Cams Hall
Encyclopedia
Cams Hall at Fareham
, Hampshire
, United Kingdom
, is a Palladian mansion set in parkland overlooking Portsmouth
Harbour.
The land at Cams Hall was mentioned in the Domesday Book
of 1086 and a manor house was recorded here as far back as the 13th century.Fareham Council
The current building, designed by the architect Jacob Leroux, was constructed of Portland stone
and yellow bricks around 1770.
Later adaptations to the house have been attributed to the famous Georgian architects the Adam Brothers
. The building fell into disrepair in the 1950s and was listed as a derelict building in 1989 but was restored in the 1990s.
in the Domesday Book
entry of 1086. Cams was the second great holding in Fareham belonging to the See of Winchester.
.
In the 12th century it was renamed Cammes Oysell by Robert Oysell whose family owned it until 1366. It then had a number of owners until it was bought by brothers William and Richard Ludlow, whose family owned it from around 1440. After the death of John Ludlow in 1583, his widow married Emmanuel Badd, High Sheriff
of Hampshire, who is believed to have constructed a house on the estate around 1620. In 1632 the estate passed to his son, Thomas who rebuilt the house. Thomas Badd was created a baron in 1642 in recognition of his services to the Crown in the Civil War. The house was recorded under the Hearth Tax Returns of 1665 as having 15 fireplaces.
The estate then had a succession of different owners and when it was again put up for sale in 1767, it consisted of a manor, mansion house, farmhouse and 500 acres (2 km²).
By 1770 Cams Hall was owned by Brigadier General Carnac, the MP for Leominster
, who commissioned architect Jacob Leroux to design a new mansion for the estate. But by 1776 the estate with the recently built mansion was on the market for £17,000. The buyer was Peter Delmé
, of Place House, a mansion converted from the 14th century monastery Titchfield Abbey
on the other side of Fareham.
Delmé was the influential MP for Morpeth
in Northumberland
. He had close associations with the naval establishment and Emma Hamilton, mistress of Admiral Nelson, is alleged to have been a guest there during his time at Cams Hall. Delmé was married to Lady Elizabeth Howard, and he commissioned the artist Sir Joshua Reynolds to paint a picture of her and their children, to hang on the walls.
The house was enlarged and lavishly remodelled by Delmé, using many materials from Place House, and his son John is believed to have commissioned the famous Scottish architect Robert Adam
and his brothers to do further work on the house.
Cams Hall remained in the Delmé family for a century. In 1895 the last male heir sold the mansion, grounds and 256 acres (1 km²) of agricultural land to Montague Foster of Stubbington House for £10,250. He let the property to tenants.
In World War II
, the estate was requisitioned by the Admiralty, who occupied the building until 1948. In 1950 (14 July) the decline of Cams Hall began when the structure was heavily damaged by the explosion of ammunition barges at Bedenham pier in Portsmouth Harbour
which destroyed the roof and blew out all of the windows, leaving it a ruined shell. It was sold in 1951 but left to deteriorate, and fireplaces and roof leading were stolen.
By the time it was bought by Charles Church
in 1962, much damage had been sustained. Church planned to restore it but his death in a plane crash meant that the house continued to decay until it was bought by Strand Harbour Securities and Warings of Portsmouth in 1991. A five year, £4m restoration was completed in 1996 and the building became a company headquarters for a computer firm until in 2000 it was bought by the family-owned firm the Wilky Group.
and yellow bricks. Its main facade is classical, with a central pediment. The south facing facade has vast bow windows to each floor.
Jacob Leroux, the architect who designed the mansion, made his name chiefly through projects in Southampton
but also in London. He was responsible for the York Buildings and the Polygon, a 12-sided arrangement of houses and public buildings designed for Clive of India which aimed to rival the Royal Crescent
at Bath. http://www.lpbuildings.com/projects/
Leroux is believed to have been a pupil to the designer of the East India Company
buildings in London. Among his projects in London was the Prospect Place terrace of houses along the frontage to Old Brompton Road in Chelsea
now demolished.
The adjoining Home Farm buildings on the Cams Estate have been converted to office use and there is also a golf course on land that was formerly part of the estate.
