Fellows Auctioneers Ltd

The Land and Estate 800 - 1700

Despite being a relatively small parish, Salwarpe has a surprisingly interesting history.

Long before High Park was built, the land, the park, and the estate passed through many hands and many important families. The earliest reference to Salwarpe that we could find dates to 817 when it was given to Denebernt, Bishop of Worcester, by Coenwulf, King of the Mercians.

From there, the land was passed through many hands including D’Abitot, Roger de Montgomery, and William de Beauchamp, before being passed to Henry VII in 1487. In 1501 the land and estate were given to Katherine of Aragon for her marriage to Prince Arthur.

She held it until her death whereupon it was bought by John Talbot in 1546. From then on, Salwarpe, the land and estate became the historic seat of the Talbot family.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ae30_VrYyqE

High Park 1700 - 1940

In 1738 Philip Gresley bought the land from the Talbots. It is believed that he built High Park, as a datestone on the house reads: “Gresley 1793”. Philip Gresley was the first person to live at High Park, and the first person to associate the title Lord of the Manor with the estate. After Gresley passed, he bequeathed the estate to Robert Archibald Douglas who took the name Gresely.

High Park then stayed with the Douglas family until the Hingley family bought it in c1898. Lucy Hingley, who lived at the house, had a profound presence within the community as the founder of the Women's Institutes Salwarpe branch. In 2021, the members of Salwarpes WI's worked together to help clear Lucy's family grave, preserving her memory. In 1921, the Hingley family sold High Park which was bought by the Dyson Perrins family, who lived there until the start of WWII.

High Park: A Country House Auction

In 1977 High Park was sold at auction and was purchased by the late owner, who left behind a substantial collection of items. As a lover of antiques, the owner left a carefully curated and fascinating body of objects and art. These objects now form the majority of our upcoming Country House auction.