Webbington House, Loxton

Webbington House, Loxton

When driving north along the M5 between Junction 22  and Junction 21 you cannot fail to see the Webbington Hotel on the Loxton side of Crook Peak. The original House, built early in the 20th century,  is now almost obscured behind the  modern additions that have taken place since the house became a hotel.

The original house was built by Herman Tiarks and designed by his architect to take advantage of the wonderful views across the valley (long before it was filled with the M5 ) towards Loxton.

The Tiarks family had connections with the area as far back as 1873 when the Rev John Gerhard Tiarks  became Rector of Loxton. The family had German origins, the Rev. Johann Tiarks educated at Heidelberg University became chaplain to HRH the Duchess of Kent, mother of Queen Victoria  and Pastor to the Lutheran Church in London.

In 1825 he had married Emily Phipps of London.  One of their sons was Henry Frederick Tiarks (1832 – 1911). He became a partner in the firm of Merchant Bankers J. Henry Shroder & Co. He married Agnes Morris and they had three sons and six daughters.

Their sons were Henry, who died in India,  Frank Cyril (1874- 1952) who became a Director of the Bank of England and a partner  in Schroders Bank. He owned a house in Loxton and in Somerset he was a director of the Callow Rock Company in Cheddar. His granddaughter Henrietta Tiarks became Lady Tavistock.  The youngest son was Herman Alexander (1875 – 1956).

Herman Tiarks was born in Balham in London and soon after his birth the family moved  into their new home called Foxbury in Chistlehurst, Kent. He was educated at Marlborough  and later went to Oxford University where his pranks often got him into trouble. He decided to take up farming as he knew that would mean plenty of opportunity for hunting.  He had begun riding at the age of six and although a riding accident had left him with a fixed elbow it did nothing to lessen his passion for hunting which he continued until the age of sixty when, as he himself noted,  “increased weight, age and alcohol all help you lose your nerve”.

He and his brother Frank hunted with Weston Harriers and they built new kennels at Webbington and he said “we had amazing sport until the war put the lid on it” (World War 1).

Webbington Farm had been purchased by Herman’s father in the late 1890’s and it was deemed to be the perfect place for him to begin his life as a farmer.  In 1901 he married Jessie Margaret Follett daughter of the vicar of Winscombe and he began plans for their new house employing the architect E.J.May.

They lived in the house from c1908 and Jessie planned and oversaw the planting of the gardens at the new Webbington House. Sadly Jessie developed TB and despite treatment including a stay at a sanatorium in Switzerland.  She died in Switzerland in 1923 and her body was brought back to be buried in Winscombe churchyard.

Herman remained at the house until his death in 1956 retaining his interest in all things concerned with horses and hunting. In his book Hunting  Reminiscences he states “All my life I have preferred dogs, horses and hounds to humans”
 
Webbington House was a convalescent home for wounded soldiers during WW1 and a home for dozens of evacuees during WW2.

Picture is of Herman Tiark outside Webbington Farm, courtesy of Loxton Somerset website.

Journal Article: 

webbington-house-loxton-71.pdf