“Welcombe Hall" Warwickshire

Shakespeare left the land of the Welcombe estate to his daughter Susanna Hall, who was succeeded by her granddaughter Elizabeth Nash, the wife of Sir Barnard. Lady Barnard, the last descendant of Shakespeare died in 1670. Her trustees sold Welcombe to Sir Edward Walker, whose daughter and heiress, Barbara married Sir John Clopton. Thus this parcel of land reverted for a time to its former owners. Unfortunately for the Clopton's their direct family line came to an end in 1792 with death of Mistress Partheriche. In 1774 John Lloyd a fellow of the Royal Society owned Welcombe and was succeeded by his son George who re‑modelled the house in 1815. Then came his brother and the brother's nephew Charles Thomas Warde.

Mark Phillips purchased Welcombe Lodge, as it was then known in 1845 from Warde. He demolished the old house shortly afterwards but continued to live in Snitterfield. It was nearly 20 years before he started to build the present house, now known as Welcombe Hall. The commission to design the house went to Henry C Clutton. Building work was supervised by Thomas Newby of Manchester who built warehouses for the Philips family. Construction took four years and the house was completed in 1869.The Gardens were designed by William Nesfield who originally submitted the designs for both the house and the landscaping.

In 1870 Mark Philips moved in but died four years later in 1874. He had become an M.P. and was the main instigator behind the movement to introduce public parks and recreation areas for the enjoyment of all. The obelisk on the Welcombe Hills erected in 1876 by R.N Phillips is in his memory. The mansion went to his brother Robert Neadham Philips who left it to his daughter Caroline, wife of the Rt. Hon. Sir George Trevelyan. His son Robert Calverly Trevelyan sold the property to Sir Archibald Flower of Stratford upon Avon (grandson of the founder of the famous "Flowers Brewery"). In 1931 the house was bought by L.M.S. Railway Company when it began its new life as a hotel, becoming one of the "British Transport Hotels."

Manchester Architectural Association. Second annual conversonne (1877) held in the Memorial Hall. Included an exhibition of recent work by local architects. Thomas Newby exhibited the following: “Welcome Hall" Warwickshire. [ British Architect 12 October 1877 Page 181]

Reference    British Architect 12 October 1877 Page 181
Reference    Builder 1882i Page 552-553