SLHS: Victoria Spa

Business Opportunity

In 1834 four men got together with a proposal:

1. •John Branston Freer
   

2. •William Oaks Hunt
   

3. •Edmund Derby Ford
   

4. •William Burbon
   

At that time both Leamington and Cheltenham were attracting many wealthy families to their spas and the towns were renamed accordingly. They felt that in time Bishopton, with it’s proud waters, could also take up that accolade. They built a fairly grand house. To one side, in another building, fed by two of the springs they installed pump and purification apparatus.

● Visited By Queen Victoria

At intersection of Bishopton Lane and Chaleybeate Bridge 63 on the Stratford Canal.

The Lodge, Pump House and gardens.

● These items have aspects that uniquely contribute to national or world history.

To return to Master Page click on ‘Bishopton’ above.

- Justice Of The Peace and Mayor in 1856 (lived in the massive Trinity House in Chapel Street);

- Lawyer and Town Clerk;

1. -Banker and Mayor in 1841;
   

2. -Businessman and entrepreneur.

Recent Improvements

Always in private hands it was sold and renovated in 2020 to a high degree. With 5 guest rooms it now operates as a guest house or venue for small conferences.

The young, as yet uncrowned, Queen Victoria

Bruce Bairnsfather and one of his cartoons.

Bishopton Settlement

The Waters

Since mediaeval times Bishopton Hamlet had existed 2½km North of Stratford. All the fields further South of it were normally waterlogged, except in the driest of summers, due to the existence of at least seven springs. Some say many Stratfordians, including the Shakespeare family, may have taken water from these.

In 1744 Charles Perry analysed the water (as much as one could do in those days) and found them to have a better mineral content than those in Leamington (which eventually became a spa town). A wooden structure was erected over these springs. In 1815 the canal was ‘cut’ through the area on a line almost North - South.

Businessmen Cometh - Stage 1

More Business Beckons

Stage 2

However this was only Stage 1 in the four men’s master plan. Next was to be a massive expansion -or was it ?

   See:  Bishopton Inland Resort.

Today

The gardens    1885

The Spa Changes Hands

Refurbishment Needed

In 1860, 23 years later, the Spa had become decidedly run down. It was put on the market and Charles Ford bought it. Over the coming years he spent another £3000 on it (Equivalent to £450,000 in 2024). He also had a plan and in 1868 he put it up for auction (when will these men learn !)

Royal Name

In 1837, around the time of William IV’s death, somehow they managed to persuade the young Victoria to stay the night. The current website explains..

1. “Just six weeks before her coronation, as ruler of the largest empire in the world, the 19 year old Queen Victoria spent the grand opening night of the spa in one of our rooms. Hence our name.
   

2. The owners then received rare permission from the palace to exhibit Her Majesty's personal coat of arms.
   

3. Seventy years later, and now a private house, it was home of the celebrated artist and cartoonist, Bruce Bairnsfather, whose humorous take on life in the Great War won him global admiration. The British Police, to this day, retain the affectionate soubriquet, given to it by the public after the artist's main comic character - Old Bill.”
   

They launched the whole idea with great pomp and publicity both locally and in the Warwick Advertiser. Apparently there’s a dreadful poem somewhere !

● First place to be named after Queen Victoria

A few hopefuls turned up but to Ford’s chagrin it didn’t even make his Reserve price. It had no grand hall so there could be no grand banquets, no dinner dances and no large musical performances. The gardens were lovely but they couldn’t draw people from where ‘the action’ was by the river. It was used from time to time but nobody wanted to live this far out of Stratford which was precisely the problem that the new Resort suffered from (use shortcut above).

Bairnsfathers

In 1904 the great Major Thomas Bairnsfather retired from India and decided to buy it. He renamed it Victoria Lodge. His son, Bruce, attended Army School in Trinity College, Church Street. Whilst he did qualify for Sandhurst he went into Royal Warwickshire Regiment Militia. However this wasn’t his calling and resigned 18months later.

The Pump House and lake.

See Bishopton Hamlet

For the next stage in the story see:  Bishopton Inland Resort.

Or jump ahead to see how Bruce became a world renowned cartoonist:  Bruce Bairnsfather