Historic Melton: The fascinating residents of town's Staveley lodge

​The house cost £2,986 10s to build and as the building work was nearing completion, a sumptuous dinner was given at the lodge by the owner, Mr Thomas Hickson on the evening of Friday 28 th April 1871. The dinner was given in response to the ‘roofing in’ of the building and 52 people attended.

Thomas named the house after his maternal ancestors, his mother was Elizabeth Staveley, the sister of architect Christopher Staveley junior. It was originally named ‘Staveley House’ but today we know it as ‘Staveley Lodge’.

Following the death of Thomas’s wife Jane in 1887, the house was put up for sale and purchased by a wealthy Scottish brewer, Mr William Younger MP, who made significant alterations to the building including building stables for 30 horses.

The next owner was Colonel William Arnold Lawson, whose family owned the Daily Telegraph. Both the Colonel and Mrs Lawson took a great interest in town affairs and were active supporters of the Boy Scout movement. Once again, as new owners, they carried out a number of alterations including the installation of a large bay window and more stabling. Many of the bricks used in these alterations were made in the town’s brickyard and were marked to commemorate Queen Victoria’s golden jubilee.

Colonel Lawson stayed at Staveley Lodge until 1906 when he became Lord Burnham upon the death of his father. Following his return to Hall Barn in Beaconsfield he leased the property out whilst retaining ownership. During Lawson’s time at Staveley Lodge many distinguished guests stayed at the lodge including the 1st Earl of Oxford and his wife Lady Oxford. The Earl was Herbert Henry Asquith, who went on to be the leader of the Liberal Party and Prime Minister.

In 1929, the property was leased to the Maharanee of Cooch Behar, who once again introduced substantial alterations to the lodge. The massive oak panelling and oak doors made from confessional boxes, the gorgeous tapestries and eastern carpets, which together with the hunting paintings gave the interior an interesting and curious mingling of East and West with some describing the lodge as a miniature Indian Palace. During the alterations, a fire broke out at the rear of the lodge which destroyed an outbuilding but also nearly destroyed the main lodge itself.

The next tenant was an American millionaire, Mr Plunket Steward followed by the Harrison family, who leased the lodge in the years leading up to the Second World War. Colonel John Harrison had married Margaret Olive Edith, the daughter of Colonel Lawson, and at the beginning of each winter season, a special train would bring their large staff of servants and their string of hunters to Melton.

During the Second World War, it was taken over by the Army and became home to the Head Quarters of the 156 Battalion of the Parachute Regiment.

After the war, it became part of the Production Engineering Research Association (PERA) which resulted in more alterations with the addition of new buildings and the demolition of some of the old building such as the stables.

On 21st October 1961, a major fire took hold of the building and destroying most the first and second floor and the roof. Rather than demolishing the lodge completely, it was decided to restore the building in a contemporary style with a flat roof and no second floor.