Staunton Country Park
Staunton Country Park is a listed Regency landscaped parkland and forest encompassing approximately 1,000 acres (4.0 km2) in Hampshire, England.
An ornamental farm, ornamental lake, follies, maze, walled garden and glasshouses can be found within it. Entry to the parkland itself is free, however there is an associated visitors center, with animals and attractions, which is not free.
It is situated between Leigh Park and Rowlands Castle, near Havant.
The first gardens on the site were begun by William Garrett who purchased the land in 1802. In 1817 the park was sold to John Julius Angerstein but in 1819 the sale was reversed after Angerstein brought a case against Garrett over non disclosure of dry rot. Garrett then put the estate back on the market. The park was purchased in 1820 by Regency politician and botanist Sir George Thomas Staunton as part of his country estate 'Leigh Park'. He made significant changes and additions to the gardens with the construction of the lake and a number of follies. On his death in 1859 the estate and gardens were inherited by Staunton's cousin Henry Cormick Lynch. Henry Lynch died just six weeks after receiving his inheritance and it was in turn passed to his eldest son George Staunton Lynch who then changed his name to George Staunton Lynch-Staunton. In 1861 he in turn sold the gardens and the estate to William Henry Stone for £60,000. Stone had a new house built which was finished in 1865 and most of the old house was demolished around the same time. Stone sold the estate and gardens to Frederick Fitzwygram in 1875. When Frederick Fitzwygram died in 1904 the park and estate passed to his son Frederick Loftus Fitzwygram. He died in 1920 with the park this time passing to his sister Angela Fitzwygram. The estate and gardens were purchased by the city of Portsmouth in June 1944 and the gardens were transferred to the parks committee in 1950. They were established as a Country park in 1987.
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