Ruxley Towers

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Historical Notes

Ruxley Towers, or Ruxley Lodge as it was originally called, was named after nearby Rucksley Farm. The name Ruxley, previously Rucksley and before that Rucksly (1765), was probably derived from Rockesley Common, a waste land in the Manor of Ewell owned by George Evelyn at the tail-end of the sixteenth century. He, it will be recalled, also owned the Manors of Thames Ditton, Tolworth and Claygate around that time.

The land at Ruxley Towers was bought by the 5th Lord Foley in 1870, comprising over six hundred acres in Claygate and Chessington. He lived in Claygate until his death in 1905 and built the west wing and the tower with its gargoyles. His brother succeeded him, and after his death, all his Claygate and other local landholdings were auctioned in 1919. The house and grounds were bought in 1939 by the Navy, Army and Airforce Institutes (NAAFI) who moved their headquarters there, remaining until 1962 when Ruxley Towers was sold to the General and Municipal Workers' Union. After the GMWU moved out in the late 1980s, the building reverted to private ownership. The NAAFI remained in Claygate, with its training centre at Wingham in Oaken Lane from 1946-95, after which Wingham became a nursing home.

Rucksley Farm

Claygate had several farms in centuries past. There was Beazley Farm by Littleworth Common which ceased milk production in the 1950s in favour of horses; Slough Farm had a dairy herd of Red Poll Cattle and later pigs but later had horses; Manor Farm had a dairy herd of prize-winning jersey cows but later had horses; Elm Farm had dairy cows and chickens and sold delicious cream, but later had a plant nursery business and horse-feed shop; Barwell Court had a big herd of Friesian milking cows and grew cereals, but later kept horses; Horringdon Farm had one of the last big dairy herds of Red Poll cattle and grew cereals and potatoes, but but later horses and grazes young cattle for Loseberry Farm; Loseberry Farm no longer keeps a dairy herd; it later kept a house cow and young stock for the dairy herd at Stoke D'Abernon.

Rucksley Farm was established many years before nearby Ruxley Lodge was built. The farm is mentioned in the will of Sir Edward Evelyn, dated 12th October 1691, when it was occupied by Dame Elizabeth Blake, and it could pre-date the 16th century. There is, for example, the following reference to Ruxley in the Kingston archives for 1557:

'All that parcel of waste ground being part of the Honour of Kingston abutting on the north side the grounds of Sir Thomas Evelyn called Ruxley, on the south side the common called Milbourne Common, and on the east side Claygate Common.'

Ruxley Lodge in 1912. The original Lodge is from the centre to the right; the towers and conservatories to the left were added by Lord Foley in the early 1870s.

From the time Ruxley Lodge was built, the farm was owned by whoever owned the Lodge — the names of tenant farmers are not recorded. According to the rate book of Thames Ditton parish of March 1838, the farm, then owned by Sir John Jacob Buxton, was valued at £40 per annum. The farm was a going concern at least until the First World War, even though it had long since been absorbed into the Ruxley Estate and renamed Ruxley Farm.

Deeds of the estate from the latter part of the last century state that the farmlands totalled about 106 acres and extended over part of Claygate Common to the south, and embraced part of Sunt Wood to the north. Some of the fields had charming names such as 'Polloats', 'Kites' and 'Wood Field', while others had more mundane self-descriptions such as 'Seven Acres', 'Paddock' and 'Fourteen Acres'. Almost all of this farmland is now built over.

Ruxley Lodge

Today Ruxley Towers and its grounds bear little resemblance to the original Ruxley Lodge, which has been extended and altered substantially several times. Moreover, all the extensive manicured hedges have gone, only a vestige of the magnificent avenue of rhododendrons remains, and the original brickwork has been stuccoed. In earlier times the Lodge was a relatively modest, yellow-brick, two-storey building: a sale catalogue of 1869 described Ruxley Lodge as:

'A delightful family mansion moderate in size, but replete with comfort and convenience.'

Modest and moderate are relative words, and no doubt these earlier writers were comparing the Lodge with other much grander nearby residences such as Claremont and Esher Place. But one unknown writer of the 19th century was, however, complimentary as to the Lodge grounds which he described as follows:

'From the rising ground leading to the house, which occupies an elevated spot, various rich and beautiful prospects are obtained, with the umbrageous scenery of Claremont, Hampton Court, and Windsor Castle at different points in the distance. On the lawn are some fine cedars, with a cypress and other trees, giving much interest to the home views, which include some flourishing plantations'.

