purbeck's finest

...a new year, a new month, a new subject...

Back in December, I mentioned my plan to do a series on the historic houses and families of Purbeck, so this is going to be the main thrust of my journal blips this January.

One of those families is the Bonds that I headlined with in the world is not enough and who, for over 300 years, lived in one of the best country houses along the south coast - Creech Grange.

The land hereabouts was originally a Cistercian farm attached to Bindon Priory, which was purchased by Sir John Horsey following the Dissolution. Horsey immediately sold it on to Oliver Lawrence who built the manor house of Creech in 1540. The Lawrence family - who will feature again in a day or few - passed it on to the Bonds in 1691. Denis Bond made several alterations, as did his descendants throughout their time here. In particular, the house was severely damaged by the Parliamentarians during the English Civil war, which required much rebuilding. In 1846 the entire front of the house was pulled down and rebuilt in the local Tudor style. This is the south facing side of the property, which looks up to the Grange Arch folly built by Denis Bond c1745 on the crest of the Purbeck Ridge.

Thomas Bond, who was made a baronet by Charles II, has immortalised himself by purchasing an area of London that was known as Conduit Mead. At that time it was little more than a rubbish dump but he turned it into a habitable area that has gone on to become the fashionable and luxury shopping street that we know today as Bond Street. The name of the original area lives on in the form of Conduit Street.

In the 1950s, Sir Anthony Eden nearly purchased the Grange for his retirement home. The present owner is Norman Hayward, the former chairman of Bournemouth Football Club.

Since 2009, there has been a threat hanging over part of the landscaped gardens due to an application by the French mining giant, Imerys Minerals Ltd. to extract 705,000 tons of ball clay from a quarry adjacent to the house...