Memories Of Eastwick Park House

How times have changed since the early 1800s when Eastwick Park House stood proudly in the heart of Bookham. There are only a few people still living in Bookham who have memories of the house and can remember the way of life at that time. Fortunately some documents still exist providing an insight into the past, which contrasted significantly to our present day. Mr Keswick, who was MP for Epsom for 13 years and turned down the title of Lord, was the fourth owner of Eastwick Park House. He purchased the house in July 1882 from the previous owner, Mr Barclay. His daughter Miss Keswick (b:1903) gave an interview a few years ago, reminiscing about her childhood memories in the house.

Imagine wrought iron gates opening up to a forked driveway, which led to the grand house, surrounded by 387 acres of land. There was a walled kitchen garden of between 1 ½ - 2 acres where there was a vinery, and peach and nectarine houses. The male employees lived above the stables, which were located in the main garden. In those days children were not encouraged to read and so they explored the outdoors. Miss Keswick owned a pony and frequently went riding on the estate, which had a radius of 10 miles! In addition to pony riding, another one of Miss Keswick's favourite past times was to go to the bluebell woods and go birds nesting. The estate also had a farm and farmhouse that supplied the village with cream, butter and milk. Beef tea was made everyday and given free to pregnant women and nursing mothers of the village.

The Keswick family were fortunate not to have to participate in household chores like the majority of us today, due to the numerous staff they employed to work in the house, which included a cook, kitchen maids, housemaids, buttons and a butler. The number of staff was not really surprising as the house was extremely large and filled with 'lovely big' rooms. The rooms included a billiard room, library, dining rooms, drawing rooms, 6 main bedrooms and 10 servant rooms. At Christmas, a ball would be held at the house for the servants, trades people, farm hands and the family, to unite in celebration. Apparently there would always be friendly rivalry between the ladies to see who could be the best dressed.. now there's something that hasn't changed!

However, times have certainly changed since the day when it was considered, 'dicey for young women to go up to London and earn a living' and everyone wrote with a quill. Miss Keswick criticised that, 'nowadays everybody is so overprotected but in those days they weren't, they had to walk, and they were fit,' referring to her father who often walked to and from Clandon because he would never take the horses out on a Sunday. It is hard to appreciate the extent of Mr Keswick's achievement, being the first Englishman to trade with the Chinese, when today, globalisation is so wide spread and most places around the world are easily accessible to many. Also, it was in 1910 when Miss Keswick was living in Eastwick Park House that electricity was installed. She was fascinated and thrilled by this new development and it is difficult to imagine life today without the electricity we have learnt to depend on and take for granted.

Miss Keswick had extremely fond memories of her 'beautiful' childhood home, although following her father's death her mother was pressured to sell the house, in 1913. In later years, around the 1920s, the house became a fee-paying boys school and was known as Southey Hall. However, we understand the school was closed down during the 1950s after there were a number of allegations of impropriety between the headmaster and some of the pupils.

Eastwick Park House was an imposing property set in magnificent grounds. Several years after Southey Hall was closed the house was demolished to make way for new housing. Sadly today, only the entrance gateposts to the house remain, enduring the passage of time and linking our lives today to those of the past. (The gateposts can be found in front of 182a, Lower Road)

Sam Bond