Introduction

It would be interesting to know not only who the Victorian lady was but where she lived.

Places mentioned in the Calling Book

The following places where the Victorian lady visited and/or her friends and acquaintances lived, are mentioned in the Calling Book:

Lymington area

Woodside
Highfield
Efford Cottage
Formosa
Hoopers Hill

There is the possibility that the lady may have been staying at Highfield or Hoopers Hill.

One of the most interesting gathering was in 1886 at Efford Cottage which was described in an A & T article as:

"Originally a wattle and daub yeoman's cottage believed to have been built in the 1500s on the site of the present dining room - folklore has it that the cottage was used as a small chapel by monks travelling between Christchurch Priory and Beaulieu Abbey.

Efford Cottage was later extensively rebuilt as the dower house to the privately-owned Efford House mansion."

Grand Houses in the Lymington Area

The following houses were picked out by Blake Pinnell in his book:

• Arnewood Court, Sway (see Note 1)
• Brokenhurst Park, Brokenhurst
• Grove House, Lymington
• Newlands Manor, Milford
• Pennington House, Lymington
• Pylewell Park, Boldre
• St Austin's, Boldre
• Walhampton Park, Boldre

Notes:

1. At Arnewood Court Andrew Peterson built a concrete tower known to this day as Sway Tower.

2. The Victorian lady is likely to have met the occupants of most of these properties when she lived in the Lymington area.

1881 Census

Other Places where inhabitants may appear in the Calling Book

• Ashley, Milton
• Battramsley House, Boldre
• Belmore, Belmore Lane, Lymington
• Boldre Grange
• Bridge End House, Boldre
• Chewton Glen, Milton
• Church Lane, Lymington (various properties)
• Everton House, Milford
• Formosa House, Lymington
• Gore Road, Milton
• Highfield, Lymington (various properties)
• High Street, Lymington (Various properties)
• Home Mead, Lymington
• Ivy Bank, Milford
• Linden House, Lymington
• Milford House, Milford
• Monmouth House, Lymington
• Priestlands House, Pennington
• Ridgeway, Lymington
• Rodlease House, Boldre
• St Helen's Place, Lymington
• St Thomas Street, Lymington (various properties)
• The Lodge (Pylewell), Boldre
• The Villins, Milford
• Valetta, Lymington
• Warbourne House, Boldre
• Wootton House, Milton

Places where the inhabitants were away at the time of the Census

Some inhabitants were away from their properties at the time of the Census including:

Efford Cottage, Milford
Efford House, Milford
Pylewell, Boldre
Rookcliff, Milford
Woodside, Lymington

Places where inhabitants do not appear in the Calling Book

It is possible that the following list may include the property where the Victorian lady lived:

• Arnwood House, Hordle
• Buckland, Lymington
• High Street, Lymington (various properties)
• Forest Lodge, Hordle
• Riversdale House, Boldre
• The Elms, Bordre
• The Hollies, Sway
• The Vicarage, Sway
• Wainsford House, Milford

Highcliffe/Christchurch

Though research was centred on the Lymington area (Lymington, Boldre, Brockenhurst, Sway, Hordle, Milford and Milton), it is possible that the Victorian lady knew people further afield:

• Ecclesburn, Christchurch
• The Castle, Christchurch
• The College, Christchurch
• The Pines, Christchurch

Notes:

1. In the 1881 Census, some of the towns/villages were known by their old names, e.g. Milford and Milton.

2. Others were recorded in the 1881 Census under a larger town/village, e.g. Pennington under Lymington and Everton under Milford

Lymington Today

Some of the old properties have inevitably been demolished including:

• Grove House, Lymington - see Note 1
  
• Woodside, Lymington - see Note 2
  though photographic evidence survives.
  

Other properties exist to this day albeit much modified, including:

• Chewton Glen, Milton - see Note 3
  
• Efford Cottage, Milford - see Note 4
  
• Milford House, Milford
  
• Monmouth House, Lymington - see Note 5
  
• Newlands Manor, Milford
  
• Sway Tower, Sway
  
• Walhampton House, Boldre - see Note 6
  

Notes:

1. The last owner was Dennis Wheatley the author.
2. Though the old house was demolished , the very pleasant gardens were bequeathed to the people of Lymington.
3. Now a five star hotel, which is privately-owned, on the New Milton (Hampshire)/Highcliffe on Sea (Dorset) boundary.
4. Now a guest house in Everton.
5. Now a rest home.
6. Now a private school.

Colin Bower
31 October 2009

Final Report