Upton House is a country house in the grounds of Upton Country Park on the northwestern shoreline of Holes Bay in the county of Dorset on the south coast of England. It is owned by BCP Council.
Upton House is a country house in the grounds of Upton Country Park on the northwestern shoreline of Holes Bay in the county of Dorset on the south coast of England. It is owned by BCP Council.
The land on which Upton House stands was acquired by William Spurrier, four times Mayor of Poole. The house itself was built by his son, Christopher Spurrier, between 1816 and 1818 and its west wing was added in 1825. [1]
The Spurriers had built their wealth on the Newfoundland trade, but this went into decline and this, coupled with Christopher Spurrier's gambling and extravagance, force him to sell the property in 1828 to Sir Edward Doughty, a member of the Tichborne family. Upton House remained with the barons of Tichborne until 1901 when, as a result of massive debts, they sold it on to the Llewellins who held it until 1957, when William Llewellin bequeathed the estate to Poole Corporation (now BCP Council). The council looked at various options to fund its upkeep including plans for a zoo, hospital or golf course. For several years it was rented to Prince Carol of Romania. In 1976 it was decided that, based on public opinion, the estate would be opened that year as a country park and leisure facility for the people of Poole. Following restoration, the house was also opened to the public in 1981. [1]
In 2015, Upton Country Park became part of the newly established Holes Bay Nature Park. [2]
Upton House is a Georgian mansion and Grade II* listed building. [3]
The country park comprises over 130 acres of parkland, shoreline and formal gardens. Admission is free and the park is open daily from 8 am until 6 pm.
The park is a trailhead for the Poole Heritage Cycle Route.
Every Saturday morning at 9am Upton House hosts parkrun, a free, five kilometre, timed event, around the grounds of Upton House. Assembly is at 8:50am outside the tea rooms.
The estate also includes Pergins Island in Holes Bay.
Bretton Hall is a country house in West Bretton near Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. It housed Bretton Hall College from 1949 until 2001 and was a campus of the University of Leeds (2001–2007). It is a Grade II* listed building.
Poole is a coastal town and seaport on the south coast of England in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole unitary authority area in Dorset, England. The town is 21 miles (34 km) east of Dorchester and adjoins Bournemouth to the east. Since 1 April 2019, the local authority is Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council. The town had an estimated population of 151,500 making it the second-largest town in the ceremonial county of Dorset. Together with Bournemouth and Christchurch, the conurbation has a total population of nearly 400,000.
Poole Harbour is a large natural harbour in Dorset, southern England, with the town of Poole on its shores. The harbour is a drowned valley (ria) formed at the end of the last ice age and is the estuary of several rivers, the largest being the Frome. The harbour has a long history of human settlement stretching to pre-Roman times. The harbour is extremely shallow, with one main dredged channel through the harbour, from the mouth to Holes Bay.
Dorset Wildlife Trust (DWT) is a wildlife trust covering the county of Dorset, United Kingdom. The trust was founded in 1961 as Dorset Naturalists' Trust, to protect and conserve the wildlife and natural habitats of the county.
Upton is a town in south-east Dorset, England. Upton is to the east of Holton Heath and Upton Heath, and to the north of the Poole suburb of Hamworthy. It is the second largest town in the Purbeck Hills.
Hamworthy is a village, parish, peninsula and suburb of Poole in Dorset, England. It is sited on a peninsula of approximately 3 square kilometres (1.2 sq mi) that is bordered by the town of Upton to the north, Poole Harbour to the south, Lytchett Bay to the west and Holes Bay to the east. Poole Bridge, the southern terminus of the A350 road, connects the suburb with the town centre. Hamworthy is the location of the Port of Poole ferry passenger terminal and cargo handling operations.
Branksome is a suburb of Poole in Dorset, England. The area consists of residential properties and also a number of commercial and industrial areas.
Arrowe Park is an area 6.5 km (4.0 mi) to the west of Birkenhead, within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England. It is situated on the Wirral Peninsula, adjacent to the Woodchurch housing estate and to the south of the large village of Upton. The location has two landmarks: Arrowe Park Hospital and Arrowe Country Park, along with a number of residences.
Parkstone is an area of Poole, Dorset. It is divided into 'Lower' and 'Upper' Parkstone. Upper Parkstone - "Up-on-'ill" as it used to be known in local parlance - is so-called because it is largely on higher ground slightly to the north of the lower-lying area of Lower Parkstone - "The Village" - which includes areas adjacent to Poole Harbour.
Turlin Moor is a suburb of Poole in Dorset, England, located between Hamworthy and Upton.
Beaulieu House and Gardens is an estate in Drogheda, County Louth, Ireland. It was thought to be built in the 1660s, although later research seems to suggest it was built around 1715 incorporating elements of an earlier structure, and it includes a terraced walled garden. It is located 2 miles (3.2 km) east of Drogheda less than half a mile from the estuary of the River Boyne.
Aldershot Park is an urban park in the town of Aldershot in Hampshire. The park is located on Guildford Road near Aldershot Cricket Club and the Lido and is owned and maintained by Rushmoor Borough Council.
Corfe Barrows Nature Park comprises around nine natural areas, covering an area of 90 hectares, within the Borough of Poole that are being managed for the benefit of wildlife and people. It was designated as a nature park in June 2016.
Holes Bay Nature Park is a protected area, 286 hectares in size, on and around Holes Bay, an embayment of Poole Harbour within the Borough of Poole that is important for wildlife, especially wetland birds. It was designated a nature park in March 2015.
Holes Bay is an intertidal embayment off Poole Harbour in the county of Dorset on the south coast of England. It lies mostly within the Borough of Poole and is close to Poole town centre. It is an important wetland bird haven.
The Poole Park Railway is a miniature railway that runs through Poole Park in Poole, Dorset, England. The line runs throughout the year, weather permitting.
Pergins Island is a small, uninhabited island in Holes Bay, an embayment off Poole Harbour in Dorset on the south coast of England. It is not accessible to the public.
The Poole Harbour Trails comprise six linear walks that enable a complete circuit to be made of Poole Harbour on the south coast of England, which is said to be the second largest natural harbour in the world.
The Poole Heritage Cycle Route is a circular cycleway and walk, 7.5 miles long, that takes in the historic points of interest in the town of Poole, Dorset, on the south coast of England.
Christopher Spurrier was an English politician who was elected Member of Parliament for Bridport in the 1820 general election. He was also High Sheriff of Dorset from 1825 to 1826. Spurrier was born into one of Poole's leading Newfoundland merchant families and built Upton House.