Burleigh Court Hotel

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www.burleighcourthotel.co.uk/

Local tradition would say that the house was built around 1770, for a Japanese ambassador, and that the lake in front of the house was still in existence after 1935. To find the truth meant painstaking work. The County Records Office at Gloucester were helpful and fairly fruitful concerning the last century, but the real breakthrough came when Roger Benson (the previous owner of the Hotel) first met Dr Kearsey, a descendant of a past owner,. and secondly Nicholas Kingsley, who has produced a book on Gloucestershire houses.

In the late eighteenth century the present site of the house appears to have been occupied by two cottages. It is a magnificent site with views over the Golden Valley covering the last ridge of the Cotswolds to the west, over Stroud to Lypiatt in the north, and on to Sapperton church. On the south side the line follows the top of the hill from Aston Down to Minchinhampton, and on across the Common to Rodborough. In the early days the land encompassed by the estate was considerable, and in comparatively recent times covered Besbury to Burleigh, with 3 farms and 6 similar properties, including Besbury Farm, the Wilderness cottages, and Garden Cottage.

The present house was built in the first years of the 19th Century, and was approached through an avenue of trees from Burleigh. The owner in the early days was George Harmar, who died in 1827, and left the property to his wife Mary. West Lodge, a later addition, stands at the entrance on the west side and the line of trees is still clearly visible. A bridge to take carriages over the road was built in 1897 together with the Coachman's House, which was later re-named Garden Cottage. The main building is a three storey building with a substantial cellar, built on local golden Cotswold stone, and originally was then central from a forecourt, and had a semi-circular ionic porch. The garden on the South side has five bays and two shallow bows which give a distinctive and unusual effect.

Mary Harmar died in 1844 and the property was bought by her Solicitor, William Woodrow, who was known as Lawyer Kearsey. He died in 1880 and was buried at Brimscombe Church, under a yew tree at the back of the Church - in the same grave as his wife and two children.

The next owner was Philip Evans, of Marley and Evans, who had a Mill on the present site of Benson's factory. Apparently he also owned Rodborough Court and Thrupp Court. Photographs of the house at the turn of the 19th Century are displayed in the present house. Philip Evans sold the house to Frances Aiken-Sneath in March 1908 and it passed to Edward Fiennes Elton, grandfather of the present Lord Elton in 1920. The Elton family lived here until 1928 and present day members of the family are regular and welcome guests.

The Elton family are believed to have made the first major re-styling, covering the area between the wings with a single storey extension containing -an entrance hall and panelled dining room.

In October 1928 the house passed to Mr A H Arnold and then some six years later to Sir Guy Granet. It was Sir Guy who employed Clough Williams Ellis to re-model the Victorian garden and probably also to provide the existing neo Georgian porch. The typical compartmentalised garden he created has now been altered, and the summer house he built is believed only to have lasted a few years before being demolished by a falling tree. After Sir Guy's death in 1944, Burleigh Court was sold to Mrs G Mackworth-Young at a price of £10,250 and the Mackworth-Young family became the last private owners. Until 1979 the property changed hands frequently, with the Gellers from Esher Surrey owning it for a while in the 70's and the area diminished to less than 5 acres.

In 1979 the property was bought by the Benson family. During their 14 year ownership there was a great deal of restoration to the building and gardens. Through acquisition of adjoining land, the estate has crept back to a little over 6 acres and now includes Burleigh Lodge, situated at the entrance to the main drive. The once filled in and forgotten Victorian plunge pool has been carefully restored to its former glory and now serves as a heated swimming pool. By careful conversion of stable buildings in the small courtyard, the number of bedrooms has grown to seventeen, all of which enjoy en-suite bathrooms. The gardens are particularly attractive in the Spring, when the display of tulips is quite dazzling. The lawns are lovingly cared for and are well set off by some magnificent trees, including Acers, a superb Purple Beech, a Californian Red Wood and several huge mature Cedars.

Burleigh Court is an elegant house to live in, it seems to have worked its spell over many of the families who lived here long ago„ and is doing the same to its present owners the Noble family who acquired the property in 2002.

THE GHOSTS OF BURLEIGH COURT
Our story starts back in 1881 when the owners of the house, Mr Philip Evans with his wife Elizabeth and daughter Mary, after being in occupation of the property for less than a year, suffered a family tragedy.

They bought the house in 1880 from a solicitor Mr William Woodrow, Mr Philip Evans being the local Mill owner of the Marley & Evans Mill situated just a few hundred yards down the road at Brimscombe. Philip Evans was reputed to own not only Burleigh Court but also the Courts of Rodborough and Thrupp. However it was to be Burleigh Court that was to be his family's home 1908 Unfortunately their home was to be riddled with family heartache which started just 11 months after they moved in.

To the front of the house (where the putting green is now) was originally- a man-made lake (a photo of which is in the main entrance to the Hotel, which shows the Evans' at the edge of the lake). It was on this lake that their daughter Mary was to drown a sudden and horrible death, whilst playing with friends. She was only 9 years of age.

Her Mother Elizabeth was watching the children play standing in the front courtyard to the Hotel, (which is now where the reception and bar area is) when one of the children slipped down the embankment and was unable to retrieve her footing to climb out. Elizabeth rushed over to the edge of the lake not knowing that she was too late to save her drowning daughter. So traumatised by the event a doctor was called and confined Elizabeth Evans to her room suffering evere depression and trauma. From her room (now room 3) she could take solace and comfort only from the beauty of the gardens and rear terrace that laid out below her. However this was to last only 12 days before Elizabeth herself died joining her daughter due to the aching of a broken heart. Within weeks Philip Evans had the lake filled in and laid to lawn, so that this awful tragedy could never rear its head again. He lived alone in the house consoled it is said by the spirit like presence of his wife and daughter whose ornaments and furniture remained for several years to come. Throwing himself into his business with his joint partner Edward Marley, he gradually sold his assets of Thrupp Court, Rodborough Court and in 1908 Burleigh Court and he left the area still grieving the loss of his daughter Mary and wife Elizabeth.

Later owners of the House Mr Edward Fiennes-Elton who purchased the property in 1920 covered the front courtyard with what is now the current entrance/reception area and oak panelled bar. It is in the corner of the entrance that the tall elegant slim figure of Elizabeth Evans has been seen on many occasions, looking out on to where the lake once was, her eyes fixed on the playing children. Her presence in room number 3 has also been noted by numerous visitors to the house and her elegant stature and watchful eye has earned her the title of the Matriarch of Burleigh Court, and those that have seen or felt Elizabeth Evans consider her to be a caring lady devoted in ensuring that all who come to visit are well.

There has never been a siting of Elizabeth's daughter Mary however, but some visitors who have stayed in the rooms overlooking the lawn where this tragic accident occurred have heard a young girls cry for help, that to this day remains unanswered!