Denford Park, Kintbury - Hungerford Virtual Museum

Denford Park. Kintburv. Berkshire
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The family then leased Denford and moved to Lamer Park. Apsley died in 1907 to be
succeeded by the only son out of his six children, Apsley Benet Cherry-Garrard
(1886-1959) who subsequently went to the Antarctic on Captain Scott's ill-fated
expedition. 35
At the time of the 1901 Census the house (again listed as Denford House) seems to
have been untenanted; living there were Joseph Wickes, a 72 year-old described as a
caretaker, and his wife, Mary, as well as two young sisters, Lucy and Rachel Crocker,
both listed as laundry maids.
In the local Directory for 1903 Denford House was described as 'a mansion of the
Classic style', owned by the Cherry-Garrards of Lamer Park but occupied by George
Banks Rennie. 36 George Banks Rennie died in December 1908; his death certificate
gives Hungerford as the official place of death, so presumably he had died whilst still
at Denford.
By 1915 the tenant was Captain Edward Henry Bridgman Sawbridge, who was still
there at the start of the 1920's. 37 However, in 1924 Mrs Bertha Sawbridge was the
3 occupant, presumably his widow, and by that time the owner was listed as Mrs
Cherry-Garrard. 38
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3, The Denford Estate was put up for sale in May 1924; Bertha Sawbridge's lease on the
house expired on the 24 1 June. It included the mansion house, stabling, the gardens,
the North and Bath Road lodges and several other cottages, nearly 19 acres in all. The
-, rest of the estate was leased to others. The comprehensive sales particulars provide a
good description of the house and grounds at the time of the sale and help to identify
the room names and, to an extent, fittings. 39
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At the end of the 1930's the house was owned by Laurence Rivers Dunne, MC, but in
1939 was described as 'presently unoccupied". ° By early that year the house, now
again described as Denford Park, had been bought by Thomas Harrison Hughes and a
major refurbishment and extension of the property began which, judging from the
number of hopper heads with the initials 'THH' and the date 1939, was finished quite
rapidly. 41
Hughes (1881-1958) was the son of a wealthy Liverpool shipping magnate and
philanthropist, John William Hughes; he was a partner in the family shipping firm of
', Thomas and James Harrison Ltd. and also served on the Suez Canal Board from 1920,
becoming its Vice President in 1932. 42 Hughes also founded two chairs in
; Engineering at Liverpool University in memory of his father in 1920. 43
35 ibid
36 Kelly's, 1903, Post Office Directory, Berkshire, 64
37 Kelly's, 1915, Post Office Directory, Berkshire, 76
38 Kelly's, 1924, Post Office Directory, Berkshire, 64
39 Berkshire Record Office, D/EX 984/8
40 Kelly's, 1939, Post Office Directory, Berkshire, 79
41 One set of plans were passed by Hungerford Rural District Council on the 19* February 1939
42 Black, A & C (pub.), 1961, Who Was Who Vol. V, 1951-60, 557-8
43 University of Liverpool, http://sca.lib.liv.ac.uk/collections/highlights/h0412magi.html
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Richard K Morriss & Associates, Historic Buildings Consultants, Bromlow House, Bromlow, Shropshire, SYS OEA