Lost Heritage

Location		nr Fawley
Year demolished		1987
Reason		Derelict
See all images:		No images yet available
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Although exact dates of the origins of Copthorne House remain uncertain, records confirm the presence of a substantial house on the site as early as the 1700s. The 1838 Title Map further corroborates the existence of a large house and accompanying gardens at that time.

The house as it was known in the modern era was likely built in the 1880s and served as a 'dower house'. Specifically, it was associated with the Drummond family, prominent landowners in the area. The gardens of Copthorne House were said to have been planted contemporaneously with the renowned Exbury Gardens, under the influence of the Drummonds and their friends, the de Rothschilds. This collaboration is thought to have contributed to the collection of rhododendrons that adorned both estates.

In 1920, Copthorne House entered a new phase as it was sold to the Atlantic Gulf and West Indies Oil Company (A.G.W.I.), later Esso, to provide housing for refinery managers, officers, and guests visiting from London. The first manager to reside at the property was Henry Dieudonné Demoulins, a chemist and linguist who played a significant role in the development of Fawley Refinery. His family lived at the house until 1948, marking nearly three decades of connection to the estate.

Subsequent to the Demoulins family, other Esso managers occupied the house, including Frank Mayo, O.B.E., who resided there until his passing. By the late 20th century, however, Copthorne House faced decline. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the New Forest District Council applied for listed building status, but the application was unsuccessful, sealing its fate. In 1987, Fawley historians visited the house before its demolition and noted its deteriorated state, including a hole in the roof and debris in the once-grand hall. Despite the disrepair, remnants of its past grandeur, such as William Morris-style wallpaper and intact staircases, were observed. Copthorne House was demolished later that year.

In 1990, Romsey & Waterside Day Services took over the site, which by then included largely derelict gardens. Overgrown paths and ivy-clad rhododendrons testified to years of neglect. However, a concerted effort was made to restore parts of the gardens and reuse the site for community purposes.