1479
The widow of Sir John Lenham alias Plummer (citizen and grocer of London) passed Tubney manor to William de Waynflete, the Bishop of Winchester for his foundation of Magdalen College.
1537
The earliest part of Tubney House (The Gollds) is the eastern block of 3 storeys plus cellar. Built in 1537, the Gollds is thought to have been built originally as a hunting lodge. Edmund Feteplace of Besilles Lee Berkshire (likely one of the early tenants) was possibly the builder. In a dispute with the President and Fellows of Magdalen College over ownership of land in Besilles Lee and Tubney, in 1537/8, Feteplace was awarded 20 acres of land in both places and the College was awarded a tenement called Gollds and all the rest of their land in Tubney, including the manor.
The original plan of Tubney House was of a room of two bays and a room of one bay on each floor. Because of later alterations, the original entrance is obscured and the original stair is missing. However, from evidence of contemporary early 16th century buildings of similar size, the original main entrance was probably from the east, centrally, into a screens passage and the original stair was in a stair tower to the west of Gollds, between the two great chimneystacks.
1811
A major extension of this early house took place in 1811 when the tenant, a Mr. Lockhart (recorded as paying the fines on Tubney House from 1810 – 1838) spent at least £1200 on Tubney House. This extension comprised the present Gothic hall and stairway, library (now the Lecture theatre) and first floor great parlour/salon (now the Common room). In 1811, a kitchen (now ground floor Office 391.10.19) was added with a kitchen yard to house the more extensive services to the kitchen, which would have been needed for a larger house in the early 19th century. Possibly the present building marked as Butler's pantry (now office 391.10.08) on the survey plan was the 1811 kitchen.
Mr. Lockhart's architect had to solve a complex problem. His grand 1811 stair had to meet the landing of the Gollds stair in order to attach the later building to Gollds. He decided to retain the north wall of the stair tower, remove the original stairs, excavate for new cellar stairs. He built a new wall half way across the old stair tower, in order to extend his new hall as far as possible to the north.
As well as supplying a new great stair, Mr. Lockhart's architect had to supply a little back stair for the servants from ground to first floor and for the household from first floor to second floor. The remains of his small vice stair can be seen on the first floor blocking the entrance to the larger Gollds room (now the boardroom) and on the second floor at the bottom of the later stair up to the attic.
1820
The present corridor and former kitchen range to the north appear to be have been built later in the 19th century. This was undertaken in two building campaigns: The landowner of Tubney Lodge at this time was Mary Marriott Greenwallows who leased Tubney farm from Magdalen College in I828, 1835, 1842. Firstly, and possibly undertaken before Mr. Kimber (1845-1878) acquired the lease in 1845, a new kitchen and servant's hall (now the kitchen) was added with a servery and a way into the Gollds hall, which was then upgraded from an 1811 little parlour to a dining room. This expansion included the tower on the northern facade which internally made the other way into the Gollds dining room from the servery, and which externally ornamented the transition between the 16th and the 19th century buildings. At the same time alterations were made to the little back stairs, passages were added, and the first and second floors of Gollds were divided up into three rooms on each floor (Now making up the Director’s, Director’s P.A. and administrative offices)
1873
The former kitchen and room above were added on later, possibly by the College after it had taken the lease in hand in 1873. At the same time the cross passage was extended to the west. The next stair changes took place when the new kitchen, servant’s hall, servery tower and passage were added on. At this time, new little backstairs, slightly wider and straighter were fitted in against the external wall of Gollds and running from ground to first and then from first to second.
North Elevation of Tubney house showing stair tower and canulations prior to restoration
1866
The house was called Tubney House
1878
The house was leased to a Miss Walsh
1968
On the 15th November, 1968, Magdalen College passed Tubney House over to Mrs. Marguerite Blackwell.
WildCRU would like to thank Dr. Alison Maguire, Architectural Historian for her report on the History of Tubney House.
