The Early Years of Leigh Park
Before Staunton
1800 William Garrett acquired house and grounds
1802 built a house and enclosed 400 acres called Leigh Park
1807 farm and other freehold land known as Menghams (126 acres) acquired by Garrett
1807-1820 William Garrett built his Ferme Ornee and the Pleasure Grounds, and extended the walled garden and added hothouses.
Staunton’s Estate
1820 Estate bought by George Staunton
1824 Temple of Friendship built
1828 the Shell house based on the Chichester Cross was built with a pebble pathway
1828 ice house constructed
1828 New road and two new lodges built and the ornamental lake Leigh Waters begun
1829 A poem on Leigh Park was written by J.King and the West Lodge and Main Gates created
1832 Turkish kiosk or tea house and obelisk built
1830 the Beacon built
1833 Fort Island, and Fort, Swan Island, the cottage island formed and the Chinese Bridge, boathouse the Green Arbour, the Corinthian bridge, the Hexagonal Chinese summer house are all in place.
Joseph Gilbert produces a portfolio of landscape water colours of the Estate.
1836 Notices of the Leigh Park Estate published for private circulation after the Cross house, the Moss house, and the Lookout built
1841 the statue of Diana was added to the temple Lawn
1842 the Cone House , Green trellis and new landscaping to join the Swiss house, Dutch Garden and shrubberies
1842 the Serpentine walk created
1843 Iron House finished
1853 Tropical Lily House constructed
Stone’s Estate
1861 Estate acquired by William Stone
1863 work on the Stones mansion begun on the highest point of the grounds to command view to the Isle of Wight and the Solent
1865 New mansion built (+ ancillary buildings and Coach House); the farm yard was extended, and new walled garden, dog kennels, saw yard, spare stable, granary, workshops and store rooms.
1874 estate built by FitzWygram
The FitzWygrams
1882 Sir FrederickFitzWygram marries Angela, daughter of Thomas Nugent Vaughan and Countess Forbes and retires two years later
1884 Sir Frederick FitzWygram is elected as a as Conservative M.P.
1904 Sir Frederick FitzWygram dies and is succeeded by his son, Frederick Loftus Fitzwygram, who was only 20 years old. He lives at the park with his mother, Lady Fitzwygram, and his sister, Angela.
1915 Sir Frederick FitzWygram is taken prisoner by the Germans while serving in the Great War
1920 Sir Frederick FitzWygram dies, unmarried and aged only 35, of blood poisoning and the effects of influenza at London
1935 Angela, the last of the Fitzwygrams, leaves Leigh Park.
