St Leonards Hill,
1894
In July 2003, we came across this 1894
view of St Leonards Hill, Windsor, the former home of General
Amédée d'Harcourt and his wife Sophia in the early
1800s. The page, 330mm x 270mm, and image 200mm x 255mm, had
been removed from the original book, 'Beautiful Britain - the Scenery and Splendours
of the United Kingdom, published by
the Werner Company of Chicago, from their address in London.
This is the description that accompanied the photograph.
St. Leonards Hill, is situated
in the parish of Clewer, Windsor Forest. It was formerly called
Gloucester Lodge, it having become the property of the Duke of
Gloucester when he married the original proprietress, the Countess
of Waldegrave. At that time the building was enlarged and much
improved, and, together with seventy-five acres of land principally
laid out in pleasure-grounds and lawns, is said to have been
valued at £10,000. In the beginning of the present century
it was the property of General Harcourt, and now belongs to Mr.
Barry. St. Leonards Hill is a name no doubt originating from
the chapel of Saint Leonard of Loffeld in Windsor Forest, in
connection with which there is still extant a document dating
from the time of Edward III. in which a large portion of the
forest was granted to John the Hermit. There are many beautiful
features of Renaissance architecture in the building, which is
finely situated and commands a splendid view. The ground belonging
to it would seem at one time to have been a Roman encampment;
for, particularly in the early part of the eighteenth century,
numerous antiquities have been brought to light in course of
building and other operations. Amongst these was a quaint old
brazen lamp, unearthed from beneath a stone under which it had
evidently been hidden, which was afterwards presented by Sir
Henry Sloane to the Society of Antiquaries, and has since been
chosen by them for their crest. Numerous coins also, dating from
the times of the Emperor Vespasian and the Lower Empire, have
been dug up from time to time on St. Leonards Hill, and purchased
by the same society. Spear-heads, arrows, pieces of trumpets,
various coins and weapons, pots and fragments of ancient earthenware,
and other souvenirs, have since been found.
An engraving of St Leonard's Hill
published in 1820 with the mansion on top of the hill to the
left.
By the 1990s, the house had become a ruin.
This imposing house should not
be confused with the nearby St Leonards Mansion, in the grounds
of Legoland.
The mansion was bought in 1932 by Anna Dodge, the widow of Horace
E Dodge, the American car maker. From 1966 the property
had been part of Windsor
Safari Park, owned by circus owner, Billy Smart, until
Legoland selected Windsor for its first theme park outside Denmark.
See also William
de Braose and St Leonard's Hermitage
|
