Townhill Park

Townhill Park
Meggeson Avenue is the main road through the Townhill Park housing estate
Townhill Park
Townhill Park shown within Southampton
Unitary authority	Southampton
Ceremonial county	Hampshire
Region	South East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	SOUTHAMPTON
Postcode district	SO18
Dialling code	023

Police	Hampshire
Fire	Hampshire
Ambulance	South Central
EU Parliament	South East England
UK Parliament	Southampton Itchen
List of places UK England Hampshire 50°55′51″N 1°21′28″W / 50.9308°N 1.3579°W / 50.9308; -1.3579Coordinates: 50°55′51″N 1°21′28″W / 50.9308°N 1.3579°W / 50.9308; -1.3579

Townhill Park is a suburb of Southampton, England, bordering Swaythling, Bitterne Park and West End. It is built on land which once belonged to the house which carries the same name.

The Manor of Townhill was granted to Sir William Paulet by Henry VIII in 1536 after the Dissolution of the Monasteries. The land was mainly used for farming, and became known as Townhill Farm.

Townhill Farm became part of the Manor of South Stoneham, but was purchased in 1787 by Nathaniel Middleton, who had made his fortune in the service of the British East India Company. He turned the farmhouse into a private home, and the estate became known as Townhill Park. He enlarged the farmhouse, but a fire resulted in a complete revamp of the property in 1793. The property later passed into the hands of the Gater family, who also owned the nearby Gaters Mill near Mansbridge.

In 1897, Townhill Farm was purchased by Samuel Montagu, 1st Baron Swaythling, for his son Louis (who became the second Baron Swaythling in 1911). In 1912, extensive further modifications were made to the building by architect Leonard Rome Guthrie. The gardens at Townhill Park were laid out by Gertrude Jekyll and were noted for their rhododendrons, azaleas and camellias. The Montagu Family lived in Townhill Park until the mid-1940s.

The property was sold in 1948. 294 acres (1.19 km²) were sold to Southampton Borough Council for housing, and the suburb of Townhill Park came into existence. Meanwhile the house itself and the remaining 30 acres (120,000 m²) of land became a school for underprivileged girls, owned and operated by Middlesex County Council.

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