The history of Barton Manor (originally from the
Old English
Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...
, ''burc-tun''; alternates: Burton, Burtone, Berton, Barton) spans over 900 years and was first mentioned in the
Domesday Book
Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...
of 1086. It is a
Jacobean manor house
A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The house formed the administrative centre of a manor in the European feudal system; within its great hall were held the lord's manorial courts, communal meals w ...
in
Whippingham
Whippingham is a village and civil parish on the Isle of Wight. The population of the Civil Parish at the 2011 Census was 787. It is located south of East Cowes in the north of the Island.
Whippingham is best known for its connections with Qu ...
, on the
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight ( ) is a county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the largest and second-most populous island of England. Referred to as 'The Island' by residents, the Isle of ...
. While it retains two 17th-century elevations, other frontages were renovated, as was the interior in the 19th century.
Two medieval lancet windows originated at a former Augustinian priory. Barton is the most northerly of all the Island manor houses.
Early history
The manor of Barton is mentioned in
Domesday Book
Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...
as having been held of King Edward by Bolla, and as having passed at the Conquest into the hands of the Norman, Fitz Stur, with whose family it remained until the reign of Henry III., when it passed by marriage to Walter de Insula. About 1282, John de Insula, rector of Shaltteet, and Peter de Winter, rector of Godshill, founded and endowed at Barton an oratory of Augustines for six priests and a clerk. It was dedicated to the Holy Trinity, and placed under the patronage of the Bishop of Winchester; but about the middle of the 15th century it was suppressed, and its lands granted by Bishop Waynflete to Winchester College, with which they remained 'til purchased by Her Majesty, in 1846. The ancient Barton Manor House, which was erected shortly after the suppression of the religious foundation, has been considerably enlarged and renovated, so that it is now a large mansion of that style of domestic architecture which prevailed during the reign of the Tudors.
Grounds
Behind the manor house are the farm buildings, which are constructed on the most approved principle. The piggeries are arranged round a separate yard, with an incline from the sleeping compartments towards the yard, and food is passed into the troughs from a covered passage at the back of the styes. The sheds, dormitories, and fattening stalls of all the other animals are arranged on each side of a large substantial edifice, with a tramway passing down the centre of the building, by which food is easily conveyed to them. The stables for the cart-horses are ventilated by means of Venetian blinds at each end and openings beneath the eaves of the roof. The granary is a spacious fire and vermin proof building, erected on brick arches, with iron girders, and divided into compartments for every sort of grain. The wheelwright's shop is a large and well-lighted room, sixty feet long, with a sawmill on one side of it. Around it are arranged the fire hose, buckets, plugs, &c., which are kept in perfect order and ready at a moment's notice. A steam-engine of eight-horse power is employed in driving the machinery, which is adapted to a variety of purposes, such as elevating the sheaves, thrashing and cleaning corn, cutting chaff, straw, turnips, and mangold-wurtzel, crushing oil-cake, splitting beans and peas, bruising oats, grinding corn, grinding tools, working the sawmill, and pumping water for the fountains. The ricks are built upon cast-iron straddles, so as to resist the invasion of rats and mice. Nearly 100 men are constantly employed upon the estate.
Timeline
Winchester College (1439-1845)
Barton Manor was owned by
Winchester College
Winchester College is a public school (fee-charging independent day and boarding school) in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It was founded by William of Wykeham in 1382 and has existed in its present location ever since. It is the oldest of the ...
for some 400 years until being sold to Queen Victoria in 1845. Winchester College, which was established in 1382, is an
independent
Independent or Independents may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups
* Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s
* Independ ...
boarding school
A boarding school is a school where pupils live within premises while being given formal instruction. The word "boarding" is used in the sense of "room and board", i.e. lodging and meals. As they have existed for many centuries, and now exten ...
for boys in the
British public school tradition, situated in
Winchester
Winchester is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs Nation ...
,
Hampshire
Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English citi ...
.
At the time, all of the Barton lands were given to the college by the Arch-priest of Barton,
Walter Trengof
Walter Trengof (or Treugof, died 1445) was an English medieval churchman and university Chancellor.
