Beechwood House

Beechwood House was known in the late 19th century as "The Beechwood".[1]

Shortly after acquiring the property the Council decided that the house would be used for refreshment rooms. It was agreed that the two front rooms on the ground floor with kitchen be prepared for this, and the remainder of the house be closed to the public.[2] The Council decided to undertake the supply of refreshments itself, as no responses were received to an invitation for tenders. A manageress was appointed from May 28th 1900 at a salary of £52 per year.[3][4] In March 1903 the Parks Committee decided that three rooms on the north side of the house be decorated for use in connection with the refreshment rooms and that ten sets of plain tables be purchased.[5] At the end of the 1903 season the Borough Treasurer reported that income of £223-3s-7d had been taken in the refreshment rooms for the six months ending 10th October 1903.[6] By the 1907 season income had risen to £301-11s-5d including a profit of £41-6s-9d.[7] In 1909, for the first time the service made a loss - income was £231-17s-5d, with a deficit of £19-1s-0d.[8] There was also a loss in 1910[9] but in 1911 the service returned to suplus (£219-13-7 in receipts of which £1-11-4 was profit).[10]

There was a cottage at the rear of the house which required repairs costing about £15-6-0 in March 1906.[11]

During the 1914-18 war Beechwood House was loaned to the Welsh National Memorial Association for use as a sanatorium for men of the armed forces and munition workers. It was agreed that the grounds would be fenced off in the immediate vicinity of the house and the refreshment rooms in the house would be closed. The Corporation would be reimbursed for the resulting trading loss.[12]

The Association was still occupying the house in July 1920 when the Parks Committee decided to ask when the Association expected to vacate.[13] It was not until June 1922 that the Association was able to write to the Parks Committee indicating that they would vacate Beechwood House as soon as the Cefn Mably mansion was ready, this having been placed at their disposal by Lord Tredegar.[14]

The house was finally vacated in May 1924, at which time the Parks Committee decided that it would be retained solely for use in connection with Beechwood Park and for public pleasure ground purposes. The Borough Engineer was instructed to prepare a list of works to be carried out and paid for by the Association.[15]

In February 1925 it was reported that the interior of the house had been renovated.[16] In April the Parks Committee decided to allocate almost the entire ground floor for provision of refreshments to the public. An offer of £52 to provide a catering service was accepted from Mr G. N. Dowdall, who was to be provided with living accommodation in the house and who would also supervise the overall care of the house. The Beechwood Bowling Club was allocated one room on the ground floor, and the room on the first floor over the main entrance was reserved for the wireless installation which was expected to be provided in the park at an early date.[17] The Parks Committee agreed to purchase this equipment later in April.[18] In June 1925, for an additional rent of ten shillings per week, it was agreed that the caterer Mr Dowdall would take two vacant rooms on the ground floor for catering purposes and part of the stable and coach house for storage.[19]

The Parks Committee heard in November 1929 that Mr. Dowdall did not wish to renew his tenancy of the Beechwood Park refreshment rooms, which would expire on the 30th April 1930.[20] In March 1930 the Committee accepted an offer of Messrs J. Smith & Sons for the right to supply refreshments in the park.[21]

Throughout the 1920s the Education Committee held open air classes in Beechwood Park and in bad weather made use of a room in the house.[22] This arrangement was still in place in the 1940s, when the Parks Committee refused a request for use of the whole house in connection with the open air classes, but agreed to permit use of one extra room.[23]

In February 1933 the Parks Committee approved alterations to Beechwood House to provide living accommodation for the Parks Superintendent.[24] This arrangement lasted only until January 1935, when the Parks Superintendent exchanged residences with the park ranger who was living in the Friars Road lodge at Belle Vue Park.[25]

Another new caterer was appointed in March 1937, Messrs Richards, Caterers, who were already supplying refreshments at Tredegar Park Recreation Ground.[26]

In July 1937 the Parks Committee decided that a telephone be installed in the house.[27] Later that year, on a visit of inspection to Beechwood Park, the Committee viewed a staircase which had been provided at the rear of the house giving access to four rooms proposed for use as dressing rooms for teams using the sports pitches. It was agreed that clothes hooks and seats be provided.[28]