Fareham
The market town of Fareham lies in the south east of Hampshire, England, between the cities of Southampton and Portsmouth, roughly in the centre of the South Hampshire conurbation.It gives its name to the borough comprising the town and the surrounding area...
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, is a Palladian mansion set in parkland overlooking Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
Harbour.
The land at Cams Hall was mentioned in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
of 1086 and a manor house was recorded here as far back as the 13th century.Fareham Council
The current building, designed by the architect Jacob Leroux, was constructed of Portland stone
Portland stone
Portland stone is a limestone from the Tithonian stage of the Jurassic period quarried on the Isle of Portland, Dorset. The quarries consist of beds of white-grey limestone separated by chert beds. It has been used extensively as a building stone throughout the British Isles, notably in major...
and yellow bricks around 1770.
Later adaptations to the house have been attributed to the famous Georgian architects the Adam Brothers
John Adam (architect)
John Adam was a Scottish architect. Born in Linktown of Abbotshall, now part of Kirkcaldy, Fife, he was the eldest son of architect and entrepreneur William Adam. His younger brothers Robert and James Adam also became architects.The Adam family moved to Edinburgh in 1728, as William Adam's career...
. The building fell into disrepair in the 1950s and was listed as a derelict building in 1989 but was restored in the 1990s.
History
The land at Cams Hall was registered to Earl GodwinGodwin, Earl of Wessex
Godwin of Wessex , was one of the most powerful lords in England under the Danish king Cnut the Great and his successors. Cnut made him the first Earl of Wessex...
in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
entry of 1086. Cams was the second great holding in Fareham belonging to the See of Winchester.
.
In the 12th century it was renamed Cammes Oysell by Robert Oysell whose family owned it until 1366. It then had a number of owners until it was bought by brothers William and Richard Ludlow, whose family owned it from around 1440. After the death of John Ludlow in 1583, his widow married Emmanuel Badd, High Sheriff
High Sheriff
A high sheriff is, or was, a law enforcement officer in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States.In England and Wales, the office is unpaid and partly ceremonial, appointed by the Crown through a warrant from the Privy Council. In Cornwall, the High Sheriff is appointed by the Duke of...
of Hampshire, who is believed to have constructed a house on the estate around 1620. In 1632 the estate passed to his son, Thomas who rebuilt the house. Thomas Badd was created a baron in 1642 in recognition of his services to the Crown in the Civil War. The house was recorded under the Hearth Tax Returns of 1665 as having 15 fireplaces.
The estate then had a succession of different owners and when it was again put up for sale in 1767, it consisted of a manor, mansion house, farmhouse and 500 acres (2 km²).
By 1770 Cams Hall was owned by Brigadier General Carnac, the MP for Leominster
Leominster
Leominster is a market town in Herefordshire, England, located approximately north of the city of Hereford and south of Ludlow, at...
, who commissioned architect Jacob Leroux to design a new mansion for the estate. But by 1776 the estate with the recently built mansion was on the market for £17,000. The buyer was Peter Delmé
Peter Delmé (MP for Morpeth)
Peter Delmé was an English Member of Parliament for the constituency of Morpeth from 1774 to 1784.Delmé's grandfather was a wealthy London banking figure, Sir Peter Delmé, while his father, also Peter Delmé, served as MP for Ludgershall from 1734 to 1741, and for Southampton from 1741 to 1754....
, of Place House, a mansion converted from the 14th century monastery Titchfield Abbey
Titchfield Abbey
Titchfield Abbey is a medieval abbey and later country house, located in the village of Titchfield near Fareham in Hampshire, England. The abbey was founded in 1222 for Premonstratensian canons, an austere order of priests...
on the other side of Fareham.
Delmé was the influential MP for Morpeth
Morpeth (UK Parliament constituency)
Morpeth was a borough constituency centred on the town of Morpeth in Northumberland represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of England until 1707, the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and then the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
in Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
. He had close associations with the naval establishment and Emma Hamilton, mistress of Admiral Nelson, is alleged to have been a guest there during his time at Cams Hall. Delmé was married to Lady Elizabeth Howard, and he commissioned the artist Sir Joshua Reynolds to paint a picture of her and their children, to hang on the walls.
