Thwaite Hall

HISTORIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE SITE

Estate owners

In 1801 John William Hentig (born at Saltzgitter, Germany in 1760), a Hull merchant and shipowner, purchased a cottage or house and land at the east end of Cottingham in an area known as the Thwaite (an old name meaning ‘clearing in a wood'). (ERALS, Deeds Registry, CC/286/434) Soon after he built Thwaite House and laid out the grounds. He died in 1853, and in 1855 his widow Catherine sold the estate to Thomas Wilson, another Hull merchant and shipowner, who lived at Park House (Cottage) in Cottingham. Thwaite House became the home of Wilson's eldest son, David. (ERALS, Deeds Registry, HF/316/385; HZ/34/48; Census returns.)

In 1872 Charles Henry Wilson, youngest son of Thomas, acquired Thwaite House from his brother, and soon after he enlarged the house and improved the grounds. In 1878 Charles purchased the much grander Warter Priory estate and two years later sold the Thwaite House estate to Dr Albert Kaye Rollit, a Hull solicitor. (ERALS, Deeds Registry, KX/410/545; NE/115/184). Rollit held many public offices, including Lord Mayor of Hull and Sheriff of Hull, and in 1886 was elected as Conservative MP for South Islington. In 1897 he sold the Cottingham estate to Colonel William Edward Goddard, a Hull stationer. (ERALS, Deeds Registry, 92/269/241)

In 1928 Goddard's widow Aletha moved to a neighbouring house, Southfield (later Southlands), and the Thwaite House estate was sold to the newly-established University College, Hull (now the University of Hull), the present owner. The house was converted to a hall of residence for women students (Thwaite Hall), to which additional large accommodation blocks were later added. (ERALS, Deeds Registry, 368/36/31; Allison (ed.), VCH Yorks ER IV, 65). In 1948 the University established the Botanic Gardens and Experimental Ground within the gardens. (www.hullac.uk/thwaite-gardens/history)

Chronological history of the designed landscape

Early-mid 19th century

The site was landscaped in the first decade of the 19th century as a setting for Thwaite Hall, built for John William Hentig around 1803. The Cottingham tithe award plan of 1839 suggests that by this date there was a formal garden area north of the house, including an enclosure planted with trees, presumably the orchard. (Raine, An Historic Garden?, front cover.) The extensive, roughly rectangular area to the north was laid out as parkland, with plantations along the eastern, northern and western edges, and along the western half of the southern edge. This area was divided almost in two by an elongated ‘fishpond' (fed by natural springs from an area to the west known as ‘The Bogs') with a central arm extending south to meet the southern boundary at the point where the boundary plantations terminate. A further plantation is shown running along the northern bank of much of the western section of the fishpond; it then continues in a north-westerly direction to join the plantations around the site boundary, apparently following the line of a stream that fed the pond (not shown on the tithe award plan). This effectively meant that the parkland was divided into three distinct sections. Parts of this area were used as grass paddocks (see 1854 sale particulars below).

The same layout is shown on the Ordnance Survey plan of 1855.

When the Thwaite House estate was put up for sale in 1854, following Hentig's death, the following description of the house and grounds was given in the Hull Packet, 9 June 1854:

To be sold ..... a substantial and well-built mansion ... approached from the Thwaite or Hull road by a handsome carriage drive, with a detached double coach-house and stables for five horses, an excellent garden behind, containing an acre of land, enclosed by a wall 11 ft high, covered with fruit trees in full bearing, an extensive and productive vinery, Pleasure Grounds tastefully disposed and planted with choice shrubs and stately trees, with serpentine walks and fish ponds, also four closes of rich grass land, lying within a ring fence, and belted by thriving plantations...

An adjoining plot of land was used as a kitchen garden.

