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Summary

The Grange, Swaythling stood on land at the southwest corner of High Road (now Wide Lane), Wide Lane and Mansbridge Road. It was demolished in 1973/74 to make way for a new road layout, and most of the site of the building now lies under the road and the roundabout. The building was Grade II* listed. It was damaged by fire in 1964, which made part of the house uninhabitable.

In the official list description, the oldest part of the house was dated to the 15/16th centuries with later alterations, and two traceried windows in this part of the building were dated to the 13th century (?presumably re-used). Other parts of the house were dated to the 16th/17th centuries. The south elevation was an 18th century build. The west elevation and bays at the west ends of the north and south elevations were of late 18th century date, built of brick with stone details.

The Grange was originally a manor house belonging to St Deny's Priory. At the beginning of the 18th century it belonged to the Dummer family, who made substantial additions to the existing brick house (before 1724). The house seems to have remained in the Dummer or Dummer-Andrews family until 1905 when it was bought by Sir Samuel Montague (Lord Swaythling of South Stoneham House). It became a nursing home in 1908. In 1914 the Montagues sold the house and grounds to RR Jenkyns, and his family lived there until it was demolished in 1973/74, although had sold it before then.

Protected Status: None recorded

Other References/Statuses

• HER backup file (new series): MSH2996  paper & digital (includes Unnumbered items, scanned, not yet library linked)

Monument Type(s):

• BUILDING (Medieval to Late 20th Century - 1400 AD? to 1974 AD)

Full description

The following are arrange largely in source publication order. Some of the sources contain contradictory information and some details are spurious. Further research is required.

MAP EVIDENCE. The Grange, Swaythling is shown on the 1869 map [1] and later maps [2][3][4] to 1966 [5]. Various other buildings are shown in the grounds. Earlier maps have not yet been checked.

[12] (?date): Photo postcard showing The Grange (not named), also reproduced in [10].

[17] (1933): Article about The Grange, including speculation of a monastic origin. Description of "a room graced by a magnificent carved oak Tudor mantlepiece and 28 feet oaken beams". The deeds of the house go back to 1500. There are "immense beams in the cellars". John Dummer (flourished 17th century) once occupied the Grange; "his initials may be seen still on lead piping". More about the Dummer property. "The domestic chapel of the Grange was built in Dummer's time. Mr Jenkyns (then owner of the house, IP) has …a beautiful stained glass window which probably belonged to this private oratory" (more in source). "The most famous occupant was Richard Cromwell.." (a room is called the Cromwell Room). Lord Hawke owned it and died there in 1781. The Beadons owned it for over a century. (Note that much of this conflicts with [16]. IP) "On the lead drain pipes of the Grange there is the monogram DA", which stands for Dummer-Andrews. "It was in the time of one of the Andrews, possibly, that a fire-place belonging to Napoleon of France, was installed in the Grange. It is now at Townhill Park." "Several of the rooms have magnificent oak floors. Most of the rooms contain large fireplaces, and in what was once the kitchen (it has been used as a lounge for many years now) is one of the most perfect examples of the Elizabethan carved oak chimney-piece ..." "In the Adams period two bows were added to the very large reception rooms. To this day there is a Queen Anne safe in an upstairs room hidden behind a cupboard and there was once …. (bit missing from HER copy)…room." Mention of a Tudor wardrobe (described). a "secret room", accessed via a trap door (speculation as to use) and a "closet", possibly used as a hide-out. A "tunnel" linking the Grange with South Stoneham House is mentioned (although the evidence given for this seems doubtful - IP).

[18] (1933): (Letter responding to [17]). Disagrees with suggestion that The Grange was a monastic site. Further re stained glass window mentioned in [17]. Disputes the Cromwell connection (Richard Cromwell lived at Hursley Park). Lord Hawke might have owned the house but didn't live there.

[13] (1967): The Grange (Grade II listed). It has a central core (brick-gabled elevation to the road) which is at least partly 17th century (according to the list description there is a 15th century window) and a handsome 2-storeyed west frontage of c1800, with ranges of windows under a pediment and canted bays at the ends. The south bay has the remains of a tent-roofed veranda. The building is still occupied but is in "desperate decay" and "is now doomed".

