About Us: Introduction
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History of Dunchurch Lodge |
1767 - The lands came
into the possession of King George III and were later developed upon Lord John
Scott, 2nd son of the 4th Duke of Buccleuch.
1804 - The estate was sold to the Oxford Union Canal Navigation Company for
£700, who arranged the building of a fine red brick mansion.
1805 - Richard Tawney, a proprietor of the Oxford Union Canal Navigation
Company, moved into the Lodge and lived there until his death in 1832.
1834 -
Company leased out the Lodge to Colonel John Rochford.
1851 -
William Keach of Dunchurch, a gentleman farmer moved in with his family and
servants.
1861 -
Thomas Hazlehurst occupied the Lodge with his wife and servants.
1868 -
Estate acquired by Alfred Hyde Harrison who converted the house to a preparatory
school for the sons of gentlemen.
1882 -
The school prospered and was moved to Dunchurch Hall.
1883 -
Extensive repair to house and outbuildings in preparation for arrival of Walter
Sandilands, 12th Baron Torpichen of Scotland and his wife. His two
sons were later born at Dunchurch Lodge.
1890 -
£4000 spent on refurbishment in November before sub letting to Honourable
Douglas Leigh for the hunting season. In December a great fire destroyed the
Lodge, leaving only the East Wing.
1903 -
John Lancaster commissioned Gilbert Fraser a reputable architect to design a new
mansion house for the site. It incorporated the old East Wing where there have
been sightings of a female ghost.
1908 -
Building of the new mansion house and 3 lodges for the estate workers completed
and Thomas Mawson, a landscape architect was commissioned to design a garden
with pleasure grounds to enhance the house.
1920 -
The well connected and wealthy Cayzer family bought the estate and stayed there
until Major Cayzer died in 1948.
1950-
Estate purchased by The English Electric Company, which later became GEC Marconi
and utilised the house as a training college for apprentices.
2001 -
Bought by first! Venues and developed into a conference centre.
2003 - Taken over by
Signature Hotel Group and developed into a hotel through an ongoing £1.8m
refurbishment & development programme.
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