ÿþ<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> <HTML> <HEAD> <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"> <title>Holbrook Park and Holbrook House, Horsham - Hidden Horsham</title> <meta name="keywords" content="Holbrook Park, Holbrook House, Hidden Horsham, Francis Frith, Horsham photos"> <meta name="description" content="Holbrook Park, Holbrook House. Photos on Hidden Horsham reveal architectural and structural detail that the eye normally misses."> <link rel="icon" href="favicon.ico" type="image/x-icon"> <link rel="shortcut icon" href="http://www.hiddenhorsham.co.uk/favicon.ico" type="image/x-icon"> <link rel="Stylesheet" href="/styles/style.css" type="text/css"> </HEAD> <BODY> <A NAME="TOP"></A> <TABLE class="wideness"><TR><TD> <A HREF="/index.htm"> <IMG SRC="/images/topbanner.jpg" alt="click to go to the home page" border=0> </A> </TD> </TR> <TR><TD><iframe class=head scrolling="no" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="/menu/menuhh.htm"></iframe></TD></TR> <TR> <TD> <TABLE ALIGN="right" border=0> <TR> <TD class=strip></TD> <TD VALIGN="TOP" WIDTH="120"> <IFRAME class=menu SCROLLING="no" FRAMEBORDER="0" MARGINHEIGHT="0" MARGINWIDTH="0" SRC="/menu/menu.htm"></IFRAME> </TD> </TR> </TABLE> <H2>Hidden Horsham - Holbrook Park & House</H2> <TABLE class=thumbs align=left><TR><TD> <A HREF="/images/hh/full/59.jpg" target="_blank"> <IMG class=edge SRC="/images/hh/page/59.jpg" alt="Hidden Horsham, Holbrook" width=295 height=175 border=0 align=left></A></TD></TR> <TR><TD><P class=c> Holbrook Park</P> </TD></TR> </TABLE> <P>Holbrook Park is in Old Holbrook, north of the A264 in Horsham, towards Warnham</P> <P>Holbrook Park originated c1800 as a red brick house but underwent major rebuilding in 1846 under the ownership of W R Seymour Fitzgerald (see below), evidenced by the Roman numerals <B>MDCCCXLVI</B> featured high on the northern face of the main Park building. The Italianate style used began to go out of favour by 1855 but not before Holbrook Park was built</P> <P>Featuring the appearance of a flat roof bounded along the front with a ballustrade it actually has a U shaped pitched roof section running laterally. The main entrance has a pediment at roof level and the porch is supported by four ionic pillars. On the northern corners are two towers which are only decorative having blanked off windows but giving access to the roof via a service door. The windows, including one above and to the left of the main entrance may have been left blank to avoid the Window Tax which was in place from 1696 to 1851, or they may be just for show and therefore providing 'balance' to the architecture</P> <TABLE BORDER=0 class=thumbs> <TR> <TD><A HREF="http://local.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=51.091932~-0.31079&style=h&lvl=19&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=1915478&encType=1" target="_blank" class="opac" ><IMG SRC="/images/hh/aerial/59b.jpg" alt="aerial view of Holbrook Park " border=0 width=150 height=150></TD> <TD><A HREF="/images/hh/full/59c.jpg" target="_blank" class="opac" ><IMG SRC="/images/hh/thumbs/59c.jpg" alt="front view of Holbrook Park (west)" border=0 width=150 height=150></A></TD> <TD><A HREF="/images/hh/full/59d.jpg" target="_blank" class="opac" ><IMG SRC="/images/hh/thumbs/59d.jpg" alt="MDCCCXLVI date view of Holbrook Park" border=0 width=150 height=150></A></TD> <TD><A HREF="/images/hh/full/59e.jpg" target="_blank" class="opac" ><IMG SRC="/images/hh/thumbs/59e.jpg" alt="North elevation view of Holbrook Park" border=0 width=150 height=150></A></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD><A HREF="/images/hh/full/59f.jpg" target="_blank" class="opac" ><IMG SRC="/images/hh/thumbs/59f.jpg" alt="archway through coach house of Holbrook Park" border=0 width=150 height=150></A></TD> <TD><A HREF="/images/hh/full/59g.jpg" target="_blank" class="opac" ><IMG SRC="/images/hh/thumbs/59g.jpg" alt="gardener's cottage and bell tower view of Holbrook Park" border=0 width=150 height=150></A></TD> <TD><A HREF="/images/hh/full/59h.jpg" target="_blank" class="opac" ><IMG SRC="/images/hh/thumbs/59h.jpg" alt="full size view of Holbrook Park stable block" border=0 width=150 height=150></A></TD> <TD><A HREF="/images/hh/full/59i.jpg" target="_blank" class="opac" ><IMG SRC="/images/hh/thumbs/59i.jpg" alt="full size view of Holbrook Park" border=0 width=150 height=150></A></TD> </TR> </TABLE> <P>The property, now divided into a number of apartments, comprises a range of buildings. The main building, described above, greets you as you go up the drive. To the right of this is the coach house; the right hand side of which is known as Holbrook House and has been painted cream and has its own private entrance drive. Behind and to the right of the main building is a smaller building featuring a bell tower. This was apparently designed to face into the extensive gardens because of the balustrading on the far western face. Between the bell tower and the coach house is a slate roofed property that once housed the generator. It was converted to a domestic property in 1958 and purchased by the current owners in 1961. The layout can be seen from the aerial view</P> <P>Hidden Horsham has been able to trace a little history attached to this property. Some of the various owners have been