The History of Purley
Set on a hill in ancient woodland
Based on historical paperwork relating to the Purley estate, we estimate that the house was built around 1894, so would be called a late-Victorian gentleman’s residence.
The estate was originally 600 acres including 70 acres of old oak woodland. The wood that skirts the grounds is a remnant of the Forest of Arden, which historically stretched from Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire to Tamworth in Staffordshire, and covered vast swathes of land. Shakespeare famously set part of his play ‘As You Like It’ in this ancient woodland. It is well worth visiting Purley in the spring as the wood is carpeted with bluebells at this time of year and hints at the magical atmosphere Shakespeare captured in his play.
Purley is situated not far from Watling Street which is a Roman road stretching from London to North Wales. Locally the Romans are most famously associated with Mancetter village which is a mile from Purley where there is archaeological evidence of a fort, settlement and pottery kilns. We know that the Romans ranged over the hilltop Purley sits upon, as historians confirm that stone pits were worked during Roman times, probably for the maintenance of Watling Street and a Romano-British dragonesque brooch was found on the edge of Purley parkland.
The house in Victorian and Edwardian times
The house itself was originally laid out on the ground floor to include a smoking room, gun room, drawing room, morning room and dining room.
Upstairs there were nine bed and dressings rooms and just two bathrooms with two extra wc’s. At the very top of the house there were six servants’ bedrooms. The Butler had a bedroom on the ground floor.
We know that the family living here in 1901 were the Potters – and were in fact related to Beatrix Potter who was a cousin. It would be nice to think that maybe Beatrix Potter visited the Purley Estate to stay with her relatives!
To keep an establishment of this size going, there would be up to 18 servants employed. Some living in, some in gardeners’ or grooms’ cottages and some coming in each day from the town of Atherstone. From gamekeeper to scullery maid, butler to gate keeper, although very modest compared to large country houses, the Purley Estate took some managing.
Changes brought about by the First World War
As we know for the whole of Britain, employment on estates like Purley was set to change with the First World War. Thousands of people who had been employed in service to big houses like Purley Chase either went to the front, or went to support the war effort in munitions factories.
It is interesting that the Purley Chase Estate went up for auction in 1914 which was the beginning of the war, and did not have a buyer until local Alderman Mr Thomas Slack purchased it in June 1919.
It’s clear that Purley needed to find a new purpose after the First World War. At that time Mr Slack who was a member of the New Church in Leicester allowed the New Church Sunday School Union to use Purley as a ‘Summer School.’ This Summer School was the only activity at Purley Chase up until the start of the next war in 1939. Tales come from those times of straw being used to fill mattresses and lights out every evening when the petrol generator providing the electricity was turned off.
Requisitioned during the Second World War
Purley was requisitioned in the Second World War as a place for POWs and also lower ranking American Servicemen to occupy as the top brass were billeted elsewhere.
Improvements were made by the army including connecting Purley to the mains electricity supply. Upon being handed back to Mr Slack around 1946 the American army asked him to pay for the electrical work as they felt it had greatly benefited the house. Unfortunately, Mr Slack said no, and the army promptly ripped out what it had installed and the premises were left in a very bad state.
It was in 1950 that Mr Slack died and bequeathed Purley Chase to our Church, ‘The General Conference of the New Church.’ There was much debate about taking Purley on because the house was very dilapidated. Ivy was growing over the windows and there were puddles of water in the hall from leaks in the roof.