Later 19th-century improvements

The Thwaite House estate was purchased by the Wilson family in 1855. From 1872 it was the home of Charles Henry Wilson, the Hull shipping magnate. Although he lived there for only a few years he extended the house, and made improvements to the grounds. He transformed the long, narrow stretch of water into the present lake, introducing the wide areas of water at either end to give a more natural effect. Two islands were created, a large one at the west end, and a smaller one towards the east. Charles Wilson is also said to have laid out the gardens and planted many trees and shrubs, including rhododendrons and lilacs to the north side of the lake. Some of the older specimen trees south of the lake, such as the Wellingtonia, must have been planted at this time. (Raine, Brief History of Thwaite House, 17-18)

The Ordnance Survey plan published 1892 shows a series of serpentine paths leading from the house to and around the lake. Features include a fountain, close to the house, and a boat house on the lake.

Charles Wilson, later Lord Nunburnholme, moved from Cottingham following his purchase of the vast Warter Priory estate in 1878. The magnificent gardens he laid out there have been destroyed.

The grounds of Thwaite House were well maintained by the next owner, Dr (later Sir) Albert Rollit, a Hull solicitor. The following description was given in the Hull Packet, 14 September 1883, in connection with a visit there by members of the Kingston Model Yacht Club.

As might be expected from the President of the [Hull] Botanic Gardens, the grounds are in admirable order, and the parterres, choicely set out, as well as luxuriant in growth and colouring, have yet suffered nothing appreciably from the advancing season. The extensive lake - made picturesque by the taller and statelier variety of trees at the upper extremity - was found admirably suited to the purpose of sailing.

The Edwardian period

Colonel Edward Goddard purchased the Thwaite House estate in 1897. In 1900 Edwin Wright was appointed as head gardener. Goddard also employed 5 labouring gardeners. (Raine, Brief History of Thwaite House, 25; 1901 Census). The 1910 Ordnance Survey plan shows no change to the basic layout of the grounds, although the enclosure to the north-east of the house is drawn without divisions or trees. This is probably an omission, for a plan drawn from memory by the head gardener's son in 1984 showing the layout of the grounds before World War 1 indicates this was the still the location of the orchard, which he described as being divided into sections by box borders, with a high brick wall along one side, on which espalier fruit trees were grown. Other features between the house and the lake included a lawned area with scented roses, and a summer house with croquet lawn. At this date the paddocks around the lake were still used for haymaking. (Raine, Brief History of Thwaite House, 19; 25-9)

After 1928

The acquistion of the estate by the University of Hull in 1928 had an impact on the garden areas close to the house. Additional accommodation blocks were built on the orchard, and the greenhouses north-west of the house were taken down. In 1948 the University established the Botanic Garden and Experimental Ground within the gardens. New planting included conifers, apple and old rose species. (www.hull.a.uk/thwaite-gardens/history)

More recently work such as the creation of a herb garden has been carried out by the Friends of Thwaite Gardens, established around 2000 after plans to build on part of the site were overturned, and the gardens listed.

Detailed history contributed by Yorkshire Gardens Trust 08/11/2014

The following is from the Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest. For the most up-to-date Register entry, please visit the The National Heritage List for England (NHLE):

www.historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list

HISTORIC DEVELOPMENT

Thwaite House was built 1803-7 for John Hentig, a wealthy merchant who had purchased the land in 1801, and his formal arrangement of gardens north of the house is shown on the Tithe map of Cottingham dated 1839. The map shows that by this date the basic outline of the site had been established, with shelter belts planted along the northern and eastern boundaries and the west half of the southern boundary.

The estate was bought in 1872 by David Wilson, who in 1875 sold on to his brother Charles, later Lord Nunburnholme. Charles enlarged the house and developed the grounds. Around 1880, the house was sold to Albert Rollitt, then again in 1901 to Col Goddard. It was bought by the University College of Hull in 1928, and during the Second World War was occupied by the army who erected a number of temporary buildings in the grounds. An additional University building, Thwaite Hall, accompanied by new landscaping, was constructed in 1948-50 to the north of the House and the surroundings partly developed as a Botanic Garden.

Type

Park

Purpose

Ornamental

Principal Building

Education

Survival

Part: standing remains

Hectares

12

Civil Parish

Cottingham