key players in the history of Horsham as described below</P> <TABLE border=0 class=info > <TR><TD VALIGN=top><P>From Year</P></TD><TD VALIGN=top><P>Owner</P></TD></TR> <TR><TD VALIGN=top><P>c1799</P></TD><TD><P>John Manley</P><HR></TD></TR> <TR><TD VALIGN=top><P>c1811</P></TD><TD><P><B>Admiral Sir James Hawkins Whitshed</B> (1762-1849), served under Admiral Lord Nelson before himself being promoted to the highest rank in the British Navy as Commander in Chief of the Fleet. He was awarded a gold medal for actions during the Battle of Cape St. Vincent against the French Navy</P><HR></TD></TR> <TR><TD VALIGN=top><P>1843</P></TD><TD><P><B>Robert Henry Hurst</B> 1788 - 1857 served as MP for Horsham, the first as Horsham's only MP from 1823 - 1841. Prior to 1832 Horsham returned two MPs to Parliament. His son, also Robert Henry Hurst was returned as MP a two times: 1865 - 1868, 1869 - 1874 and 1875 - 1876. They were part of the influential Hurst family and are buried at the family plot in the <A HREF="/38/38.htm">Denne Road Cemetery</A></P><HR></TD></TR> <TR><TD VALIGN=top><P>1844</P></TD><TD><P><B>Henry Padwick</B> 1804-1879, R H Hurst's mortgagee sold it to <B>W R Seymour Fitzgerald</B> 1818 - 1885. Padwick was a local lawyer and money lender who had a reputation for foreclosing on debts and repossessing properties</P> <P>Fitzgerald was MP for Horsham in 1848 but was unseated by petition. He was elected again in 1852 and served contiously until 1865 at which point he was unseated by Robert Henry Hurst, son of the previous owner. Fitzgerald took Horsham again from Hurst in 1874 only to be replaceded again by Hurst a year later when Fitzgerald, by now a knight, was appointed Chief Charity Commissioner for England and Wales, suceeding the late Sir James Wales. Fitzgerald was the son of the Irish statesman William Vesey-FitzGerald, 2nd Baron FitzGerald and Vesey and 1st Baron FitzGerald, MP for Clare. Being illegitimate he was not eligible to inherit the title</P><HR></TD></TR> <TR><TD VALIGN=top><P>1877</P></TD><TD><P>H D Harrison</P><HR></TD></TR> <TR><TD VALIGN=top><P>1888</P></TD><TD><P>A R Creyke</P><HR></TD></TR> <TR><TD VALIGN=top><P>1905</P></TD><TD><P>H Alan Scott (married to niece of widow of A R Creyke)</P><HR></TD></TR> <TR><TD VALIGN=top><P>1927</P></TD><TD><P>W A Wigram recorded as living there</P><HR></TD></TR> <TR><TD VALIGN=top><P>c1950</P></TD><TD><P>Sold by executors of E T Neathercoat who was involved in the Horsham Chamber of Commerce</P><HR></TD></TR> <TR><TD VALIGN=top><P>1954</P></TD><TD><P>Planning application to demolish and build residential houses refused</P><HR></TD></TR> <TR><TD VALIGN=top><P>1955</P></TD><TD><P>Planning application to convert main building into six flats and conversion of outbuildings to residential use permitted</P></TD></TR> </TABLE> <BR> <TABLE BORDER=0 class=info > <TR><TD width=19%><P>Fact File</P></TD><TD width=27%><P>Location: <A HREF="http://maps.google.co.uk/maps" target="_blank">RH12 5PW </A></P></TD><TD width=27%><P> Build Date: 1846</P></TD><TD width=27%><P> Listed: yes, see below</TD></TR> <TR><TD colspan=4> <P>Images of England: <A HREF="http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?pid=&id=299237" target="_blank">South Lodge to Holbrook Park, Northlands Road [II]</A></P> <P>Images of England: <A HREF="http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?pid=&id=299238" target="_blank">Holbrook Park, Northlands Road [II]</A></P> <P>Images of England: <A HREF="http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?pid=&id=299239" target="_blank">Holbrook Park House, Northlands Road [II]</A></P> <P>Images of England: <A HREF="http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?pid=&id=299240" target="_blank">Garden Lodge to Holbrook Park, Northlands Road [DL] </A></P> </TD></TR></TABLE> <BR> <TABLE BORDER=0 width=610 class=info > <TR><TD><P>External Links:</P> <P>A History of the County of Sussex: Volume 6 Part 2: Bramber Rape (North-Western Part) including Horsham (1986), pp. 156-66. <A HREF="http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=18351" target="-blank">Horsham: Manors and other estates</A></P> <P>About Nelson: <A HREF="http://www.aboutnelson.co.uk/13whitshed.htm" target="_blank">Sir James Hawkins Whitshed Bart GCB. Admiral of the Fleet</A></P> <P>National Maritime Museum: <A HREF="http://www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/prints/viewRepro.cfm?reproID=PU4550" target="_blank">Sir James Hawkins Whitshed Bart GCB. Admiral of the Fleet</A></P> <P>findonvillage.com: <A HREF="http://www.findonvillage.com/0118_henry_padwicks_new_stables.htm" target="_blank">Henry Padwick</A></P> <P>Wiki:<A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Robert_Seymour_Vesey-FitzGerald" target="_blank"> William Robert Seymour Vesey-FitzGerald</A></P> </TD></TR> </TABLE> <H3><A HREF="/58/howarddudley01.htm" class=opac><IMG SRC="/images/back.gif" alt="click for the previous image" border=0></A><A HREF="/60/horshamfootball.htm" class=opac><IMG SRC="/images/fwd.gif" alt="click for the next image" border=0></A></H3> <HR> <P>Contributions, comments and suggestions are welcomed. Please use the <A HREF="/hh/contact.htm" title="feedback page">contact</A> page to let us know your thoughts. 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