Peartree House is a Grade II listed building in the Peartree Green area of

Southampton Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...

, England. The oldest part of the property was built for Francis Mylles, M.P. for Winchester, using stone from the

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

settlement at

Clausentum Clausentum was a small town in the Roman province of Britannia. The site is believed to be located in Bitterne Manor, which is now a suburb of Southampton. Identification Route VII of the Antonine Itinerary documents the Roman settlement of Clau ...

. The most notable former resident of the property was Lieutenant-General

Henry Shrapnel Lieutenant General Henry Shrapnel (3 June 1761 – 13 March 1842) was a British Army officer whose name has entered the English language as the inventor of the shrapnel shell. Henry Shrapnel was born at Midway Manor in Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltsh ...

who invented the weapon named after him. The property is now owned by Peartree House Rehabilitation & Community Service where it is used as a specialist rehabilitation centre for clients with acquired brain injuries.

History

Peartree House was built during the reign of

Queen Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen". El ...

, at the end of the 16th century (probably between 1590 and 1600). Its builder and owner was Francis Mylles, M.P. for Winchester from 1588 to 1593; he was also the tenant of

Bitterne Manor Bitterne Manor is a suburb of Southampton surrounding the manor house of the same name. It is located on the eastern bank of the River Itchen, across Cobden Bridge from St Denys. History Bitterne Manor is the site of the original Roman settl ...

, owned by the Bishop of Winchester, from whom Mylles obtained consent to use stone from the Roman fort and settlement at

, close to which Bitterne Manor stands. Frances Mylles' daughter was married to Captain Richard Smith, who lived in Peartree House in 1617, and who was responsible for the building of nearby

Jesus Chapel Peartree Green is an open space on high ground on the east bank of the River Itchen in Southampton. A 16/17th century building, Peartree House, still stands, though is today concealed by private housing. The house and the green take their name ...

. Peartree House was occupied by the Mylles family for almost three centuries; the last of the family died in 1780, and it was then passed to members of the Speed and Waring families, who were related to the Mylles. During the early 19th century, the property was extended and the

castellated A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet (i.e., a defensive low wall between chest-height and head-height), in which gaps or indentations, which are often rectangular, occur at interva ...

facade was added. Notable occupiers were Lieutenant-General

– inventor of the shell of that name – who died there in 1842; and the Cruickshank family – active in local education matters – who owned the property from 1893 to 1917. In the 1930s, the land around the house was sold off for development. Southampton Corporation bought the house in 1949, for use as a home for the elderly, adding numerous extensions to the rear. The property is now owned by Peartree House Rehabilitation & Community Service where it is used as a specialist rehabilitation centre for clients with acquired brain injuries.

Other known occupiers

*George Waring: prior to 1828 *Mrs. Webber: 1828–c.1835 *

: c.1835–1842 *Rear Admiral Sir

John Wentworth Loring Admiral Sir John Wentworth Loring, KCB, KCH (13 October 1775 – 29 July 1852) was a Royal Navy officer of the early nineteenth century who is best known for his service in the Napoleonic Wars as a frigate commander. Born in the Thirteen ...

: 1842–1853 *R. Hesketh: 1854–1863 *George Errington: 1866–1875 *James Appleford: pre-1886–1888 *Hugh Stanley Morris: 1888–1893 *John Cruickshank: 1893–1917 *Llewellyn Llewellin: 1917–1918 (used as a school) *John Jackson: 1918–c.1932 *H. Pierce: 1948–1949 (used as a hotel)

Description

The main house is a Grade II

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

, having been first listed in September 1954. The house is a long two-storeyed building with a stucco front and a tiled roof behind a castellated parapet. The main (south-eastern) facade has three sash windows on the first floor in the central section and two in each of the wings. The central part is set back, with a ground floor

verandah A veranda or verandah is a roofed, open-air gallery or porch, attached to the outside of a building. A veranda is often partly enclosed by a railing and frequently extends across the front and sides of the structure. Although the form ''vera ...

between the projecting wings; the verandah has five wooden archways with Neo-Tudor heads. The wings have iron balconettes to the first floor windows. Inside the building there are

inglenook An inglenook or chimney corner is a recess that adjoins a fireplace. The word comes from "ingle", an old Scots word for a domestic fire (derived from the Gaelic ''aingeal''), and "nook". The inglenook originated as a partially enclosed heart ...

fireplaces, most of which are now blocked. There are ancient oak beams in the old kitchen and on the top floor.

References

External links

Entry on "Images of England" databaseEntry on "British Listed Buildings" websitePhotograph in 1930Photograph in 1941Photograph in 1941Photograph in 1971

Photograph in October 2003
{{Buildings in Southampton Grade II listed houses in Hampshire Nursing homes in the United Kingdom Social care in England