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The History of Denvilles House
Denvilles House, now the home of Langstone Conservative Club, is one of the most prestigious Conservative Club buildings in the South of England
This Regency house was constructed mainly in the 1820s on the site believed to be of the earlier Manor House of the Lord of Wade predating the later ‘Wade Court’. It is a Grade II Listed building, set in an acre of land with attractive gardens and parking for 60 vehicles.
The house was built on an estate which extended north to South Leigh Park and was owned by Thurston Bewley Cator of an East Anglican family who trace their history back to the Saxons. It was built in the area known as “Denvilles” – a corruption of “Den Fields” – pasture lands bounded by the Chichester-Wickham Roman Road to the south and the track way to ”Southleigh Forest” on the east.
Map of Havant showing Denvilles House in 1899. (Copyright Ordinance Survey)
The Emsworth-Cosham road, even after it was turnpiked in 1751 was in very bad repair, prone to flooding and the activities of footpads and highwaymen – including the notorious Jack Pitt who was hanged on Southsea Common in 1808.
A Hunt meets at Denvilles House c.1880
The Cator family integrated into the local community by marrying their daughter to the Rector of Warblington – the Reverend B Norris M.A. Three members of the Norris family were rectors of Warblington continuously for almost 140 years and members of the family may have lived at Denvilles House during that time.
Other Victorian residents included Mrs Ann Shaw and the Durell family, whose three sons were born there in the 1860/70s.After the First World War Denvilles House became a school when Havant High School, with a staff of 8, moved there from West Street, Havant and stayed until the death of the owner Dr F Lake.
A number of private owners followed until, in 1976 the House, by then a “Grade II Listed Building”, came on the market. 2.5 acres of ground were sold with planning permission for 14 new houses and the House, with 1 acre of grounds, in a dilapidated and vandalised condition, was sold to the Langstone Conservative Club who had previously met at Homewell House in the centre of Havant.
The house features a splendid entrance hall with an impressive “flying” staircase and a large Drawing Room with fine mahogany paneling formerly in the liner Mauritania. The magnificent pillared portico was rebuilt in the 1980s.
The Flying Staircase
The 'Panel Room' - The paneling is from the liner 'Mauritania'