Dunsdale a view of the mansion from the front
Dunsdale
Dunsdale was often considered the ‘dower-house’ of Valence and had a chequered history of ownership and tenancy. Earliest references to an original mansion at Dunsdale appear in 1823 with the owner recorded as one John Humphrey, who had purchased Dunsdale along with 142 acres of farmland when the Hill Park estate was split up in 1820. In 1854 the estate was purchased by Joseph Kitchin, a wealthy industrialist, who employed the architect Professor Robert Kerr to remodel and significantly over-build the original house utilising a Victorian Gothic facade and a grand entrance hall.
Its skyline was dominated by a tower and spire along with several ornamented chimney pieces. The potential of the position of the house was utilised by the landscape gardener Edward Milner between 1858 and 1861. Around 1881 the estate was sold by trustees of Joseph Kitchin, whose affairs had gone into liquidation for reasons unknown. The estate was purchased by Norman Watney around 1890 and was tenanted to Bank Director Francis John Johnstone to the time of Francis’ death in 1911, aged 80 years.
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