| Summary : In circa 1206 King John, who was devoted to hunting in the New Forest, decided to build a house for himself in Romsey which could be used as a Hunting Lodge. The building comprised a first floor hall with the lower floor divided into two rooms by a wattle and daub partition. King John's son Henry III granted the house to the Abbess of Romsey for the purpose of being converted into her Infirmary Guest House for the Abbey. It is known that the building was occupied as a Guest House in the reign of Edward I. After the Dissolution the house was used as the residence of well-to-do tradesmen, and the Tudor cottage, which forms part of it, was added. Gradually the building deteriorated and was eventually converted into three poor class cottages. A block of two-storey cottages was added at the east end at the beginning of the 18th century and the whole block came to be occupied as the parish workhouse and so remained for nearly a century. Handlooms were installed whilst the building was in use as a workhouse. It then reverted to being three individual dwellings before being discovered by Mr WJ Andrew in 1927 as King John's House. Following this discovery the building was restored to a single unit dwelling and in 1939 the adjoining 18th century cottages were demoloished after being condemed. In 1946 the owner decided to hand over King John's house to the ihabitants of the town for use as a museum. |
More information : (SU 35222127) King John's House (G.T.). (1)
King John's Hunting Lodge was a palace for only a dozen years after its construction in c. 1210. It was outside the Abbey Walls, but was probably converted into a guest house or infirmary of the abbey, and St. Andrew's Chapel built, all about 1221. The building later became a private house. It is rectangular, and was always of two storeys and built of flint with stone dressings, with early doors and windows.
It was given to the town as a museum in 1946. (2-3)
As described and in good condition, this building is at present
used as a museum and library. (4)
Nos 5 to 9, Church Court (King John's House), Grade 1. Hall house of about 1230. Scheduled. (5,6)
SU 352 212 (7) King John's House, or Hunting Box, hall house of c1240, part of the property within the medieval abbey. (7,8)
King John's House initially consisted of three buildings - King John's House, No 1 Church Court (SU 32 SE 45) and No 3 Church Court (Tudor Cottage) (SU 32 SE 39). Sometime after 1945, No 1 Church Court and Tudor Cottage became one building known as Tudor Cottage. Since 1977 Tudor Cottage and King John's House have been owned by Hampshire Buildings Preservation Trust and have become one building but known as King John's House and Tudor Cottage. Church Court is now known as Church Street. Only the building formerly known as King John's House is scheduled, the other buildings formerly known as No 1 and No 3 Church Court are listed, but not scheduled. Early deeds relating to the ownership of the house are on display at King John's House. (9)
It is highly unlikely that this building is that created by King John. When Henry III granted the site to the abbey in 1221, he gave the abbess permission `to take it away to wherever she wishes', which suggests that it was a timber structure. (10) |