Claremont Cottage
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| Claremont Cottage | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Heritage boundaries | |
| Location | Claremont Crescent, Windsor, City of Hawkesbury, New South Wales, Australia |
| Coordinates | 33°36′31″S 150°48′32″E / 33.6086°S 150.8090°E |
| Built | 1807–1822 |
| Owner | Cassmar Hotels Pty Ltd |
| Official name | Claremont Cottage |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 2 April 1999 |
| Reference no. | 738 |
| Type | Cottage |
| Category | Residential buildings (private) |
  Location of Claremont Cottage in New South Wales  Claremont Cottage (Australia) | |
Claremont Cottage is a heritage-listed residence at Claremont Crescent, Windsor, New South Wales, an outer suburb of Sydney, Australia. It was built from 1807 to 1822. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.[1]
In 1796, John Pugh and Charles Thomas were granted adjoining farms, though the official deed was not issued until 1802, and commenced to clear their land. Pugh's grant of 25 acres became known as "Pugh's Farm", while Thomas' grant of 20 acres became "Thomas Farm". In 1804, Pugh received a grant of 190 acres at what was known as "Mulgrave Farm". By 1806, Pugh was a substantial landholder, with 22 acres in grain, 193 acres of pasture and for horses and 11 pigs. However, in 1811, he sold his farm to John Jones and went to live in Windsor, selling a remaining landholding to Henry Kable in 1812.[1]
In 1822, John Jones conveyed a significant landholding to William Cox, including Pugh's Farm, 10 acres of Thomas' Farm, and 24.5 acres of other land. Cox was succeeded as owner Alfred Cox. Though William Cox is listed as an owner of Claremont Cottage, he had actually settled at Clarendon - a few miles west of Windsor - and is not believed to have lived at Claremont.[1]
The nucleus of the present Claremont Cottage stood on the land by the time William Cox became owner in 1822. The main body of the brick cottage was completed at the same time as the nearby St Matthew's Anglican Church (1820), but the kitchen has been ascribed to the first owner of the property, John Pugh. It is doubtful that the outbuildings which form part of the rear of Claremont were built by Pugh in 1796. However it seems that they were extant by 1822. It also appears from various evidence that a building occupied by Pugh stood on that site in 1807. It is possible that the building he occupied in 1807 was a brick cottage that now forms part of the rear section of Claremont.[2][1]
From 1828 the cottage was occupied by Francis Beddeck, solicitor, who was married to Elizabeth Blachford, sister to Mrs William Cox.[3] Upon Blachford's marriage to Beddeck, Governor Darling gave her two square miles of land as a marriage portion.[4][1]
It was later owned by James Chaseling from 1870 to 1906 and prominent dairy farming figure Sir Philip Belmont Charley from 1936 to 1976.[5][6] Charley lived there with his wife Norma Charley (nee Nivison).[7]
Description
The original Claremont Cottage was a Colonial Georgian cottage built of stuccoed brick with wide verandahs all contained under a low pitched hipped roof. It had double French doors opening onto the verandah, other windows being twelve pane type with louvered shutters and flat stone lintels. It retained some original joinery. The front rooms were connected to the older rear kitchen section by a covered breezeway, typical of an early homestead.[8][1]
It was substantially destroyed by fire c. 1970s-80s, resulting in the property becoming temporarily abandoned. The oldest building remains and some small remnant parts of the 1820s section, together with other old sections (not dated). The major part of 1820s section had to be rebuilt.[1]
A mature Moreton Bay fig tree (Ficus macrophylla) was removed in 2010.[1]
The garden is much changed. There is a good view west from the house across a dam to adjoining ploughed paddocks. Behind the oldest building is a circular garden bed which contains a large grave headstone (loose). There is a driveway lined with Nile lilies (Agapanthus orientalis) from the gates down to the back of the building complex. An earlier drive came through on an upper level on the eastern side of the buildings ending in a carriage building (no longer existing).[1]
In the early 2000s the property was sold and the current owners have rebuilt.[1]