During the 1939-45 world war the military authorities occupied areas of the park, including around the mansion.[29] In March 1940 the Parks Committee decided not to renew the catering rights of Messrs Richards owing to the military presence.[30] The Parks Committee heard in May 1941 that formal notice had been received of relinquishment of the occupation of the mansion by the military on 19th April 1941, but it was also noted that the military were still in occupation of the house after that date. At the same meeting the Town Clerk reported that steps were being taken to designate Beechwood House for "alternative office accommodation and storage purposes and/or an emergency feeding and sleeping centre". He also reported that action should be taken to black out windows in the mansion. [31] In July the "blacking-out" of Beechwood House was reported to be in progress with the Ministry of Supply obtaining the necessary materials.[32] The official designation of the mansion as premises for both alternative office accommodation and an emergency feeding and rest centre was confirmed in early 1942. At the request of the Public Assistance Officer one room was also set aside for storage in connection with emergency relief schemes.[33] In January 1944 it was reported that sections of the house were in use as storage for the Social Welfare Committee and the Allotments Committee.[34]

After the war a catering service was re-established and a tender was accepted from Mrs M. G. Murray for the catering rights.[35] For the 1949 season the catering rights were awarded to Super Cream Ices (Newport) Ltd,[36] but in 1950 Mrs Murray's tender was successful.[37]

In 1948 rooms in the house were converted into a flat to be occupied by the Allotments Administrative Assistant at a rent of 12s-6d per week. Another flat occupied by the Deputy Parks Superintendent was let at £1 per week.[38] By the late 1950s there were at least three flats available for occupation by Council employees: in June 1959 the Parks Committee agreed that the newly appointed Head Groundsman for St Julians Recreation Ground and running track would be granted the tenancy of Flat number 3, Beechwood House.[39] A house adjoining Beechwood House was occupied by the Beechwood Head Gardener[40] (possibly the same cottage mentioned above that required repairs in 1906).

The balustrading on the bowling green side of the house was reported in late 1961 to have collapsed. The Parks Committee agreed that provision be made in the estimates for 1962/63 to replace all the balustrading with metal railings.[41]

In late 1968 it was decided that a room in the house would be converted for use by sports clubs using the park and the cost of this would be included in the financial estimates for 1969/70.[42] By this time the arrangements for catering services in the parks were changing and it had been agreed that the Council Baths Manager would be responsible for this, though the specific parks were not named.[43] In the late 1970s the Newport Borough Band was allowed use of a downstairs room for rehearsals and an upstairs room for storage, and it was agreed that the band perform one concert per month during the summer at Beechwood Park in lieu of a hire charge.[44]

The use of the flats in the house as living accommodation for Council staff continued into the 1980s but in November 1981 the Leisure Services Committee decided that this be discontinued and the space be utilised for other departmental purposes.[45] One such alternative use was to accommodate a training scheme for parks services which was attended by staff from other authorities as well as Newport.[46] In April 1983 it was decided that a flat that had been empty for approximately two years and was deemed unsuitable for living accommodation, be converted to office accommodation for the Youth Training Scheme.[47]

The Leisure Services Committee proposed in late 1986 that planning permission be sought for a change of use to accommodate the Newport ITeC (a skills and employment training provider) in Beechwood House. Among the existing users of the house potentially to be displaced by this proposal were the tennis and bowling clubs, a mother and toddler group, a model railway society, activity/art courses and holiday play schemes.[48] The following summer it was reported that Newport ITeC no longer required the facilities, and the Committee decided that proposals be invited for the use and conversion of the property from individuals, companies and organisations.[49] In April 1989 the Council decided not to proceed with a proposal from Chainey Developments to convert Beechwood House as a residence for the elderly. Subsequently it was decided to re-invite offers for the house on the basis of "alternative uses which would retain the integrity of the building and park"..[50] Negotiations were reported to be in progress with proposed purchasers in September 1990.[51]

Beechwood House was damaged by fire in 1992 and was left derelict. Reconstruction began in 2006 after Newport Council obtained £4.2 million funding from the European Union and the Welsh Assembly. The restored house is now the Beechwood Entrepeneurship Centre, providing accommodation for small and medium sized enterprises.[51] It was opened by the Duke of Gloucester on 27th November 2008.[52]

The house was designated a Grade II listed building on 10th June 1993[53]

Beechwood House (February 2018)

Beechwood House (February 2018)

Beechwood House (May 2018)

Beechwood House (May 2018)