The house was enlarged and lavishly remodelled by Delmé, using many materials from Place House, and his son John is believed to have commissioned the famous Scottish architect Robert Adam
Robert Adam
Robert Adam was a Scottish neoclassical architect, interior designer and furniture designer. He was the son of William Adam , Scotland's foremost architect of the time, and trained under him...
and his brothers to do further work on the house.
Cams Hall remained in the Delmé family for a century. In 1895 the last male heir sold the mansion, grounds and 256 acres (1 km²) of agricultural land to Montague Foster of Stubbington House for £10,250. He let the property to tenants.
In World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the estate was requisitioned by the Admiralty, who occupied the building until 1948. In 1950 (14 July) the decline of Cams Hall began when the structure was heavily damaged by the explosion of ammunition barges at Bedenham pier in Portsmouth Harbour
Portsmouth Harbour
Portsmouth Harbour is a large natural harbour in Hampshire, England. Geographically it is a ria: formerly it was the valley of a stream flowing from Portsdown into the Solent River. The city of Portsmouth lies to the east on Portsea Island, and Gosport to the west on the mainland...
which destroyed the roof and blew out all of the windows, leaving it a ruined shell. It was sold in 1951 but left to deteriorate, and fireplaces and roof leading were stolen.
By the time it was bought by Charles Church
Charles Church
Charles Church may refer to:* Charles Church, Plymouth, Devon, a ruined church and war memorial-People:* Charles Edward Church, a late nineteenth century Canadian politician* Charles Lot Church, Nova Scotian politician...
in 1962, much damage had been sustained. Church planned to restore it but his death in a plane crash meant that the house continued to decay until it was bought by Strand Harbour Securities and Warings of Portsmouth in 1991. A five year, £4m restoration was completed in 1996 and the building became a company headquarters for a computer firm until in 2000 it was bought by the family-owned firm the Wilky Group.
Architecture
Cams Hall is built mostly of fine Portland stonePortland stone
Portland stone is a limestone from the Tithonian stage of the Jurassic period quarried on the Isle of Portland, Dorset. The quarries consist of beds of white-grey limestone separated by chert beds. It has been used extensively as a building stone throughout the British Isles, notably in major...
and yellow bricks. Its main facade is classical, with a central pediment. The south facing facade has vast bow windows to each floor.
Jacob Leroux, the architect who designed the mansion, made his name chiefly through projects in Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
but also in London. He was responsible for the York Buildings and the Polygon, a 12-sided arrangement of houses and public buildings designed for Clive of India which aimed to rival the Royal Crescent
Royal Crescent
The Royal Crescent is a residential road of 30 houses laid out in a crescent in the city of Bath, England. Designed by the architect John Wood the Younger and built between 1767 and 1774, it is among the greatest examples of Georgian architecture to be found in the United Kingdom and is a grade I...
at Bath. http://www.lpbuildings.com/projects/
Leroux is believed to have been a pupil to the designer of the East India Company
East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
buildings in London. Among his projects in London was the Prospect Place terrace of houses along the frontage to Old Brompton Road in Chelsea
Chelsea, London
Chelsea is an area of West London, England, bounded to the south by the River Thames, where its frontage runs from Chelsea Bridge along the Chelsea Embankment, Cheyne Walk, Lots Road and Chelsea Harbour. Its eastern boundary was once defined by the River Westbourne, which is now in a pipe above...
now demolished.
Cams Hall Today
Since 2000, The Wilky Group has run Cams Hall as one of its Parallel Business Centres, which lease hi-tech workspace within restored historic mansions http://www.parallelbusinesscentres.co.uk/index.html. Cams Hall is also licensed for a select number of weddings on Saturdays and Sundays throughout the year. http://www.parallelbusinesscentres.co.uk/services/weddings.htmlThe adjoining Home Farm buildings on the Cams Estate have been converted to office use and there is also a golf course on land that was formerly part of the estate.
External links
- Fareham Borough Council website: history of Cams Hall
- Parallel Business Centres, current operators of Cams Hall
- English Heritage: Titchefield Abbey
- Estates and houses before 1851: The lesser estates, Survey of London: volume 38: South Kensington Museums Area (1975), pp. 13-18
- LP Buildings - Cams Hall Restoration
- Hall 'The hundred and parish of Fareham', A History of the County of Hampshire: Volume 3 (1908), pp. 209-216
- Cams Hall Golf Club