Stanwell Place
Encyclopedia
Stanwell Place was a manor house
and associated estate and tenant farm
s, located to the west of the village of Stanwell
, Middlesex
. Built from the 17th century, during the early part of the 20th century it was sold off to create a reservoir and series of local small holdings.
The manor house was constructed in the 17th century at least, laying about half a mile to the west of the village, north of Park Road. The last house to stand on the site is believed to have been built in the early part of the 19th Century by the Gibbons
family, who owned the manorial rights from 1754 to 1933. The house had two stories and was cement rendered with a low-pitched roof behind a parapet. The later west wing was built of red brick and part of the outbuildings were older than the main house.
The surrounding park land was laid out in the 18th century. The bend at the entrance gates in Park Road is probably due to Sir John Gibbons diverting the road in 1760. After Gibbons enclosed Borough Field in 1771 the Park extended from Oaks Road in the east to Borough Green to the north and was over 300 acres (1.2 km²). The size of the park reduced over the years however.
The Gibbons family sold Stanwell Place to civil engineer
Sir John Watson Gibson
in 1933. Gibson moved to Stanwell whilst building the Queen Mary Reservoir
at Littleton
,(the largest water storage reservoir in the world at that time). Living at Stanwell Lodge before his purchase of Stanwell Place (90 acres), and the adjoining Stanhope farm (261 acres, including Hammonds farm). In 1936 the Metropolitan Water Board bought most of Gibson's estate, in a contract encompassing 346 acres. It used this land in 1947 on which to develop the King George VI Reservoir
.
During the World War II
Gibson through his work as deputy director-general civil engineering (special) at the Ministry of Supply
(1943–4) he was one of the principal people responsible for the construction of the top secret Mulberry Harbour
s. It was as a result of this that he lent Stanwell Place to the SHAEF Commanders where they held two top level meetings during the build up to D-Day
and the Normandy Invasion. The American high command including Henry L. Stimson
, General George C. Marshall, General Dwight D. Eisenhower
, Admiral Ernest J. King and General of the Air Force Henry H. Arnold
stayed at Stanwell Place during the meetings.
After Gibson’s death, Stanwell Place and its residual 22acres were sold to King Faisal II of Iraq. Gibson's sons still owned the residual 17 acres of Stanhope farm. After the assassination of King Faisal in 1958, the estate was purchased for gravel extraction. Despite local attempts to prevent it, the house was allowed to become derelict and eventually knocked down.
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
and associated estate and tenant farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
s, located to the west of the village of Stanwell
Stanwell
Stanwell is a suburban village in the Surrey borough of Spelthorne. It is located 15.7 miles west south-west of Charing Cross and half a mile from the southern boundary of London Heathrow Airport and the London Borough of Hillingdon...
, Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
. Built from the 17th century, during the early part of the 20th century it was sold off to create a reservoir and series of local small holdings.
The manor house was constructed in the 17th century at least, laying about half a mile to the west of the village, north of Park Road. The last house to stand on the site is believed to have been built in the early part of the 19th Century by the Gibbons
Gibbons Baronets
There have been two Baronetcies created for persons with the surname Gibbons, one in the Baronetage of Great Britain and one in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom...
family, who owned the manorial rights from 1754 to 1933. The house had two stories and was cement rendered with a low-pitched roof behind a parapet. The later west wing was built of red brick and part of the outbuildings were older than the main house.
The surrounding park land was laid out in the 18th century. The bend at the entrance gates in Park Road is probably due to Sir John Gibbons diverting the road in 1760. After Gibbons enclosed Borough Field in 1771 the Park extended from Oaks Road in the east to Borough Green to the north and was over 300 acres (1.2 km²). The size of the park reduced over the years however.
The Gibbons family sold Stanwell Place to civil engineer
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
Sir John Watson Gibson
John Watson Gibson
Sir John Watson Gibson was an English civil engineer, key in developing the water supply infrastructure in the former British Empire, and instrumental in the design of Mulberry Harbour used in the Normandy landings.-Early life and career:...
in 1933. Gibson moved to Stanwell whilst building the Queen Mary Reservoir
Queen Mary Reservoir
The Queen Mary Reservoir is one of the largest of London's reservoirs located in the Staines/Sunbury area of West London within the borough of Spelthorne in Surrey. It lies south of the A308 and west of the M3 motorway...
at Littleton
Littleton, Spelthorne
Littleton is a village in Surrey in the borough of Spelthorne, in the United Kingdom. It lies between Shepperton Green to the southeast and Laleham to the west. It also lies along the southern edge of the Queen Mary Reservoir.Littleton is the home of Shepperton Studios. Littleton was home to the...
,(the largest water storage reservoir in the world at that time). Living at Stanwell Lodge before his purchase of Stanwell Place (90 acres), and the adjoining Stanhope farm (261 acres, including Hammonds farm). In 1936 the Metropolitan Water Board bought most of Gibson's estate, in a contract encompassing 346 acres. It used this land in 1947 on which to develop the King George VI Reservoir
King George VI Reservoir
The King George VI Reservoir in England lies to the south of Stanwellmoor near Stanwell and Heathrow. The reservoir was opened in November 1947 and named after the then reigning monarch King George VI. It is owned by Thames Water....
.
During the 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...
Gibson through his work as deputy director-general civil engineering (special) at the Ministry of Supply
Ministry of Supply
The Ministry of Supply was a department of the UK Government formed in 1939 to co-ordinate the supply of equipment to all three British armed forces, headed by the Minister of Supply. There was, however, a separate ministry responsible for aircraft production and the Admiralty retained...
(1943–4) he was one of the principal people responsible for the construction of the top secret Mulberry Harbour
Mulberry harbour
A Mulberry harbour was a British type of temporary harbour developed in World War II to offload cargo on the beaches during the Allied invasion of Normandy....
s. It was as a result of this that he lent Stanwell Place to the SHAEF Commanders where they held two top level meetings during the build up to D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
and the Normandy Invasion. The American high command including Henry L. Stimson
Henry L. Stimson
Henry Lewis Stimson was an American statesman, lawyer and Republican Party politician and spokesman on foreign policy. He twice served as Secretary of War 1911–1913 under Republican William Howard Taft and 1940–1945, under Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt. In the latter role he was a leading hawk...
, General George C. Marshall, General Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
, Admiral Ernest J. King and General of the Air Force Henry H. Arnold
Henry H. Arnold
Henry Harley "Hap" Arnold was an American general officer holding the grades of General of the Army and later General of the Air Force. Arnold was an aviation pioneer, Chief of the Air Corps , Commanding General of the U.S...
stayed at Stanwell Place during the meetings.
After Gibson’s death, Stanwell Place and its residual 22acres were sold to King Faisal II of Iraq. Gibson's sons still owned the residual 17 acres of Stanhope farm. After the assassination of King Faisal in 1958, the estate was purchased for gravel extraction. Despite local attempts to prevent it, the house was allowed to become derelict and eventually knocked down.