Beechwood House: A Victorian Villa and Green Retreat in Newport

Beyond the traffic and bustle of Newport's streets, the lawns and mature trees of Beechwood Park open out around a house that has quietly witnessed more than a century of local life. Beechwood House has been a tearoom, a hospital, a classroom, a clubhouse and even a home, and its story is closely tied to the story of the park itself.

From private villa to public park

In the late 19th century the property was known simply as "The Beechwood", a name that nodded to the trees around it. Like many substantial Victorian houses with grounds, it later passed out of private hands. Newport Corporation acquired it, and the house became the focal point of a public pleasure ground for the town.

The Council's plans were practical from the start. Rather than opening the whole building, it chose to set aside the two front rooms on the ground floor, together with the kitchen, for refreshments. The rest of the house was closed to visitors.

Tea and refreshments for the town

No one answered the Council's invitation to tender for the catering, so the Corporation decided to run the refreshment rooms itself. A manageress was appointed from 28/05/1900 on a salary of £52 a year. By March 1903 the Parks Committee had three rooms on the north side redecorated and ordered ten sets of plain tables, a sign that the venture was proving popular.

The surviving accounts give a flavour of how well it did:

• Takings for the six months to 10/10/1903 came to £223 3s 7d.
• By the 1907 season income had climbed to £301 11s 5d, including a profit of £41 6s 9d.
• In 1909 the service made a loss for the first time, and 1910 was also a losing year.
• In 1911 it returned to a small surplus.

A cottage stood behind the house too, and in March 1906 repairs costing about £15 were needed.

A sanatorium in wartime

The First World War changed the house's purpose. It was loaned to the Welsh National Memorial Association as a sanatorium for servicemen and munitions workers. The grounds nearest the house were fenced off, the refreshment rooms closed, and the Corporation was to be compensated for its lost trade.

The arrangement outlasted the war by years. In July 1920 the Parks Committee was still asking when the Association expected to leave. In June 1922 the Association replied that it would go once Cefn Mably mansion, placed at its disposal by Lord Tredegar, was ready. The house was finally vacated in May 1924, when the Committee resolved to keep it for use solely in connection with the park.

Renovation and a busy 1920s

By February 1925 the interior had been renovated, and the building was given a new lease of life. Almost the whole ground floor was set aside for public refreshments, and Mr G. N. Dowdall was accepted as caterer on an offer of £52. He was given living accommodation and asked to look after the house generally.

Other users soon found a place there:

• Beechwood Bowling Club was given a ground-floor room.
• A first-floor room over the main entrance was reserved for a wireless installation planned for the park, which the Committee agreed to buy in April 1925.
• The Education Committee held open-air classes in the park through the 1920s, using a room in the house in poor weather.

That last arrangement was still going in the 1940s, when the Parks Committee declined a request to use the entire house for the classes but allowed one extra room.

Caterers, staff and sportsmen

Catering contracts changed hands several times. Mr Dowdall chose not to renew when his tenancy ended on 30/04/1930, and Messrs J. Smith & Sons took over the right to supply refreshments. In March 1937 Messrs Richards, who already served the Tredegar Park Recreation Ground, were appointed.

The house also had a domestic role. In 1933 alterations were approved to provide living quarters for the Parks Superintendent, though by January 1935 he had swapped homes with the park ranger, who had been living in the Friars Road lodge at Belle Vue Park.

In 1937 a telephone was installed, and a new staircase at the back gave access to four rooms intended as changing rooms for teams using the park's sports pitches. The Committee agreed that hooks and seats should be fitted, showing how the house had become a working part of Newport's sporting life.

The Second World War

Once again the military arrived. During the Second World War the authorities occupied parts of the park, including the area around the mansion. In March 1940 the Parks Committee decided not to renew the catering rights of Messrs Richards because of the military presence. In May 1941 the Committee learned that the military would give up the mansion on 19/04/1941, although records note that troops were still there after that date.

Why Beechwood House matters

Beechwood House shows how a Victorian villa can be reshaped to serve a whole community. In its time it has offered tea to townsfolk, care