[14] (1968, former list description): The Grange (Grade II*).
- West elevation. Late 18 century. 2 storeys and attic. Brick. Stone string at 1st floor level. Stone cornice carried across 3 centre bays as band. Tall brick parapet, 4 1/2" and have a pediment with stone coping on brick corbels. Hipped slate roof. 2 dormer windows and small semi-circular window in tympanum, with radiating glazing and stone cill and keystone. 5 windows on 1st floor all with stone cills, the centre window has moulded stone architrave with ears. 4 windows on ground floor and 6 panel double central door, upper panels glazed rectangular fanlight with rectangular glazing pattern, in moulded stone architrave similar to window over.
- 2 storey angular bay on north and south elevations of this block, cement rendered with string and cornice carried round. North bay - 2 windows and centre blank on each floor. South bay - 3 early C19 french casements on each floor, and two tiered, circa. 1840, cast iron verandah, light panel standards diagonal pattern, and 1st floor balcony of alternate straight bars and triple diamond pattern with cast lead ornament. Bold concave lead roof with deep cut pelmet on each floor.
- South elevation - C18 wing at right angles 3 windows on each floor, the centre 3 light.
- A further service wing at different angle, 2 storeys, brick and old tile roof.
- Double gabled block facing road. C15-16 altered C17 and later. 2 storeys and attic. Moulded and dentilled brick string over 1st floor level. Drip string over 1st floor windows in R.H. gable. Old tile roof. R.H. gable - one 3 light moulded stone (painted) mullioned window, C18 casements, on attic floor 2 C18 windows, architrave frames on 1st and ground floors. L.H. gable - one arched brick window (blocked) in attic. One C19 brick mullioned window on 1st floor. 2 C13 traceried windows in east elevation, two pointed arched lights with 4 similar lights over. L.H. window painted, R.H. blocked. One similar window blocked on ground floor.
- Irregular extension C16-17 with irregular C18 windows.
- Interior? (not described).
[Data derived from [14]. See Designation Record for verbatim description. Crown Copyright.]
IP 7/7/08. Demolished 1973/4. Presumably revoked by 31/12/1974 although date not known.

[16] (1980): The Grange belonged to the Dummer family at the beginning of the 18th century. Edmund Dummer made substantial additions to the existing brick house. After his death in 1724 the building was probably occupied by his children and descendants. In the 19th century it belonged first to the Rev. Dummer Andrews, who lived there in 1820), then to Dr Edwn Godden Jones until his death in 1842, then to Miss Charlotte Holden and her sister (nieces of Dummer Andrews) until c1870. The house seems to have been empty for a while before being occupied by Col. AG Webster. In about 1898 it became the home of Miss Covey (a Dummer descendant). She mortgaged the property (house, garden and 79 acres) and in 1905 she sold it. The Grange was aquired by Sir Samuel Montague (of South Stoneham House). In 1914 his son sold the house and grounds of 4 acres to RR Jenkyns, who died there in 1957. His widow and family lived there until it was demolished, although the property had to be sold to the Public Trustee. In 1965 the property was sold to Southampton Corporation, as part of a projected road widening scheme. A fire in 1964 had made part of the house uninhabitable, and it was in a dilapidated condition. It was demolished in 1974 to make way for a road junction, later abandoned (1980). (A few further details in source. List of illustrations.)

[15] (1983): The Grange, built c1650, several phases of building, demolished 1974. Home of Dummer family. (Fig 3 is a photo taken c1900, showing an ivy clad west façade. IP)

[10] (1988): The Grange was originally a manor house belonging to St Deny's Priory. It was later occupied for many years by the Dummer family. Once the home of Richard Cromwell, it was visited by many famous people. (Includes 5 photographs showing the house prior to demolition.)

[9] (1992): Reproduces a photograph of The Grange taken in 1909, then in use as a nursing home. It became a nursing home in 1908, having been made available by Lord Swaythling. The Grange was damaged by fire in 1964, acquired by the City Council and demolished in 1974. (Further details in source.) (The family name of Lord Swaythling is Montague. IP)

[11] (1995): The deeds of the Grange go back to the start of the 16th century, "with every period represented in furniture and design". It had a secret room. A secret tunnel is said to have been dug between the Grange and South Stoneham House. The house became delapidated and was vandalised. It was demolished in 1973. (More in source. Two photographs included.)

[19] (?date): The Grange is "a lovely old Tudor manor house". (Photo)

[7] (2003): Four photos [6] taken in "about 1960 at the time of the demolition of The Grange … certainly the cellar of the Tudor part still exists" (some more details).

[8] (2003): Most of the Grange is now under the road and the roundabout. The area that is not under the road has recently (2003) been planted as a small shelter belt.

IP 7/7/08: The house stood near the junction of High Road (now Wide Lane), Wide Lane and Mansbridge Road. Note discrepancy between [14] and [13] regarding the date of construction of the oldest part, and the date of the traceried windows. Re the list description [14], the 13th century windows were presumably reused in the rebuilt 15/16th century house, unless C13 is a tying error. Some of the photos show these windows. (South Stoneham house is 600m to the SSW.)

[20]: Ground Floor Plan of The Grange, 1967/1969. (See also [21].)

[More photos on Portcities Southampton web site - see associated files.]
[Further sources from old Conservation files in backup file, scanned but not yet checked.]
[See also photo posted on Facebook - link in Resources.]

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events: None recorded

Related records

Associated Links

• Facebook - Southampton Heritage Photos

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