Above, Beechlands, Newick as represented in a late eighteenth or early nineteenth century engraving.  The scene depicts the occasion of the first show of the Newick Horticultural Society and was first published in Horsfield's, "History of Sussex" in 1832.  By the time Sussex 54 VAD moved from Hickwells into Beechlands as temporary tenants in June 1916, the property had been considerably improved and extended.

 

Beechlands lies close to Hickwells but is actually within Newick boundaries rather than Chailey ones. Travelling north east along Cinder Hill, past Hickwells, the tree-lined road bends gently uphill to the right, becoming Chailey lane.  About a mile south east of this junction lies Newick Park; a mile to the north, the village of Newick itself.  In between, much as it was in 1916, the land is sparsely populated; a series of farms and isolated homesteads dotting the picturesque countryside. 

 

Today, the properties are independently and privately owned but in 1916, the whole area, comprising around 475 acres and taking in the nearby farms of Tutts, Ridgeland and Ketches, formed Beechland Estate.  At its heart was Beechland House - or more simply, 'Beechlands' -  a mansion just fifteen minutes’ walk away from Hickwells and with enough space to accommodate 40 wounded soldiers.  Its tenant, Mrs Harcourt Rose, would retain just a tiny portion of Beechlands for her own use; the remainder of it would be placed at the disposal of Miss Margaret Cotesworth and her nurses.

Patients outside Beechland House, Newick in an undated photo.  Tall Nurse Edith Oliver stands third from the left on the back row.  Matron Emily Marshall sits on the right. Click on the image for an enlarged version of it.

 

The earliest sections of Beechlands date from Tudor times but by 1916 the house had been much improved and extended.  William Henry Blaauw whose descendants had settled in England almost a century earlier, had bought the Beechland estate in 1835 and immediately set to work extending and improving the house.  A new south wing was added and the Jacobean stone archway was relocated from the side of the house to form a new grand entrance on the eastern approach.  A driveway, with a turning circle for coaches, was constructed and a few years later, Beechlands was further extended with the addition of a third floor and much enlarged cellars.  To complement the impressive new staircase which rose from the centre of the building, oak panelling was installed throughout the house and stained glass windows with the Blaauw family crest were also added.

 

By the time Mrs Harcourt Rose offered up her residence which was still owned, but not inhabited by the Blaauw family, Beechlands boasted a billiards’ and recreation room and outdoors, a well-stocked ornamental lake, tennis court and croquet lawn. 

 

Sussex 54 VAD remained at Beechlands until 1918 when the property was fully returned to Mrs Harcourt Rose.

Modern day Beechland House, Newick.  Although the original house has since been divided into several smaller properties, Beechlands is still an impressive building.  The steps on which the convalescent patients had posed during the First World War (see previous photo) and the ornamental urns, are still very much in place.

 

Can you help me identify Beechlands patients? Click here for the photos.

 

I include a number of Beechlands photographs on this website and the vast majority of the men are unidentified.  I'd dearly love to know who they were.