Trengof attended Exeter College, Oxford. He was three times Chancellor of the University of Oxford during 1417–21. From 1436 until his death in 1 ...
. Using the estate to boost its income, Winchester College leased out the lands to a variety of tenants for farming purposes.
Queen Victoria (1845-1901)
Queen Victoria first rented Barton Manor for a period of a year from 1844, to assess its suitability as her family home. However, obviously deciding that it was too small, she purchased the nearby
Osborne House
Osborne House is a former royal residence in East Cowes, Isle of Wight, United Kingdom. The house was built between 1845 and 1851 for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert as a summer home and rural retreat. Albert designed the house himself, in t ...
instead, which became her main
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight ( ) is a county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the largest and second-most populous island of England. Referred to as 'The Island' by residents, the Isle of ...
residence. She had long been associated with
East Cowes
East Cowes is a town and civil parish in the north of the Isle of Wight, on the east bank of the River Medina, next to its west bank neighbour Cowes.
The two towns are connected by the Cowes Floating Bridge, a chain ferry operated by the Isle ...
, since staying at
Norris Castle
Norris Castle is located on the Isle of Wight. It was designed by James Wyatt for Lord Henry Seymour. The estate adjoins Osborne House, country home to Queen Victoria. On the other side of Norris Castle sits the Spring Hill estate, bought by ...
, as a girl. She also tried to buy Norris Castle in 1845, but failed.
However, the Queen still bought Barton Manor in 1845 for £18,000. Her main reason for purchasing the estate was so that she could house Crown
equerries and visiting European royalty there.
Barton Manor remained in her possession until her death in 1901.
King Edward VII (1901-1910)
Inheriting the estate from Queen Victoria,
Edward VII
Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910.
The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria an ...
decided to retain Barton Manor for his own use, after gifting
Osborne House
Osborne House is a former royal residence in East Cowes, Isle of Wight, United Kingdom. The house was built between 1845 and 1851 for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert as a summer home and rural retreat. Albert designed the house himself, in t ...
to the nation in 1902. Barton Manor was a favourite summer retreat of his. He retained the estate until his death in 1910.
He visited Barton Manor on 6 August 1903, along with
George
George may refer to:
People
* George (given name)
* George (surname)
* George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George
* George Washington, First President of the United States
* George W. Bush, 43rd Presiden ...
,
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers ...
, General Sir Stanley Clarke and
Major Sir Schomberg McDonnell. At the time, Barton Manor was said to be undergoing alterations and being refurnished. It was rumoured that this was because it was intended to be used by members of the Royal Family.
On 15 March 1904, Barton Manor was again visited by
George
George may refer to:
People
* George (given name)
* George (surname)
* George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George
* George Washington, First President of the United States
* George W. Bush, 43rd Presiden ...
,
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers ...
, together with
Mary
Mary may refer to:
People
* Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name)
Religious contexts
* New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below
* Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...
,
Princess of Wales
Princess of Wales (Welsh: ''Tywysoges Cymru'') is a courtesy title used since the 14th century by the wife of the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. The current title-holder is Catherine (née Middleton).
The title was firs ...
. The 'commodious' Barton Manor was described as having been enlarged, but was still at that time being prepared for Royal visitors.
In August 1906, Canon Hervey, the King's Chaplain at
Sandringham Sandringham can refer to:
Places
* Sandringham, New South Wales, Australia
* Sandringham, Queensland, Australia
* Sandringham, Victoria, Australia
**Sandringham railway line
**Sandringham railway station
**Electoral district of Sandringham
* Sand ...
, left Barton Manor after spending a few months there for the benefit of his health. He had much improved and had been staying there at the request of King
Edward VII
Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910.
The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria an ...
, who still retained the estate.
Sir Francis Henry Laking, 1st Baronet, and his wife arrived at Barton Manor in October 1906, for a stay which lasted for two months, gaining much benefit in health.
King George V (1910-1922)
King
George
George may refer to:
People
* George (given name)
* George (surname)
* George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George
* George Washington, First President of the United States
* George W. Bush, 43rd Presiden ...
inherited the estate from his father, King
Edward VII
Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910.
