Sale and demolition Stevenstone

1 sale , demolition

1.1 trefusis, baron clinton
1.2 clemson
1.3 piecemeal disposal

sale , demolition

deer shelter, stated pevsner date c. 1700, in former deer park of stevenstone house. visible across valley terrace of house. advertised sale local estate agent in 2012



stable block, stevenstone house, converted c. 1950 terraced housing. ivy-covered ruins of stevenstone house visible in background


trefusis, baron clinton

following death of mark rolle in 1907, rolle estates, extending 55,000 acres, had been held him life tenant under of aunt s husband john rolle, 1st baron rolle (1750-1842), descended heir male nephew charles john robert hepburn-stuart-forbes-trefusis, 21st baron clinton (1863–1957), of huish

clemson

lord clinton sold stevenstone auction in 1912 captain john oliver clemson (1882-1915) , wife mary mckinnon, wealthy heiress. clemson born 30 may 1882 in crumpsall, manchester elder son of john henry clemson (1856-1889) of parkside, altrincham, cheshire wife sara jane oliver (b. 1855). had 1 brother , 4 sisters.

in 1891 aged 8 living widowed mother @ brookfield house, bury old road, broughton, salford. attended windermere college preparatory school, in parish of st mary s church applethwaite, windermere, in church name appears on memorial tablet boys of old college fell in great war . later attended sedbergh school between 1897 , july 1900. in 1901 census residing @ red house, windermere, boarder in preparatory school 3 other pupils. matriculated @ exeter college, oxford in 1901. described himself in 1909 gentleman farmer of peagham (barton), torrington , 1 of farms of stevenstone estate, 3/4 mile north of stevenstone house. on 10 july 1909 applied commission in royal north devon hussars, , commissioned second lieutenant on 17 july 1909.

in 1911, unmarried , aged 28, staying @ bydown house, swimbridge, near barnstaple, guest of robert jameson , wife margaret (née mckinnon), brother-in-law of mary mckinnon, residing in house, aged 28 , born in calcutta, clemson s future wife. in 1912 @ paddington, london, married mary mckinnon, 3rd daughter of late john mckinnon of 10 hyde park gardens, london. had 1 daughter. new owners demolished half of east front of house including main tower , 1 corner tower, make more manageable, presumably due war-time lack of domestic staff. master of stevenstone foxhounds.

captain clemson mobilised on 4 august 1914 , sailed gallipoli on 24 september 1914, part of south western mounted brigade, during campaign died wounds on 9 december 1915. remembered monument in st giles church inscribed follows: in loving memory of john oliver clemson, of stevenstone, captain royal north devon hussars, killed in action in gallipoli 9th december 1915, aged 33. great , glorious thing die 1 s country . recorded on exeter college, oxford roll of honour, , on altrincham & district roll of honour.

his widow mary erected bronze memorial tablet in church naming twelve men of parish had lost lives in world war i, reported on in local press thus: following unveiling mrs. clemson, , dedication vicar (rev. c. walker), last post , reveille sounded on cornets, , effect grand in solemnity. special hymns , psalms sung choir, , vicar based address on significance of memorial . grave in lala baba cemetery in turkey. mrs clemson remarried col. b.c. james, 8th devon regiment, awarded dso on 1 january 1917, , remained @ stevenstone.

piecemeal disposal

on 26 september 1930 estate of stevenstone offered sale auction, including 665 acres. property auctioned again in may 1931, 17 acres , described comprising 4 reception rooms, 27 bed , dressing rooms , 8 bathrooms. failed sell @ £3,000. further 300 acres sold separately.

in summer of 1931 house , of parkland purchased mr george millman, tenant of winscott barton (the ancient home of tristram risdon), part of stevenstone estate, within parish of st giles. offered sale building materials prior complete demolition, split 609 lots. lot 609 residual shell of house after else had been sold in previous lots. mr millman changed intention against selling, auction not stopped. bought-in many lots could, , house continued few more years, reduced in size again demolition of servants wing connected house stable block.

the house still habitable during world war ii troops stationed there, namely warwickshire regiment , later american troops. after war mr millman sold house mr melville, contrary stated intention @ time of purchase, proceeded demolish it. used of stone convert stable block terraced housing , built several smaller houses , bungalows around , in former walled kitchen garden.

in 1970 vestigial ruins of stevenstone house purchased mr parnell, had purchased deer park in 1931 sale , had built bungalow next ruins. although adjacent detached library room , orangery granted grade ii* listing on 4 october 1960, ruins of stevenstone house received later on 16 february 1989 grade ii listing, offering them protection demolition, have continued deteriorate adverse weather , @ 2012 totally covered in ivy.