Midlington House (Midlington)

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HCC Site ID: 1522 Parish: Droxford
Designations: AONB, SDNP, SMR Area: 2.8 ha
Access: No Public Access Ownership: Multiple, private residences

Location and Site

Midlington House is sited at the southern end of Droxford village, to the west of the A32 in the Upper Meon Valley, a wide river valley cutting through the chalk uplands. There is soft chalk in the valley. It is now within the South Downs National Park.

Historic Development

The land was held in the 14th century by the Bishop of Winchester.
The house may have been built by Mr Peter Barfoot, who is recorded as living there in 1770. The Barfoot family continued to live there well into the 19th century. The first edition OS map, 1868-86 shows well-developed gardens with paths through conifer woodland, formal gardens possibly an orchard and a walled garden and glasshouses. In 1905, there was a fatal fire but the house was restored by a retired tea planter and local benefactor, F H Christian, and renamed Midlington House. Mr Christian owned and occupied the house from 1908. Twenty-six staff under the head gardener, John Hayward, cleared, landscaped and planted the estate.

At the sale in 1971, the house was described as ‘a fine Georgian house standing in 221 acres (89.4 ha) of gardens and grounds.’ It was developed into six vertical dwellings which is how it remains today.

Current Description

In 1998, the walled garden of Garden cottage and the coach house (all once part of Midlington House) were developed as The Walled House. There is a separate dwelling, Garden cottage. The original old wall of the garden is very extensive. The gardens of the main house now only consist of a large lawn at the back with modest flowerbeds on the perimeter.

Summary

Georgian house; well-established early 19th century gardens; house destroyed 1905, rebuilt and gardens re-landscaped. Main house divided into six dwellings 1971; new house built in walled garden, 1998.

Information: April 2003


Our address

Address:
Droxford No Public Access Click for Disclaimer & copyright
GPS:
50.955919466134596, -1.1424815654754639

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