The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria an ...
. He held on to the estate until 1922, when he decided to sell it, ending 75 years of Royal ownership.
The Tillett Family (1922-1954)
Mr & Mrs F C Tillett bought the Barton Manor estate and farmed it for some 30 years, together with their son, Ivor. At the time, the estate was said to be around 725 acres.
However, it was also reported that around 1938/1939,
Sir Peter Drummond Macdonald KBE and his wife
Lady Jean Macdonald (daughter of
Douglas Cochrane, 12th Earl of Dundonald
Lieutenant General Douglas Mackinnon Baillie Hamilton Cochrane, 12th Earl of Dundonald, (29 October 1852 – 12 April 1935), styled Lord Cochrane between 1860 and 1885, was a Scottish representative peer and a British Army general.
Early life ...
), lived on the Barton Manor estate. Sir Peter was a
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
-born
Conservative Party
The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right.
Political parties called The Conservative P ...
politician. He was
Member of Parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
(MP) for the
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight ( ) is a county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the largest and second-most populous island of England. Referred to as 'The Island' by residents, the Isle of ...
for 35 years from 1924 to 1959.
In 1952, by which time Ivor Tillett owned the estate in his own right, he and his wife relocated to
Devon
Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...
. Barton Manor was put up for sale as a vacant possession.
Brookfield School (1954-1962)
In September 1953, it was said that the Crown was interested in re-acquiring Barton Manor, which was due to be sold by auction. At the auction, the estate was to be broken up and sold as a large number of smaller lots.
It was reported that in February 1954, Barton Manor was sold to Mr Gerald Joynson. While at the time, Joynson lived on the mainland, he was formerly of the Isle of Wight and had been master of the Isle of Wight
Hunt
Hunting is the human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/ hide, bone/tusks, horn/antler, et ...
, until he stepped down in 1933. It was said that he was also well known for sailing in the
River Hamble
The River Hamble is located in south Hampshire, England. It rises near Bishop's Waltham and flows for through Botley, Bursledon, and Lower Swanwick before entering Southampton Water between Hamble Common and Warsash.
The Hamble is tidal fo ...
.
Shortly after, Brookfield School relocated from Fairlee Road, Newport to Barton Manor. The boarding school was run by its Headmaster, Tony Williams who founded the school in 1953 and had around 30 boarders between the ages of 9 and 16. Williams, who used to be in the Royal Navy, thought that with his Naval and scholastic experience, he could create an 'unconventional' school that could be of real benefit to the country's educational system.
However, amid some scandal, the school closed its doors in 1955. Despite this, there is some evidence that the manor stayed in the Williams family, as in May 1960 it was given as the address for Captain T G Williams, who may have been Tony William's younger brother. Captain Williams and his crew had to be rescued from his ship, 'J T & S', a 129-ton Irish Schooner which was set ablaze, following an engine-room blow-out.
Mr J V Figgins (1962-1964)
In January 1962, it was reported that Barton Manor had been sold to a Mr J V Figgins of
Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council.
Portsmouth is the most dens ...
and
Waterlooville
Waterlooville is a market town in the Borough of Havant in Hampshire, England, approximately north northeast of Portsmouth. It is the largest town in the borough.
The town has a population of about 64,350 and is surrounded by Purbrook, Blendwort ...
. At the time, Figgins also owned Fort Warden Holiday Camp in
Colwell Bay
Colwell Bay () is a bay in the west of the Isle of Wight. It is located between the towns of Totland and Yarmouth. The bay's northernmost point is Cliff's End (Fort Albert) the closest point of the Island to the British mainland, with Hurst Cas ...
on the Isle of Wight, but his main business was in construction and plant hire. It was said that the building was in need of modernisation and after doing this, it would become his private residence.
Miss Joyce Annie Holt (1964-1967)
It was reported that Joyce was a lady of means and that in her younger days, she moved in 'that circle of people'. In later life, she amassed a valuable collection of books, together with antiques. She also had a bookshop in
Newport, on the
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight ( ) is a county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the largest and second-most populous island of England. Referred to as 'The Island' by residents, the Isle of ...
