The history of our coach house
The beginnings
Squirrels Leap originally housed the coach and horses and the coachman for a large residence called The Pines, which was built in 1872. You can see the Coach house to the right of the main house in the photograph.
For years the house was in an isolated area of Fleet, with just some railway cottages for neighbours nearby. During the first half of the 20th century, the developers moved into Fleet and slowly The Pines became more integrated.
Squirrels Leap is born
In 1925 the Pines and its outbuilding were split and sold. The Sale Particulars to the right show that Squirrels Leap comprised at this time a 3-bedroom cottage (suitable for a “married man”) plus a double garage and 2-stall stable.
The nursing home
In 1933, the then Queen Mary gave the money to buy The Pines and it was converted into a home for retired Army nursing sisters and renamed Queen Mary House. In a letter from a nephew of a resident, he recalls, as a youth visiting his Aunt, .... "that the Queen sent Christmas presents to every one each year and visited as often as she could .....I used to get bored though with the routine of visiting, leaving cards, cocktail parties, entertaining visitors.... but this was part of the life and regular routine of the house."
Just us left
In 1959 developers bought The Pines, it was knocked down and new houses were built in the grounds. So only Squirrels Leap remains to be seen, along with some original beech hedging and the name of the new road that was built in place of the main house – called Queen Mary Close. The photo below shows Squirrels Leap running behind the houses of Queen Mary Close.
The Coach house today
The Coach house survived the developers. The photograph shows that part of Squirrels Leap which formed the original house. The coach was stored to the right where the large windows are and the original archway across these windows can still be seen. To the left of the front door were the stables and although this is now the main lounge, the original stable doors have been retained, complete with horse kicks! The coachman's kitchen was at the far right with his bedroom over, and the remainder of the upper floor was the hayloft, part of which is now one of the guest suites.
The whole house has now been sympathetically modernised and extended, with three double B&B rooms upstairs in the Coach House, and two Self-Catering Apartments on the ground floor beneath the old gas lamp. In the grounds, the original pump has been retained, but the well filled in, and at the bottom of the long garden stands an old potting shed, which surely could tell many tales !
Latest News
Squirrels Leap has on first application been awarded a 4**** accreditation with a Breakfast Award and “Families Welcome” award! Squirrels Leap is now officially the highest rated accommodation in Fleet.
March 2008: Hart District wins “Best place to live in the UK”! Fleet is Hart’s main town. Click here to read the Daily Telegraph article.
Our three beautifully furnished and very comfortable en-suite rooms each enjoy the character of the old coach house, but have all the mod-cons.
We have two serviced apartments attached to the Coach House. Both are more recent additions to the property, but still within the pleasant gardens and by the large carpark.
Squirrels Leap originally housed the coach and horses and the coachman for a large residence called The Pines, which was built in 1872.
