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Burleigh Court Hotel
Burleigh
Minchinhampton
Stroud
Gloucestershire GL5 2PF
Tel: +44(0)1453 883804
Fax: +44(0)1453 886870
Email:
info@burleighcourthotel.co.uk |
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A SHORT HISTORY OF BURLEIGH COURT
Local tradition would say that the house was built around 1770, for a
Japanese ambassador, and that the lake in front of the house was still
in existence after 1935. To find the truth meant painstaking work. The
County Records Office at Gloucester were helpful and fairly fruitful
concerning the last century, but the real breakthrough came when Roger
Benson (the previous owner of the Hotel) first met Dr Kearsey, a
descendant of a past owner,. and secondly Nicholas Kingsley, who has
produced a book on Gloucestershire houses.
 In the late eighteenth century the present site of the house appears to
have been occupied by two cottages. It is a magnificent site with views
over the Golden Valley covering the last ridge of the Cotswolds to the
west, over Stroud to Lypiatt in the north, and on to Sapperton church.
On the south side the line follows the top of the hill from Aston Down
to Minchinhampton, and on across the Common to Rodborough. In the early
days the land encompassed by the
estate was considerable, and in comparatively recent times covered
Besbury to Burleigh, with 3 farms and 6 similar properties, including
Besbury Farm, the Wilderness cottages, and Garden Cottage.
The present house was built in the first years of the 19th Century, and
was approached through an avenue of trees from Burleigh. The owner in
the early days was George Harmar, who died in 1827, and left the
property to his wife Mary. West Lodge, a later addition, stands at the
entrance on the west side and the line of trees is still clearly
visible. A bridge to take carriages over the road was built in 1897
together with the Coachman's House, which was later re-named Garden
Cottage. The main building is a three storey building with a substantial
cellar, built on local golden Cotswold stone, and originally was then
central from a forecourt, and had a semi-circular ionic porch. The
garden on the South side has five bays and two shallow bows which give a
distinctive and unusual effect.
Mary Harmar died in 1844 and the property was bought by her Solicitor,
William Woodrow, who was known as Lawyer Kearsey. He died in 1880 and
was buried at Brimscombe Church, under a yew tree at the back of the
Church - in the same grave as his wife and two children.
The next owner was Philip Evans, of Marley and Evans, who had a Mill on
the present site of Benson's factory. Apparently he also owned
Rodborough Court and Thrupp Court. Photographs of the house at the turn
of the 19th Century are displayed in the present house. Philip Evans
sold the house to Frances Aiken-Sneath in March 1908 and it passed to
Edward Fiennes Elton, grandfather of the present Lord Elton in 1920. The
Elton family lived here until 1928 and present day members of the family
are regular and welcome guests.
The Elton family are believed to have made the first major re-styling,
covering the area between the wings with a single storey extension
containing -an entrance hall and panelled dining room.
In October 1928 the house passed to Mr A H Arnold and then some six
years later to Sir Guy Granet. It was Sir Guy who employed Clough
Williams Ellis to re-model the Victorian garden and probably also to
provide the existing neo Georgian porch. The typical compartmentalised
garden he created has now been altered, and the summer house he built is
believed only to have lasted a few years before being demolished by a
falling tree. After Sir Guy's death in 1944, Burleigh Court was sold to
Mrs G Mackworth-Young at a price of £10,250 and the Mackworth-Young
family became the last private owners. Until 1979 the property changed
hands frequently, and the area diminished to less than 5 acres.
In 1979 the property was bought by the Benson family. During their 14
year ownership there was a great deal of restoration to the building and
gardens. Through acquisition of adjoining land, the estate has crept
back to a little over 6 acres and now includes Burleigh Lodge, situated
at the entrance to the main drive. The once filled in and forgotten
Victorian plunge pool has been carefully restored to its former glory
and now serves as a heated swimming pool. By careful conversion of
stable buildings in the small courtyard, the number of bedrooms has
grown to seventeen, all of which enjoy en-suite bathrooms. The gardens
are particularly attractive in the Spring, when the display of tulips is
quite dazzling. The lawns are lovingly cared for and are well set off by
some magnificent trees, including Acers, a superb Purple Beech, a
Californian Red Wood and several huge mature Cedars.
Burleigh Court is an elegant house to live in, it seems to have worked
its spell over many of the families who lived here long ago„ and is
doing the same to its present owners the Noble family who acquired the
property in 2002.
THE GHOSTS OF BURLEIGH COURT
Our story starts back in 1881 when the owners of the house, Mr Philip
Evans with his wife Elizabeth and daughter Mary, after being in
occupation of the property for less than a year, suffered a family
tragedy.
They bought the house in 1880 from a solicitor Mr William Woodrow, Mr
Philip Evans being the local Mill owner of the Marley & Evans Mill
situated just a few hundred yards down the road at Brimscombe. Philip
Evans was reputed to own not only Burleigh Court but also the Courts of
Rodborough and Thrupp. However it was to be Burleigh Court that was to
be his family's home 1908 Unfortunately their home was to be riddled
with family heartache which started just 11 months after they moved in.
To the front of the house (where the putting green is now) was
originally- a man-made lake (a photo of which is in the main entrance to
the Hotel, which shows the Evans' at the edge of the lake). It was on
this lake that their daughter Mary was to drown a sudden and horrible
death, whilst playing with friends. She was only 9 years of age.
Her Mother Elizabeth was watching the children play standing in the
front courtyard to the Hotel, (which is now where the reception and bar
area is) when one of the children slipped down the embankment and was
unable to retrieve her footing to climb out. Elizabeth rushed over to
the edge of the lake not knowing that she was too late to save her
drowning daughter. So traumatised by the event a doctor was called and
confined Elizabeth Evans to her room suffering evere depression and
trauma. From her room (now room 3) she could take solace and comfort
only from the beauty of the gardens and rear terrace that laid out below
her. However this was to last only 12 days before Elizabeth herself died
joining her daughter due to the aching of a broken heart. Within weeks
Philip Evans had the lake filled in and laid to lawn, so that this awful
tragedy could never rear its head again. He lived alone in the house
consoled it is said by the spirit like presence of his wife and daughter
whose ornaments and furniture remained for several years to come.
Throwing himself into his business with his joint partner Edward Marley,
he gradually sold his assets of Thrupp Court, Rodborough Court and in
1908 Burleigh Court and he left the area still grieving the loss of his
daughter Mary and wife Elizabeth.
Later owners of the House Mr Edward Fiennes-Elton who purchased the
property in 1920 covered the front courtyard with what is now the
current entrance/reception area and oak panelled bar. It is in the
corner of the entrance that the tall elegant slim figure of Elizabeth
Evans has been seen on many occasions, looking out on to where the lake
once was, her eyes fixed on the playing children. Her presence in room
number 3 has also been noted by numerous visitors to the house and her
elegant stature and watchful eye has earned her the title of the
Matriarch of Burleigh Court, and those that have seen or felt Elizabeth
Evans consider her to be a caring lady devoted in ensuring that all who
come to visit are well.
There has never been a siting of Elizabeth's daughter Mary however, but
some visitors who have stayed in the rooms overlooking the lawn where
this tragic accident occurred have heard a young girls cry for help,
that to this day remains unanswered!
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