Exhibition: The History of Walton Hall

Walton Manor and Farm during the Twentieth Century

As mentioned at the start of this theme, Walton Manor had been sold in 1903 by Mary Seagrave after she inherited the Walton estate from Fanny Maria Pinfold. Dr Vaughan Harley evidently re-purchased Walton Manor after he bought the Walton Hall estate. Following his death in 1923, Walton Manor Farm with the Manor House and Bailiff’s Cottage were sold privately to Hugh Bulkeley Price Brock (1871-1928), who was Justice of the Peace for Buckinghamshire. Brock developed a stud farm for thoroughbred horses on the site and was still resident at the property in 1927. He died the following year. The first image on this page shows Walton Manor photographed in 1927 for 'The Victoria History of the Counties of England'.

 

Walton Manor’s new owners were Captain James Brinsley Fitzgerald (1894-1962) and Lady Moyra Marjorie Fitzgerald (née Dawson-Damer) (1897-1962). Moyra was related by marriage to the Bowes-Lyons family. Her sister Christian Nora married Fergus Bowes-Lyon, brother of Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon who later became Queen Elizabeth, wife of George VI. James Fitzgerald served in the Royal Dragoons and on leaving the army he took up farming. The couple had a son, Michael George Maurice Fitzgerald, who was born in Kensington, London in 1925. He was educated at Stowe School near Buckingham before attending Trinity College, Cambridge. 

 

The Fitzgeralds ran Manor Farm as a successful stud, breeding and training racehorses which were often ridden by the captain himself in races. Moyra was also involved in horse racing and was the owner of several horses. In the 1939 register James' occupation is given as 'arable and growing farmer, breeder of thoroughbred racehorses' and Moyra's as 'unpaid domestic duties, private means'. James was also volunteering as an Inspector, and Moyra as an Auxiliary Driver, for Buckinghamshire Special Constabulary. James became Chairman of Fenny Stratford Magistrates and Justice of the Peace from 1943. 

 

According to an article in OU staff magazine 'Open House' in 1970, the Fitzgeralds didn't get on with their neighbours the Earles who lived at Walton Hall: "The Earles owned the thatched cottage opposite the Stud farm, and the enmity between the two houses was carried to the extent of the Fitzgeralds planting the larch spinney in front of the thatched cottage, to prevent the Earles either seeing or being seen". The couple also built a high wall around the Stud Farm. The Fitzgeralds lived at Walton Manor until their deaths in 1962 when they were tragically killed in a car accident. Their Jaguar saloon was in collision with a lorry near Bicester on 17 April 1962 and they died instantly according to reports at the time.

 

Walton Manor’s next occupant was Bernard Myers, described as a London financier and property magnate in newspapers at the time. He and his wife Sylvia owned the Walton Manor estate from 1963 until 1970. They modernised the Manor House, restored the Elizabethan barn, and spent £500,000 redeveloping the stud farm with a head groom’s house, extensive stabling, and an exercise yard. They also ran a dairy farm on the site. The redeveloped stud farm was opened in July 1964. Less than a year later a fire broke out in the servants’ quarters of the Manor House. Mr and Mrs Myers were not at home, but staff on site were evacuated including a cook who was rescued from a bedroom window by other members of staff. Fortunately no one was injured, and 30 horses stabled only a few yards from where the fire broke out were unharmed.

 

The second image on this page is a tile mosaic of four horses on a wall beside the swimming pool at Walton Manor. It was installed by an Italian craftsman for Bernard ad Sylvia Myers in about 1964. The photograph was taken c.1970 when The Open University owned the property. 

 

Bernard Myers’ ownership of Walton Manor was relatively short. In 1970, under a compulsory purchase order, the Walton Manor estate of 300+ acres was acquired by Milton Keynes Development Council (MKDC) as part of their development proposals for the new city of Milton Keynes. The sale led to a dispute over the value of the property at the time which Myers lost.

 

MKDC did not initially develop the land belonging to Walton Manor. The buildings were sold to The Open University, who set up a printing shop there from 1970 to 1971. Some OU staff including those who were to become the Institute of Educational Technology (IET) were also housed there for a while. In 1972 the Manor House and surrounding land was sold to pharmaceutical company Hoechst UK. It is now occupied by Intervet UK Ltd which develops medical products for pets. A modern sign, photographed outside the gates of the private grounds, depicts an image of Walton Manor, and may be viewed on this page.

 

The area of Walton Park which was developed on land once belonging to Walton Manor - and before that Walton Hall - contains many roads named after former owners of the Hall and Manor House including Harley Drive, Seagrave Court, Beales Lane, Bartholomew Close, Katherine Close, Rixband (Rixbaud) Close, Limbaud Close and Brailsford Way. There are also Wingate Circle, Pearse Grove and Pyxe Court named after former rectors of Walton. In the area of Walnut Tree there is a road named Pinfold, in which stands ‘Jubilee Cottage’ where Fanny Maria Pinfold’s initials ‘FMP’ are carved on the front of the building erected in 1897.