Leigh Park House, near Portsmouth

MANSION, LEIGH PARK, NEAR PORTSMOUTH - The inhabitants of Portsmouth and its neighbourhood have long been familiar with the beautiful grounds and conservatories of Leigh Park, through the kind liberality of Mr. W. H. Stone, their representative in Parliament. The ungraceful stuccoed building erected on one of the least attractive sites in the Park, which until lately served for the residence, will be remembered. About three years since the proprietor decided to abandon the old house and build a new residence on a site overlooking the lake and commanding views over the Isle of Wight and some of the most beautiful scenery of the south coast; and in the spring of 1863 the new mansion was commenced. We give a view of the eastern front, showing the principal entrance and the hall, which is carried up the full height of the building. The general arrangement of the principal rooms and the offices will be seen on reference to the ground plan; above it are two floors of bedrooms, to which access is given by corridors similar to that on the ground plan. The nurseries are placed over the offices, with which they have a communication independent of the principal and back staircases. The centre portion of the tower is filled with cisterns for the supply of hot and cold water, which are carried to all parts of the building. The materials used for the walls are red bricks, and Farleigh Down stone for the dressings. The roof is covered with plain tiles; both bricks and tiles being made on the estate. The arcades and the ashlar work in the hall are of chalk from Portsdown Hill, with shafts of Devonshire marble. As much as possible throughout the building native materials have been used, the chimney-pieces being of serpentine, alabaster, or Devonshire marble. At present the house is approached from lie old entrances on the Portsmouth- road; but it is intended to form a new one near to Rowland’s Castle. The house is warmed throughout on the hot-water system by Messrs. Weeks. The works have been carried out by Messrs. Rogers & Booth, contractors, of Gosport, from the designs of Mr. R. W. Drew, of Storey’s Gate, Westminster. [Builder 17 March 1866 page 193]

It is probable that R W Drew was also responsible for other buildings on the estate including estate cottages, a free-standing laundry near the house, stables and coach-house on Durrants Road/ Petersfield Road, built at the same time as the house and the North Lodge of 1868.

A staunch Liberal, William Henry Stone was the son of William Stone of Dulwich Hill, and followed his brother Thomas first to Harrow and then to Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1853, where he gained his B.A. in 1857 and M.A. in 1860. It was at Cambridge that he first met Richard William Drew. He bought Leigh Park House at auction in October, 1860 when he was then aged only 27 After a settlement was agreed, Stone paid the £60,000 for the estate and moved to Leigh Park at the beginning of October 1861. Almost immediately Stone set about replacing the existing Georgian house with a new house on an elevated site further from the road commissioning R W Drew to prepare the plans.

Reference    Builder 17 March 1866 page 193 – description
Reference    Builder 17 March 1866 page 194 – ground floor plan
Reference    Builder 17 March 1866 page 195 - illustration
Reference    RA Exhibit 1867 “Leigh Park, Hampshire, the residence of W H Stone MP”
Reference    Steve Jones: William Henry Stone of Leigh Park. Havant Borough History Booklet No. 65