Our House Through Time

from Style of Wight Issue 78 September/October

by Style of Wight

A launchpad for positive thinking

ROUSE LTD By Rouse team

Many will recognise Lugley House as the recent Island home of

Sovereign Housing Association and, more significantly, some may also know its connection with Island solicitors,

Roach Pittis.

But for such a significant building, Lugley House has not yet revealed its full life story and we are trying to piece together a coherent course of at least some of its journey through time.

We know that it had many occupants and was used by a variety of business sectors, as well as providing a family home, sometimes simultaneously. Of course, myths and legends also abound, such as a smugglers’ tunnel from the house to the

Castle Inn, and even a resident, organ-playing ghost! What is now Lugley Street car park was once the glorious and established garden that extended along the back and sides of the house. It contained stables and yard, an extensive vegetable garden, an orchard and even an ice house! The ice house is connected to the main house through a tunnel and steps in the basement. It’s no surprise that Lugley House also has a history that is something of a rollcall of significant Island names. Originally completed in the late 1700s by a Thomas Dickonson of Newport, on his death the family home passed to his son-in-law, John Delgarno. John Delgarno held various positions in public life: captain of the Island militia (in 1798), county magistrate, mayor of Newport, and captain of Yarmouth Castle. He also entered the House of Commons as MP for Newport. During WW2, Lugley House was leased to the Ministry of Agriculture and at some point after, the house was sold to the Christian Science organisation, who it’s believed might have added the main rear extension and the curious round section with the wavy tiled roof – possibly for use as a projection room. Part of the house has also been used as a doctor’s surgery (in the 1930s/40s) and, at a different time, as the offices of solicitors Lamport, Bassitt and Hiscock. Later, in 1983, financial firm, Medens, bought the house and subsequently let part of it to Medina Borough Council (which ultimately became the Isle of Wight Council). Sovereign Housing Association was the last occupant, leaving Lugley House in March 2020 when the country went into lockdown. The rest will be our history.

With the help and expertise of many locally based building, decorating, and maintenance firms, the last few months have been spent redecorating and refreshing the building, within the Grade listing rules, to bring its heritage to life.

We would like to thank:

Geoff Dutch – Project Manager and General Building Works, Neil Guile – Painting and Decorating, Danny and Chloe Seager of Daniel Seager Decorating – Painting and Decorating, Dave Pike – Painting and Decorating, Dean Ball of Dean Ball Electrical – Electrical Works, Andy Harvey of Daren Phillips Ltd – Plumbing Works, Dave Barnett of IT-Support – IT Requirements, Graeme M-Petty of GTek – Networking Requirements, Justin Steele of Datatel Networks – Telecommunications, Mark Lee of Lifeline – Intruder and Fire Alarm Systems, Martin Dyer of Carpets Direct – Flooring and Window Blinds, David Sparkes of Solent Beds and Furniture – Office Furniture, Jon James – Property Clearance, Mick Butler – Property Clearance, Kev Foss of Cheap Skips – Property Clearance, Joe Van-Engel of JVE Contract Cleaning – Cleaning, Jim Edmondson – Gardening

We would also like to thank:

The Archives and Records Office, Newport, Tony Gale (ret’d solicitor, Roach Pittis), and Helen Bailey (Baileycs Ltd) for their help in researching the history of the house.