Lady Evelyne Foley was disenchanted with this 'modest' Lodge when her husband purchased it in 1870 and complained it was like a rabbit hutch. She persuaded her husband to extend it and this led to the addition of the west wing with its towers and a huge conservatory, part of which now houses an indoor swimming pool. These additions virtually doubled the size of Ruxley Lodge, even if some commentators suggested it had been transformed into the ugliest building in the south of England. Ugly it might be, but it nevertheless became a venue for many important house parties, including a visit from Queen Victoria on one occasion.

The Foley Family

Of all the families that have resided in Claygate over the years, it is probably the Foley family that has left the most enduring impression. Although they never owned the Manor of Claygate as such, as major landowners and benefactors they were regarded by most of the local residents as fulfilling the role of village squire. The Foley family were of Worcestershire origin, but for nearly 50 years at least two heads of this family made Ruxley Lodge their principal residence.

The Foley's lineage stems from Richard Foley of Dudley, Worcestershire, circa 1600. He had three sons and one daughter. The eldest son, also named Richard, who lived at Stourbridge, Worcestershire, amassed a considerable fortune as an ironmaster in the first half of the 17th century, and was particularly noted for reviving the English nail-making industry. After his death in 1657 his fortune passed to his second son, Thomas Foley, as his eldest son had died without surviving male issue. Thomas of Widey Court, Worcestershire, married Anne, daughter and heir of John Browne of Spelmonden, Kent, who owned many landed properties in several counties which were added to Thomas's paternal inheritance; whether these included any properties in Claygate is not recorded.

Their grandson, also named Thomas, was created 1st Baron Foley of Kidderminster in January 1712, having been Member of Parliament for Stafford from 1695 to 1712. When he died in January 1733 his son, Thomas, became the 2nd Baron Foley. He died unmarried in January 1766, and the Barony became extinct, but his estates devolved upon his cousin, also named Thomas, who was created 1st Baron Foley of Kidderminster on 20 May 1776.

Thomas was succeeded as the 2nd Baron Foley by his eldest son, yet another Thomas, who was MP for Hertfordshire from 1767 to 1774 and for Droitwich from 1774 to 1777. The 3rd Baron Foley was his eldest son Thomas born in 1780, a Privy Counsellor and Lord Lieutenant of Worcestershire. His eldest son, Thomas Henry (1808-1869), became the 4th Baron, a Privy Counsellor and Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms, and married the eldest daughter of the 13th Duke of Norfolk.

Their eldest son, Henry Thomas (1850-1905) became the 5th Baron Foley on the death of his father in Paris in November 1869. He married Evelyne Radford of Smalley, Derby, who died in 1968 aged 92. They had no children, and on the death of Henry on 17 December 1905, the title passed to his brother, Fitzalan Charles John (1852- 1918), the 6th Baron Foley, Deputy Lieutenant of Surrey and a Captain in the 3rd battalion of the Sherwood Foresters. Fitzalan died unmarried and without issue on 14 February 1918, and was succeeded by his cousin, Gerald Henry (1898-1927) who married Minoru Greenstone of Johannesburg, South Africa. The 8th Baron Foley of Kidderminster is their son, Adrian Gerald, a composer and pianist who married Patricia Zoellner of Pasadena, California.

The Foleys in Claygate

The first Foley to come and live in Claygate was Henry Thomas, the 5th Baron. In 1869, Ruxley Lodge, including the farmhouse, cottages and over a 100 acres of land, was put up for sale by Marie Elizabeth Beckford, widow of William Beckford. The estate was purchased in 1870 for £22,500 by the trustees of the Foley family on behalf of the 5th Baron. Presumably they moved in shortly thereafter, and then probably moved out again temporarily while the Lodge was extended. We also know that when Henry Thomas died in 1905, his brother Fitzalan Charles John, became the 6th Baron; he had lived in Claygate for the greater part of his life and was much involved in the sale and development of local property in the latter part of the 19th century. Whether Gerald Henry, the 7th Baron, actually lived in Claygate, as opposed to visiting it, is not clear. In any event, in the year after his cousin died, he occasioned Claygate's longest and most memorable sale when the contents of Ruxley Lodge were auctioned on his behalf by Castiglione & Scott of Hanover Square over a six-day period commencing 14 October 1919.

