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Description: | Cams Hall was for centuries one of Fareham's most stately residences. A Manor house is recorded at Cams as far back as the Domesday Book. The earliest part of the existing building goes back to the early 17th century. The estate passed through a series of owners until it was bought by Sir Jacob Wolff in 1767. It was remodelled then sold in 1770 to General John Carnac who hired Jacob Leroux as his architect.
The house was then bought by Peter Delme IV and it became the Delme Family home for Peter and his wife Lady Elizabeth whose portrait was painted by Sir Joshua Reynolds. They moved in the highest social circles, Lady Elizabeth being a lady in waiting to Queen Charlotte, wife of George the Third and Peter was the Member of Parliament for Morpeth. The Delmes originated from the region of Lorraine in France. They were Walloons of mixed Belgian and French ancestry.
The Delmes owned various estates and Peter Delme owned Place House at Titchfield before moving to Cams Hall, which was the property of General John Carnac, an official of the East India Company. The Delmes embarked on turning Cams Hall into an impressive home. The hall was built of fine Portland stone and its main façade was of classical composition, its centrepiece having a pediment, Ionic capitals and triple round arches on the ground storey. The other façade, looking over the creek, had a large bow window to each floor. It was surrounded by masses of flower beds and shrubs. It had an avenue of oak and elm trees known as the Bathing House Grove, as well as the Cams Plantation and a wilderness area. The view from the terrace overlooked the Fareham estuary and Portsmouth Harbour. Many of the fittings originally came from Place House which was systematically stripped in order to furnish the new house. Parts were even taken from the Titchfield chapel built by Lady Wriothesley and used for the stables at Cams Hall. John Delme, on inheriting Cams Hall on the death of his father continued his fathers policy of improving Cams hall by taking the statuary, fireplaces and panelling from Place House. The Delme line ceased in 1894 and the estate and lands were sold. The house had over 30 rooms and an additional suite for servants. There was a large conservatory with tiled floors and an ornamental fountain. The estate included farms, orchards, a rookery, three vineries and extensive parkland.
The house was bought by Montague Foster of Stubbington House School for £10,250 and from then began its decline having several owners after this until it was requisitioned by the Admiralty during World War 2.
It was sold again in 1948 for £33,900. The buildings gradually became ruinous, which included a fire in 1981. Many suggestions were made about its future use and the site was sold several times to various development companies. It was finally bought in 1991 by Strand Harbour who completed the transition of the Hall and outbuildings into a business park and golf course with Cams Hall as its centrepiece.
References:
1. Burton, Lesley and Musselwhite, Brian. 1991. An illustrated history of Fareham, p.33-45.
2. Brown, Ron. 1983. The Fareham of yesteryear, p. 35-36.
3. Emery, John. 1985. Fareham in old picture postcards, p.71.
4. Dale, Anne. 1962. Historical sketches of Fareham district, p. 26-27.
5. Lloyd, David W. Buildings of Portsmouth and its environs, p. 25-27.
Copy photograph of an engraving. | Format: | image/jpeg | License: | http://www.sopse.org.uk/ixbin/hixclient.exe?a=query&p=gateway&f=generic_sitetext%2ehtm&_IXFIRST_=1&_IXMAXHITS_=1&cms_con_core_subtype%3acms_con_text_what=copyright&%3acms_sys_group=%22sopse%22 | Rights holder: | Hampshire Library and Information Service - Hampshire County Council | Subjects: | Strand Harbour building Peter Delme Lady Wriothesley Elizabeth Delme stately home engraving Montague Foster house John Carnac Jacob Wolff East India Company Cams Plantation Queen Charlotte King George lll Bathing House Grove Sir Joshua Reynolds Cams Hall Place House Stubbington House School Jacob Leroux John Delme garden | Temporal: | start=1801-01-01; end=1840-12-31; | Source: | Sense of place SE | Creator: | Copied by: Dine, Derek; Hampshire County Library | Identifier: | http://www.sopse.org.uk/ixbin/hixclient.... | Language: | en-GB | Format: | image/jpeg | Go to resource |
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