Cheltenham Park Hotel

DoubleTree by Hilton Cheltenham (earlier known as Cheltenham Park Hotel), Charlton Kings, is a Regency building of historical significance. It was previously called Lilleybrook. It stands on the site of an ancient manor which was rebuilt and/or improved in about 1700 and again in 1816. In 1831 it was badly damaged by fire and in 1833 it was again rebuilt. This is the house which stands today. Over the next century it was the home to several notable families and in 1922 opened as a hotel. The building was renovated in 2017 and the hotel subsequently adopted the DoubleTree franchise. The hotel is managed by Michels & Taylor.

One of the early residents of Lilleybrook House was Rear-Admiral Robert Mansell who bought the property in 1816 and made major improvements to the house. This building which is shown on the right was drawn in 1826. It was damaged by fire in 1831 and rebuilt by the Mansells in 1833. Rear-Admiral Robert Mansell (1773-1838) was born 1773 in Cosgrove, Northamptonshre. His father was Major General John Mansell who owned Cosgrove Hall and his mother was Mary-Ann Biggin, a wealthy heiress. He entered the Navy at an early age and was rapidly promoted becoming a Commander at the age of twenty-one. In 1803 he married Frances Charlotta Thorold (1784-1746) who was the daughter of Reverend William Thorold of Weelsby House. The couple had three children, two sons and a daughter.

Robert died in 1838 at Charlton Kings and Frances, his wife continued to live at the house until her death in 1846. The property was then sold and bought by Captain Shapland Swiny. He lived there for several years with his wife Georgiana and had two of this children. He later moved to Cheltenham and built New Court.

In about 1855 John Thornely (sometimes spelt Thornley) purchased the property. John Thornely (1803-1857) was born in 1803 Glossop, Derbyshire. He was the only son of John Thornely (1777-1849) who owned Dodworth Hall in Yorkshire. In 1840 he married Elizabeth Cockle but the couple had no children. John died in 1858 and Elizabeth continued to live at the house until her death in 1864. As they had no heirs the property was inherited by a distant relative Mary Thornley Ollivant (1835-1876) who had married William Dugdale (1839-1896) two years earlier and so the property was brought into the Dugdale family. William Dugdale owned Simonstone Hall so the house was rented for many years. The rental notice of 1865 is shown. Lieutenant Colonel Robert Cumming (1822-1905) and his wife Anna Maria were the first tenants. They were followed by Jane Crawshay Gwynne (1809-1900) who was the widow of Colonel Alban Lewis Thomas Jones Gwynne of Aberaeron in Wales. She moved to the house in about 1880 with her two daughters Agnes and Edith. A picture of Agnes is shown.

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Wikipedia