Upton House - Upton, Dorset, UK - Pre-Victorian Historic Homes on Waymarking.com

The house we see today was built in 1818 for the M.P. of Bridport. Christopher Spurrier built Upton House and it is now a Grade II Listed building. It is a stuccoed villa with a rusticated centre with pretty friezes of swags and bucrania. The east wing was added in 1825 in the cottage style as Hutchins oddly described. Pevsner and the Upton Country Park information board is to thank for this information.

In the 17th century the house was 200 yards away from the present building. It was owned by William Hiley. The 18th century saw William Spurrier purchase 900 acres of the estate using the Newfoundland trade money.

In 1828 Christopher Spurrier was forced to sell the house as he had run up gambling debts. It was purchased by Edward Doughty and then was passed to his family members whilst Edward moved to Tichborne Park in Hampshire to take up the family title. His nephew inherited the estate in 1866, Sir Roger Tichborne. But Roger was missing and presumed dead so the estate was unclaimed. Castro appeared in 1866 claiming to be the missing Roger and a 6 year court case ensued. Castro's identity was not proved and he was sent to prison for 14 years.

William Llewellin bought the house in 1901 with 930 acres for £18,110. Then in 1957 the house was passed to the Borough of Poole by the Llewellin family with 55 acres. 1961 saw the house leased to Prince Carol Hohenzollern of Romania but the house fell into disrepair and he left in 1969.

Today the house is used for conferences, exhibitions, training courses and weddings. It is open to the public on certain Sundays throughout the year.

It stands in land with attractive habitats for a wide range of wildlife with paths right up to the shoreline. The Grove Woodland area was added in the 1820s and extended areas up to the shoreline made the ground up to 100 acres in 1986.

The Friends of Upton Country Park now manage the estate and organise events throughout the year. The Park was awarded the Green Flag Award in 2003 and continues to uphold it.

Earliest Recorded Date of Construction: 01/01/1818 Additional Dates of Construction: 17th century the house was 200 yards away from the present building. The east wing was added in 1825. The house fell into disrepair and he left in 1969. Architectural Period/Style: Elizabethan Architect (if known): Christopher Spurrier Type of Building e.g. Country House, Stately Home, Manor: Country Mansion Interesting Historical Facts or Connections: Allegedly the Rector of St James was visited by King Charles II after the battle of Worcester at Upton. Listed Building Status (if applicable): Grade II Listed Main Material of Construction: Stone Private/Public Access: Public Access on Certain Sundays Admission Fee (if applicable): 1.00 (listed in local currency) Opening Hours (if applicable): From: 12:30 PM To: 4:30 PM Related Website: [Web Link] Rating: Landscape Designer (if known): Not listed

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