Hursley Park House (1821 - 1902)

In altering Hursley Park House, Sir Thomas replaced the pillared portico at the east end with a large stone—faced vestibule with a flat roof. The vestibule became the main carriage entrance and the original fanned steps of the old carriage entrance at the centre of the north face were removed. It is not known when the double steps outside the south drawing room were removed, but by 1900 they were no longer in evidence. Other alterations included the conversion of the original north entrance hall into the north drawing room to form two connected drawing rooms in the centre of the house; and the re-siting of the main staircase at the west end of the house, serving as before the ground and first floors. The removal of the original staircase and a partition wall produced a room 40 feet (12 m) long in the north—west corner of the house; this became the dining room. A room of similar size was formed in the south-east corner by removing another partition wall, and this became the billiard room. The accompanying plan of the ground floor shows the layout after these alterations. In the new north drawing room, the stone floor of the previous north entrance hall was replaced with an oak floor to complement the oak panelling on the walls. It is possible that the internal store rooms off the old east and west corridors were removed at this time to form the 16 foot (4 m) wide east and west halls, both leading off the north drawing room. The new staircase in the west hall allowed access to the off-centre door in the west portico. For improved natural light in the first floor long gallery, two skylights were introduced in the roof, so that light could flood down into the second floor gallery, and continue on down to the first floor gallery through glass panels in the ceiling.

During the building alterations, many other rooms were reappointed: the library was fitted out as it is today with its oak panelling, high gallery and staircase, and bookshelves on all walls except the lower internal wall which has the fireplace backing onto the hall; and double doors became a feature of the main central sitting room. It seems that there was no longer any access to the east end of the lower ground floor corridor because of the new vestibule’s design; some five steps ascended from the vestibule to the ground floor of the house.

Ground floor plan (1821)

The best descriptions of the inside of Hursley Park House come from nineteenth century biographies in which several writers speak of the house as being ‘Well lit’, ‘unostentatious’, ‘warm and comfortable’, and having ‘an atmosphere that was happy and stable’. Published descriptions of the reception rooms are vague, but they do convey a feeling of comfort and warmth: they mention the warm oak panelling, the many paintings (many still surviving in the ownership of the present tenth baronet), and the open fires held in elegant andirons. In accounts of the library, several writers refer to the ‘many books bound in Hursley green’.

Each floor continued to perform the same broad functions as before, except that the state bedrooms and dressing room were now on the south side of the first floor along with other principal bedrooms. The photograph of the first floor gallery on page 44, taken in 1901, shows many of the Heathcote furnishings including an Italian harpsichord of 1721 featured in one of the family paintings. No structural changes are recorded for the second floor. The house existed in this form from about 1821 until it was enlarged in 1902. The present day excellence of the library and other original fittings speak well of the original craftsmanship and quality of materials.