One can only guess at what attracted the Foleys to Claygate in the first place; quite possibly it was the availability of a substantial estate close to Claremont, which with its royal associations must have been quite an attraction for such a prestigious family.

In 1920 Ruxley Lodge estate was leased to Henry Andrews before it was sold in the late 1920s to Robert Campbell Robb of Maidenhead and his two associates, a builder and a solicitor, both of Teddington.

The Claygate 'Golden Book' would have it that Ruxley Lodge was built by Lord Foley, but this is not so; in fact the original Lodge dates from the 18th century, possibly even earlier. It had several owners before the Foleys including a Mr Phillips (circa 1800), Baronet Sir Robert John Buxton (circa 1830), his son Sir John Jacob Buxton (circa 1840), John Philip Fletcher (circa 1850) and William Beckford. there were other owners before 1800 and possibly during the period 1800 to 1870 as well. Some accounts suggest that Lady King and Lord Lovelace also lived there for a time, but if they did it was probably as tenants and not as owners.

What Henry Thomas Foley did, and this is how the Golden Book account may have gone astray, was to extend Ruxley Lodge, and to add towers with turrets and gargoyles. These additions eventually led to the Lodge being renamed Ruxley Towers.

The Foley Charity

In 1887 or thereabouts, Henry Thomas Foley set aside a small piece of his estate alongside Common Road, more or less opposite where Emmanuel Hall was built, as a site for a village institute. On this site he arranged for a building to be erected for the purpose of providing the men of Claygate with a workshop where instruction in carpentry could be given under the guidance of his own craftsmen.

As this was not well patronised, Lord Foley agreed to the building being adapted for use as a Working Men's Club and Institute. This was more successful and the institute continued, except for a period during the First World War when it was used as a recreation centre for the armed forces, until about 1920. By then membership was so low that the age limit was reduced from 18 to 14; later it became a club for boys only.

In 1929, when the Foley family had disposed of the greater part of their holdings in Claygate, they transferred the property in Common Road to a group of five local trustees for the benefit of the parish of Claygate to be used as a meeting place for various clubs and societies that were of a non-political nature. This was a generous gesture as the Foleys received no payment for this transfer of ownership, and for some years had been maintaining the building out of their own pockets and charging only a nominal rent.

In October 1937, some of the trustees agreed to the sale of the building and land to Esher UDC for £456. The proceeds known as the Foley Trust were invested in War Loans, and interest accruing from this investment was distributed to various youth organisations. In more recent times this building in Common Road became dilapidated. Several attempts to use it as a youth club failed in the face of opposition from nearby residents.

The Foleys also put into trust the cottage on Claygate Common known as Keeper's Cottage.

Ruxley in the Second World War

In the Second World War, 17 high-explosive bombs fell on the combined lands of Horringdon and Stokes Heath Farms. It would seem from some of the broadcasts made by Lord Haw-Haw that the Germans regarded the NAAFI headquarters at Ruxley Towers as one of many targets deserving of particular attention. These farmlands also received the unwelcome visits of both a V-1 flying bomb, and a time bomb. The latter was defused safely by Major AB Hartley MBE RE, whose exploits in this hazardous occupation were dramatised in the TV series Danger UXB.

The NAAFI at Ruxley Towers

Very little is recorded about Ruxley Lodge after the departure of the Foleys until the arrival of Naafi. The Lodge itself was owned by Robert Robb who converted it into several self-contained apartments. Meantime, the northern part of the estate was sold off as buildings plots for private housing, while Hillview Road, Mount View Road and Ruxley Crescent were created at that time.

In March 1920 Sir Winston Churchill, then Secretary of State for war, set up a committee to help with thoughts of a type of service to provide the needs for services of the future. The outcome was positive, a need for a three services based institute and was required to provide Food, Sustenance and Supplies to service men on home bases and mobile units on war fronts. On the 5th December 1920, it was passed that a Navy, Army and Air Force Institute would Start on the 1st January 1921 the Navy and Army Canteen Board (NACB) formed the nucleus of the NAAFI.

The name NAAFI was registered under the Companies Act as "not for profit" in effect it is conducted on the principles of a co-operative society for the benefit of members of the Navy, Army and Air Force, and trading profits which accrue were to be distributed only for the benefit its customers, i.e. the Armed Forces, and the headquarters during WW2 were based at Ruxley Towers, Claygate, Esher, Surrey, UK.