.
Joyce Holt acquired Barton Manor sometime around 1964, after moving from Newport on the Isle of Wight.
Lady Eva Mary Price (1967-1976)
Lady Price, known as Eve, was the widow of
Sir Henry Price, 1st Baronet
Sir Henry Philip Price, 1st Baronet (17 February 1877 – 12 December 1963) was a British businessman and philanthropist.
Price was born in Leeds to Joseph Price and Elizabeth Helen Price. In 1919, he opened a tailor's shop in Silsden, then in t ...
, who was a British businessman and philanthropist. Born in 1908, she was thirty years younger than her husband. Their family home was originally
Wakehurst Place
Wakehurst, previously known as Wakehurst Place, is a house and botanic gardens in West Sussex, England, owned by the National Trust but used and managed by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. It is near Ardingly, West Sussex in the High Weald (g ...
, an Elizabethan mansion built in 1590 and set in 500 acres. When Sir Henry died in 1963, he left Wakehurst Place to the nation, although Lady Price had the right to stay there for the rest of her life. However, some years later she decided to move to the Isle of Wight and bought Barton Manor.
Both keen botanists, both Sir Henry and Lady Price had roses named after them. They were the Pieris formosa ‘Henry Price’ and the Viburnum tinus ‘Eve Price’.
Lady Price died in April 1993. Her and Sir Henry Price's private antique collection was sold for £4.1 million in November 2000 by auction at
Sotheby's
Sotheby's () is a British-founded American multinational corporation with headquarters in New York City. It is one of the world's largest brokers of fine and decorative art, jewellery, and collectibles. It has 80 locations in 40 countries, and ...
.
Anthony Goddard (1976-1991)
Anthony Goddard purchased Barton Manor in March 1976. During his ownership, he turned the estate into a popular visitor's attraction and added a high-quality vineyard, producing some 30,000 bottles of wine each year. Goddard sold the manor in October 1991.
Robert Stigwood (1991-2006)
Barton Manor was later bought by Australian film and music tycoon
Robert Stigwood
Robert Colin Stigwood (16 April 1934 – 4 January 2016) was an Australian-born British-resident music entrepreneur, film producer and impresario, best known for managing Cream, Andy Gibb and the Bee Gees, theatrical productions like ''Hair'' ...
, who bought the estate in October 1991. At the time, it was valued at just over £1.15 million. Stigwood said that he wanted the estate to be his UK residence.
At the time of purchase, he promised to keep the gardens and vineyards open to the public.
Robert Stigwood sold the estate in 2006.
Panaghis & Sally Ann Lykiardopulo (2006-2012)
Barton Manor was put on the market in 2004, for a sale price of around £9 million. In 2006, the new owners stated that they wished to remain anonymous, but invited fundraisers to continue holding events in the grounds. It later transpired that the owner was Panaghis Lykiardopulo and his wife, Sally Ann.
Alex Haig-Thomas (2012- )
It was reported (incorrectly) that Alex Haig-Thomas bought Barton Manor in 2012 for £9 million, the same price that it was advertised for in 2004. Haig-Thomas was described as an online gaming entrepreneur. Furniture from the manor was sold at auction just prior to the sale.
[Isle of Wight County Press dated 22 June 2012, Page 10]
References
*''This article includes text incorporated from William White's'' History, Gazetteer and Directory of the County of Hampshire, Including the Isle of Wight: And Comprising a General Survey of the County and Separate Historical, Statistical and Topographical Descriptions of All the Hundreds, Parishes, Townships, Chapelries, Towns, Ports, Villages, Hamlets, and Unions; the Diocese of Winchester; the Seats of the Nobility and Gentry; Magistrates and Public Officers; and a Great Variety of Other Archæological, Architectural, Agricultural, Biographical, Botanical and Geological Information ''(1878), a publication now in the public domain.''
{{coord, 50.7474, -1.2643, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title
Houses completed in the 17th century
Country houses on the Isle of Wight
Manor houses in England