Image Alan Mayes
This page is one of several pages which are based on articles in our book entitled Royal Leamington Spa, A History in 100 Buildings which was published in 2018 and is no longer in print.
In a Spa of fashionable, Regency buildings, Lansdowne Crescent is a remarkable architectural feat in the east of town, in an area “most improving and picturesque.” It provided 21 classy homes and lodging houses, to which the gentry flocked, attracted by the Spa, the hunting and the abundant entertainment. “Without compare,” Leamington offered “superior comforts…, salubrity of its air; and… efficacy of its mineral springs.”
Lansdowne Crescent was planned in 1834 and the land auctioned in May 1835. Building construction, to the designs of town architect, William Thomas, started at a phenomenal pace, with residents occupying some houses from 1836. The Crescent was first recognised as a significant town landmark, when chosen as the starting point for the children’s Procession celebrating Queen Victoria’s Coronation in 1838.
However, building the Crescent was not all plain sailing. Leamington builders were hit hard by the 1837 slump, having invested heavily. They faced great financial difficulties. It became increasingly difficult to off-load new builds, within a volatile property market. Many, including Thomas, went bankrupt, leading to a high turnover of house sales.
In fact, only 16 of the 21 houses were actually completed by 1838. In 1836, land, “intended as No. 3 was sold” and entire household contents too; in 1838, contractors were sought, to build 2 houses, in Lansdowne Crescent for cash; Rawson Walker was forced to sell “in consequence of a domestic calamity (1839);” whilst Nos 7/8 were to be finished by the vendors (1839). By 1841, only 15 houses were occupied and just a few Lodging Houses had emerged.
Of all his many distinguished Leamington builds, William Thomas was drawn to his Lansdowne Crescent showpiece, living at No 1 (1837) with his wife, Martha, and children. In June 1843, this house was auctioned – the “late occupation of William Thomas, Esq., Architect,” boasting spacious rooms, an office, butler’s pantry, servants’ quarters, beer and coal cellars. The house contents were sold earlier, in March 1843, the property of William Thomas, “who was leaving the country”.
No 1 (Campion House) was always a prime spot. Although unoccupied in 1851, it had a constant flow of occupants: Mary Clement Best (1871-81) (relocating from No 7); (1891) John Walter Hayden Dawson, a retired confectioner; (1901) Ellen Emily Hickley; and William Archer Russell (1911). Houses Nos 1-4 (known as Fontaine Villas) were auctioned in 1853 – with a sitting tenant at No 1, paying only an “extremely low rent £45 per annum;” No 2 needing “a small outlay to render it complete for occupation;” No 3, being let for £50; whilst No 4 was vacant. Like many new housing developments, problems had to be addressed to placate the residents. Gas lamps were only provided in 1837, sufficing until the installation of electric lighting fifty years later. In 1841, there were complaints about “stagnant water” in the unfinished houses, Nos 2-7. “Grass, dust and mud” were ongoing irritations, until 1849, when footways and “carriage approaches” to the Crescent were improved. In 1838, owners were told that they had to pay for paving and that flagging would only be provided for those houses already built! It was also agreed that “fire plugs” were to be introduced in the Crescent (1840).
The unilateral actions of William Kerslake, the proactive landlord of Nos 20-21, caused trouble when, in a “harried manner” he removed lamps in the Crescent – and without Committee approval (1844); this led to a serious accident with Dr Jephson’s horse, as the road had holes and was narrowed as “occupied by gasmen with their harrows and working tools.” Kerslake also charged his tenant, Edward Farrer Acton for a “gravelled pathway” in 1845 and represented him, initially, at court when Acton, disputed paying further charges (£44.9s.0d) for new flagging, to the Leamington Commissioners. Kerslake was also keen to improve the water supply at No 20, testing out Gutta, in 1851. No 21 (Cambridge House 1891) became a Lodging House, first with the Roza family (1891) and then the Toones (1901). It was renumbered 1a Lansdowne Circus and later converted into flats, eventually being sold to Warwick District Council (1968).
In 1838, Mr Malpas, whilst trying not to have a dig at the Police, moaned about the nuisance of local yobs, throwing stones at his windows, breaking panes of glass “whilst sitting in his drawing-room, in Lansdowne Crescent.” He believed that the “present police establishment was inadequate to the wants… [and] respectability of the town, as a place of a fashionable resort.” A vagrant, Benjamin Potter, was charged (1859) for merely knocking on Crescent doors, asking for relief and in 1886 a domestic servant, Hannah Hading (at No 16) stole gold brooches from her employer.
By 1861, Lansdowne Crescent had emerged as a flourishing Lodging House community for the rich (although Nos 3-6 were still unoccupied). Some Lodging Housekeepers, including the Cunningtons, Ricketts and Bloxhams, stayed for decades, devoting their life to looking after the town’s visitors – and often passing the trade down the generations. A housekeeper was provided with a home, an income and, in some cases, escape from servitude: Joseph Ricketts and his first wife, Jane, were servants (1841) in the Crescent, with Joseph being elevated to housekeeper, (1851-74) and living at No 18, with his 2nd wife, Ruth. Whilst Mary Ann Link, a spinster servant, at No 19 (1871-81) gained the respectable position of housekeeper (1887-1911), it was Anne Price (nee Hodder) at No 13, who hosted Nathaniel Hawthorne on his first brief visit to Leamington in 1855 prior to him moving to Lansdowne Circus.
Elizabeth Bloxham managed the Lodging House at No 5 (1871-91), passing this on to her nieces, Elizabeth and Emily Pannel; and, keeping it in the family, their sister, Fanny Pannel, who also ran the Lodgings at No 15 (1891-1901), just a few doors away. In spite of the double tragedy for the Hoggards in 1876, with the deaths of John Hoggard (aged 47) at No 3 on the 16th, and his brother, Thomas (aged 49), at No 2, next door, on the 17th September, the Hoggard family continued business there until 1911, now termed ‘Apartment Keepers.’ Some residents, loving the Crescent life, moved to different houses, including Francisco Roza to Nos 21, 8 and 17.
Lansdowne residents took exception to the Local Board’s arbitrary decision in 1873 to change all their house numbers from 1-21 to 19-59, causing much confusion. Mr W Bate expressed his disgust about this absurdity, claiming that its members “couldn’t even govern themselves, much less the town!”, The Lodging House at Nos 12-13 emerged as “La Plaisance”, a private hotel (1896-1910) where “late dinners, home comforts, highest references moderate terms” were offered.
The whole row of buildings is Listed Grade II*.
The trend for apartments, usually 3 per house, began in the early 20th Century to adapt to the accommodation needs of the time. The Leamington Borough Council purchased a number of the houses in 1918 and eventually completed major renovations which saved Lansdowne Crescent for the town.
Stella Bolitho, 2018