Currently The original building has been converted into new housing.

Originally called Ruxley Lodge the name is presumed to derive from the local common land, Rockesley Common, from the 15th century. Built in the 1830's, it is one of the oldest buildings in this sought after area of Claygate. However, over the years it has undergone extensive alterations and extensions.

The biggest change occurred in 1872 after Lord Henry Thomas Foley, the 5th Baron, bought the property, when it was described in the sales catalogue as:

"...A delightful family mansion moderate in size, but replete with comfort and convenience..."

It was because of this "moderate" size that Lord Foley added the west wing, towers, and a conservatory making it almost twice as large. The castellated building with its octagonal tower, turrets and gargoyles led to the Foleys renaming the Lodge, Ruxley Towers. It became well known for its important house parties and visit from Queen Victoria when she stayed at Claremont.

The next major alteration did not occur till 1902, when owned by R. C. Robb, who converted it into several self-contained apartments. Apart from this, little was recorded about the property once the Foleys left until it was occupied by the NAAFI as a safe place for their headquarters during the 2nd World War. In the post-War years it remained as offices until vacated several years ago.

Shortly before World War II, the Navy, Army & Air Force Institutes, or 'Naafi' as it is known affectionately, was advised by the Government to seek a safer location than Kennington, London, where Naafi was headquartered at the time. Its searches for suitable accommodation finally resulted in Naafi purchasing Ruxley Towers from Robert Robb. On the outbreak of war, Naafi moved its headquarters' staff to this new location.

Within a short time all 64 rooms of the Towers were occupied, together with over thirty Nissen huts which were erected in the grounds, by some 1,100 clerical and other Naafi staff. (The ubiquitous Nissen hut of World War II was a half-cylinder shaped structure usually made of corrugated metal sheet, and heated by a cylindrical shaped solid fuel stove with a drainpipe type flue through the roof. With or without occasional windows, these huts served variously as barrack rooms, offices, store rooms, ammunition shelters etc.) This new location was not as safe as it seemed as two landmines fell close to Ruxley Towers and shattered many of its windows during the first blitz.

As one might expect, the impact of the arrival of so many outsiders on a relatively small community such as Claygate was not without its problems, but these were quickly minimised and Naafi more or less merged into the local environment. Over 150 of Claygate's womenfolk worked for Naafi during the war, while a goodly proportion of Naafi staff either joined the Royal Observer Corps or the local Home Guard. Many lived in Claygate homes and 18 local houses were acquired as staff accommodation.

Throughout the war Ruxley Towers was the nerve centre of an organisation which built up to a worldwide strength of 120,000 with a turnover of some £200 million a year. Incidentally, for those less familiar with Naafi it is an organisation which devotes its energies to the well-being of sevicemen and servicewomen. Although renowned for its mobile canteens and the provision of 'char and wads' (tea and cakes), it provides far more comforts and facilities than these simple necessities suggest.

Unions at Ruxley Towers

Ruxley Towers then became occupied by a number of privately-owned companies, together with two departments of the General and Municipal Workers' Union, the Union having spent some £50,000 in the 1960s in extending and converting the Towers into offices.

In the 1970s, the Union built a new four-storey office block, called Thorne House, close to the Towers on its eastern flank and this became the national headquarters of the GMWU. Apart from the employment prospects that this complex of offices offered to local residents, there was also the Ruxley Towers Social Club which has as its principal attraction, now that the tennis courts have gone, a small indoor heated swimming pool. Membership of this club was open to the staff and tenants of Ruxley Towers and Thorne House, and on an associate basis to local residents; many of Claygate's children learnt to swim in this pool over the years.

See also

• Ruxley Ridge
• 'The Ruxley Towers Story' by Claude F Luke

Sources

• Claygate Heritage Trail, (leaflet produced by Claygate Parish Council)
• Claygate Life — 2004 issue 4
• Peebles, Malcolm (1983). The Claygate Book. (Millennium edition). Stockbridge: by BAS Printers Ltd. ISBN 0-9508978-0-9.

  

• Many thanks also for the photos, many supplied by Terry Gale, from the Claygate Local History Facebook group.

Further Information

• Ruxley Towers in previous years