Sources of Information

  1. South Wales Daily News - Saturday 07 April 1883 page 2 column 1, advertisement for a general servant
  2. Newport County Borough Council Parks, Cemeteries and Allotments Committee 20th April 1900
  3. Newport County Borough Council Parks, Cemeteries and Allotments Committee 8th May 1900
  4. Newport County Borough Council Parks, Cemeteries and Allotments Sub-Committee 22nd May 1900
  5. Newport County Borough Council Parks, Cemeteries and Allotments Committee 20th March 1903
  6. Newport County Borough Council Parks, Cemeteries and Allotments Committee 20th November 1903
  7. Newport County Borough Council Parks, Cemeteries and Allotments Committee 18th October 1907
  8. Newport County Borough Council Parks, Cemeteries and Allotments Committee 15th October 1909
  9. Newport County Borough Council Parks, Cemeteries and Markets Committee 21st October 1910
  10. Newport County Borough Council Parks, Cemeteries and Markets Committee 20th October 1911
  11. Newport County Borough Council Parks, Cemeteries and Allotments Committee 16th March 1906
  12. Newport County Borough Council Parks and Cemeteries Committee 16th July 1915
  13. Newport County Borough Council Parks and Cemeteries Committee 16th July 1920
  14. Newport County Borough Council Parks and Cemeteries Committee 23rd June 1922
  15. Newport County Borough Council Parks and Cemeteries Committee 23rd June 1922
  16. Newport County Borough Council Parks and Cemeteries Committee 23rd February 1925
  17. Newport County Borough Council Parks and Cemeteries Committee 24th April 1925
  18. Newport County Borough Council Parks and Cemeteries Committee 30th April 1925
  19. Newport County Borough Council Parks and Cemeteries Committee 26th June 1925
  20. Newport County Borough Council Parks and Cemeteries Committee 22nd November 1929
  21. Newport County Borough Council Parks and Cemeteries Committee 26th March 1930
  22. Newport County Borough Council Parks and Cemeteries Committee 22nd June 1928
  23. Newport County Borough Council Parks and Cemeteries Committee 18th October 1946
  24. Newport County Borough Council Parks and Cemeteries Committee 17th February 1933
  25. Newport County Borough Council Parks and Cemeteries Committee 18th January 1935
  26. Newport County Borough Council Parks and Cemeteries Committee 19th March 1937
  27. Newport County Borough Council Parks and Cemeteries Committee 16th July 1937
  28. Newport County Borough Council Parks and Cemeteries Committee 16th September 1937
  29. Newport County Borough Council Parks and Cemeteries Committee 19th January 1940
  30. Newport County Borough Council Parks and Cemeteries Committee 15th March 1940
  31. Newport County Borough Council Parks and Cemeteries Committee 16th May 1941
  32. Newport County Borough Council Parks and Cemeteries Committee 18th July 1941
  33. Newport County Borough Council Parks and Cemeteries Committee 25th February 1942
  34. Newport County Borough Council Parks and Cemeteries Committee 21st January 1944
  35. Newport County Borough Council Parks and Cemeteries Committee 18th April 1947
  36. Newport County Borough Council Parks and Cemeteries Committee 13th April 1949
  37. Newport County Borough Council Parks and Cemeteries Committee 21st April 1950
  38. Newport County Borough Council Parks and Cemeteries Committee 14th January 1948
  39. Newport County Borough Council Parks and Cemeteries Committee 19th June 1959
  40. Newport County Borough Council Parks and Cemeteries Committee 20th February 1948
  41. Newport County Borough Council Parks and Cemeteries Committee 15th December 1961
  42. Newport County Borough Council Amenity and Leisure Services Committee 5th December 1968
  43. Newport County Borough Council Amenity and Leisure Services Committee 30th January 1969
  44. Newport Borough Council Leisure Services Committee 7th February 1978
  45. Newport Borough Council Leisure Services Committee 3rd November 1981
  46. Newport Borough Council Leisure Services Committee 1st December 1981 & 7th December 1982
  47. Newport Borough Council Leisure Services Committee 7th April 1983
  48. Newport Borough Council Leisure Services Committee 7th October & 4th November 1986
  49. Newport Borough Council Leisure Services Committee 3rd July 1987
  50. Newport Borough Council Leisure Services Committee 4th April 1989 & 6th June 1989
  51. Newport Borough Council Leisure Services Committee 4th September 1990
  52. South Wales Argos 27th November 2008, Duke re-opens historic Newport buildings
  53. Court Circular. The Times (London), Friday, November 28, 2008
  54. Newport Council Listed Buildings (record 3109)