhams. In the mid-18th-century, Robert Barton married the niece of the Chamberlayne family, and purchased land at Rownhams from them to built a substantial Georgian residence.

Period

18th Century

Features & Designations

Designations

  • The National Heritage List for England: Listed Building

  • Grade: II

Features

  • House (featured building)
  • Now Offices
  • Earliest Date:
  • Latest Date:
  • Planting
  • Description: A small area of garden and park remain, but the rest is private housing.
  • Stable Block
  • Description: The stable block now houses offices.
  • Specimen Tree
  • Pond
Key Information

Type

Park

Purpose

Ornamental

Principal Building

Commercial

Period

18th Century

Survival

Extant

Hectares

3.6

Open to the public

Yes

Civil Parish

Nursling and