History of Upton House and Country Park
Upton House, though modest in size, echoes the elegance of late 18th Century and early 19th Century Britain. It forms the focal point of the Upton estate (which once extended to a thousand acres) and is now the centre piece of Poole's only Country Park.
In 1666, the estate which stands beside an old Roman Road was bought by William Hiley whose house a farmhouse, is thought to have been sited about 200 yards away from the present building. In the middle of the 18th Century the estate was bought by William Spurrier, a wealthy merchant and banker who had amassed a fortune from the trade between Newfoundland and Poole. He was four times elected Mayor of Poole in 1784, 1786, 1787 and 1802.
After the death of William Spurrier in 1811, the estate passed to his son Christopher Spurrier, who was elected MP for Bridport from 1820 to 1826. Christopher built the present house in around 1818 "in the Italian style of architecture" sparing no expense and in 1825 added the west wing. He had the ancient turnpike road between Poole and Wareham diverted to run away from the front of the House and thereby enlarged the park land.
Shortly afterwards the house and estate were sold in 1828 to Edward Tichborne-Doughty, whose nephew Roger Tichborne stayed there. The estate formed part of the lawsuit and scandal of Victorian times relating to the Tichborne claimant, for it was after Roger disappeared, having been refused permission to marry his cousin, that Arthur Orton an Australian pursued his rights. His claim was not established and it was castigated as "the most daring and sustained imposture that ever afforded the measure of the possible wickedness of man".
Edward Doughty (later Sir Edward) was one of a party who met the fleeing Charles X of France when he landed at Poole Quay. Doughty offered his carriage to the exiled King who used it to travel to Lulworth Castle where he was to remain before travelling to Scotland. Between 1834 and 1853 Sir Edward added to the house the East wing and Chapel "in the cottage style of architecture". He died in 1853 and the House was let to Lord Dormer and then to James Deardon of Rochdale and later to Edmund Wates.
It has been suggested that Upton House was the inspiration for Wyndaway House in Thomas Hardy's novel "The Hand of Ethelberta". In 1901, William Llewllin (High Sheriff of Dorset in 1919) bought the house and in 1936, an avenue of 48 lime trees were planted in double lines at the front of the house to commemorate the accession of King Edward VIII to the Throne (but these have largely failed as an unsuitable species for the soil). One of his sons then went onto become Lord Llewellin, first Governor General of the Rhodesia's and Nyasaland. His daughter Mary Llewellin became Poole first Lady Mayor holding office in 1951 and again in 1953. The Llewellin family lived in the house until 1957 when it was given by the late William Wigan Llewellin to Poole Council, with covenants in favour of the National Trust.
From 1961 to 1969 the House was occupied by Carol Hohenzollern, Prince of Romania.
Directgov