Gilston Park

Gilston Park is a Grade II* listed country house in Gilston, Hertfordshire, England. It was designed by Philip Hardwick for John Hodgson around 1852.[1][2]

Owners and residents

John Hodgson (1805-1882) built Gilston Park House in about 1852. He bought the property on which a very old house stood and demolished it leaving only the porch which is still present today.[3] John was a very wealthy land owner who held numerous properties in various counties as well as a house in Hyde Park, London. He also owned a large amount of land in Eastwick.[4] In todays terms his estate was estimated to be worth about 100 million pounds.

John was born in 1805 in Wanstead. His father Thomas Hodgson (1759-1841) was also a landowner and left him several properties in his will. However John subsequently added substantially to his own wealth. He was a magistrate and at one time the High Sheriff of Hertfordshire.[5] John did not marry and had no children. His older brother William Hodgson (1803-1886) who was a barrister[6] was also a bachelor. He retired early and came to live at Gilston Park. Both brothers undertook a huge rebuilding of their estate including Eastwick. The rebuild included farms, domestic accommodation, schools and almshouses. It has been described as “a model Victorian estate”[7] John died in 1882 and William inherited the house. When he died in 1886 it was inherited by his nephew Edward Salvin Bowlby.

Edward Salvin Bowlby (1830-1902) was also a barrister. He was married twice. His first wife was Maria Rimington who died in 1879. His second wife was Elizabeth Vans Agnew daughter of Robert Vans Agnew of Barnbarroch Hall.[8] His eldest son by his first marriage was Arthur Salvin Bowlby and it was he who inherited the house when Edward died in 1902.

Arthur Salvin Bowlby (1872-1932) continued running the property as a farming estate. In 1903 he married Catherine Mary Bond who was the daughter of Edwin Edmund Bruton Bond who was a Lieutenant in the military. Arthur was a personal friend of the famous painter Philip de László who frequently stayed at Gilston Park.[9] Between 1914 and 1923 De Laszlo painted eight portraits of the Bowlby family. Two of them – Arthur and his wife Catherine are shown. Arthur died in 1932 and his son Francis Edward Salvin Bowlby became the owner.

Francis Edward Salvin Bowlby (1904-1983) and his wife Lady Joan Catherine Bowlby (nee Trotter) lived at Gilston Park until he sold it in 1947.[10] The house became a Country Club. In the early 1950s it was the set for several movies. Stills of the films showing the house can be seen at these references.[11][12][13]

References

  1. ^ Historic England. "Gilston Park (1175745)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
  2. ^ "Barwin - Gilston Park House, Gilston, Essex". Barwin.co.uk. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
  3. ^ Page, William (1912). A History of the County of Hertford.
  4. ^ Illustrated London News. 29 April 1882. p. 23.
  5. ^ Walford, Edward (1869). The County Families of the United Kingdom. p. 497.
  6. ^ Foster, Joseph (1885). Men at the Bar. p. 221.
  7. ^ Gilston Park Estate: Landscape and Open Space Strategy (PDF). p. 20.
  8. ^ Burke, Bernard (1898). A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry of Great Britain, Vol 1. p. 155.
  9. ^ "Arthur Salvin Bowlby". The De Laszlo Archive Trust.
  10. ^ Bucks Herald - Friday 21 February 1947, p. 4.
  11. ^ Reelstreets website “To have and to hold” 1951 Online reference
  12. ^ Reelstreets website “Black Widow” 1951 Online reference
  13. ^ Reelstreets website “The Rossiter Case” 1951 Online reference

51°47′47″N 0°05′18″E / 51.79626°N 0.08837°E / 51.79626; 0.08837


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