For my birthday this year, I got a framed, 1930’s Provisional O. S. map. It was a late present, but I was chuffed – and it went straight on the wall of my ‘work from home office’. Much as I love the multiple digital resources of National Library of Scotland ( what a godsend!), perusing a printed map is something else…
Getting familiar as I looked to see what features were there before development, there was one little detail marked as ‘Thames above Teddington Lock Catchment area Bay (Boundary)’ The other side was Hampshire Rivers C.A. Bdy. I had not really noted this before.
Who knew?
So what’s special about Thames above Teddington Lock? Well it is at the point of Teddington that the River Thames becomes tidal.
There is probably a difference a geologist would correct me on, but this catchment area is more commonly referred to as the Thames Basin – The rivers and tributaries flowing into the Thames. In layman’s terms, everything to the right side of this boundary is eventually flowing ‘North’ eventually passing The London Eye, The Thames Barrier and Gravesend! Everything to the left off the boundary flows off the Downs and ‘South’ into Hampshire – primarily into the Upper Test.
I found this lovely map below…
Our Patch – The Loddon
The River Loddon springs up in Basingstoke, and flows 28 miles into the Thames at Wargrave, near Reading.
On the outskirts of Overton, Hampshire, if you ever find yourself on a coach trip to Bombay Sapphireor Whitchurch Silk Mill, you will have travelled by this curious, almost Hispanic wall. You may have also wondered what lies behind?
Berrydown Court, has always been private residence, is seldom open to the public, so I wanted to find out some more about. It was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, the famous architect of the early 20th Century. Maybe due to our proximity to Surrey (and London), there are numerous examples of his projects that seem to cluster. We are really fortunate to have several examples of hisbuildings in our corner of North Hampshire. I call this one my ‘local Lutyens’.
I’m no specialist on architecture, but am drawn to various aesthetic styles, and I find myself very drawn to Lutyens’. (to the point I could probably spot him out). His work was not viewed as ‘Modern’ at the time, and is not modern now, but he drew inspiration from the Arts and Crafts movement. To some, maybe seen harking back a little to to a by-gone ‘England’, it’s probably a bit of all of these. But I always find something aesthetically pleasing and honest about his buildings.
Berrydown Court
1895 O.S. map showing Berrydown Farm near Overton
Along the B3400 road, there are couple of references to the name ‘Berrydown’ such as a garage and a sports ground, but the house owes its name to the much older Berrydown Farm, which was part of the nearby Ashe Park Estate. The above O.S. map shows the farm in early 1895.
Below, in a later 1 inch map (1896.) interestingly shows the plots just before the build… (The next 2 revised maps 1912 and 1932) show the ‘Berrydown Court’ and the addition of buildings, including The Lodge on the corner of ‘Berrydown Lane’ one can see today.
189619121932
The records show Ashe Park was sold in 1889, and this corner of Berrydown Farm was part of the sale.
First Residents – Archibald Grove.
The buyer was Lutyens friend, editor and politician Archibald Grove. In 1897, Grove commissioned Lutyens’ to build him his private house. From the sources, it’s not entirely clear, but it is believed his long time collaborator Gertrude Jekyllwas involved with the garden design, at least in the early part of the project. Hampshire Gardens Trust suggest to William Robinson being involved.
Lutyens and his wife Emily would stay regularly at Berrydown, and it gave him a base to oversee his other Hampshire projects at Daneshill and Marsh Court , near Stockbridge.
Did You Know?
According to the Lutyens Trust, it was at Berrydown that Archibald Grove socially introduced his friend Lutyens to novelist and playwright J.M. Barrie, ‘soon discovering a shared interest in Cricket’. They went on to forge a close friendship and even sharing ideas and seek advice of each other, with their disciplines.
In 1904, The Groves sold Berrydown to Sir Edward Cooper. At the time, with his career in the City of London as an Underwriter, enabled him to become active within the guilds of London and followed the path of Aldlerman, Sheriff and finally becoming Lord Mayor in 1921. A keen musician, Cooper, was Master of the Musicians Company and also sang for over 20 years in St Paul’s Cathedral choir. Other positions occupied was as the Chairman of the Royal Academy of Music and Vice-President of the Royal College of Organists.
After being Lord Mayor (for the customary year in office), Baron Cooper as he had become, life was cut short, with his death in 1922. The Coopers had no children, so there was no heir to pass the his title, or the house.
It would great to have found some anecdotal evidence about The Coopers time at Berrydown and Overton – One will just have to assume assume their time there was a happy one!
His Wife, Lady Charlotte Leonora had several achievements of her own as was a leading campaigner for the Red Cross. She was awarded an C.B.E. For public and charitable services.’ and lived at Berrydown until 1926.
Whilst at Berrydown, The Coopers increased their estate, buying up the original farm. When the estate passed to the Mathieson family in 1926, it was by then a growing farming business, rather than just as a country residence and subsequent owners were to increased the acreage and production.
Illustration for Modern English Country Houses selected by Frank Choutreau Brown (J H Jansen, 1923).
Residents – M&S associations
During the 1930’s the house was to change ownership twice. There was a extended period of stability when Mr and Mrs Sacher, purchased the estate. Mrs Miriam Sacher, was the daughter of Michael Marks, co founder of the UK retail giant Marks & Spencer’s. Her husband Harry was to served on the board as a Director. Their son Michael Moses Sacher went on to be vice Chairman. Again, it’s proven hard to find much about their time at Berrydown, but Miriam we know was a ‘generous benefactor’ to Overton village. I did find a link to a story of one of their properties on the estate called ‘Raebourne’, let out by M&S to staff as a holiday let, which gives an insight.
“…My mother, in the meantime continued to work for Marks and Spencer at their Baker Street head office…
A side benefit from working at the M & S head office was a cottage, “Raebourne”, at Overton in Hampshire, in between Basingstoke and Andover. It was part of Berrydown, the estate of Harry Sacher, one of the M & S directors. The cottage was available for staff holidays, and some time early in the late 1940s we all went down there – the family by car, I by bicycle on a rather rainy day. A wet 60-mile ride along the A30 during which I consumed five breakfasts as fuel.
The cottage is still there, now extended. I remember that then near the cottage was a shed full of car batteries, which somehow provided electricity for the house. How they were charged, I know not. There were wonderful walks near Overton and I particularly remember the nearby trout River Test, with the fish – including a blind black one – swimming in the clear water under the little road bridge. All very familiar to country folk, but a revelation to us city dwellers!“
John Staddon – The English Man, Memoirs of Psychobiologist
Following owners of Berrydown Court have had owned the house on part of the farming business – In 1976, the Thrulsop family acquired the 585 acres estate. By the the time they sold on to ex racing driver and F1 Champion, turned agricultural businessman Jody Scheckter, Berrydown Farm was almost 1900 acres and now part of the Laverstoke Farm, (but the Thrulsop’s kept the house and grounds till 2008).
So some of the associations with Berrydown have been quite surprising, but it’s always been a private house and largely hidden from view. I want to look at some of its architectural quirks and features now. From the road, glimpses are a premium and every owner is entitled to some privacy. It has been open for occasional visits and recorded in Magazine articles. Countrylife Magazine went behind the scenes to look at the renovations of the house, featured in a spread in 2013.
I picked a very changeable Good Friday to walk around the landscape. One day I’d love to visit – if I ever hear of a planned opening. They are incredibly rare events! The Rain aside, an enjoyable walk instead of the regular drive past – and fascinating glimpses of life and architectural flourishes…
The stuff around us in North Hampshire... 