1750s
John Newnham builds “The Cross”
Later renamed “Maresfield Park”
1807
Sir John Shelley marries Frances Winckley
1814
Sir John Shelley inherits “The Cross” from his great-uncle John Newnham
Commissions Benjamin Wyatt to extend the house in 1816
1819
Lady Frances Shelley rebuilds Bonner’s School
1852
Sir John Shelley dies aged 81
1867
John Villiers Shelley dies, Maresfield Park passes to his daughter Blanche
1896
Count Alexander von Münster rents Maresfield Park from the Pechells
Count Alexander von Münster and his wife rent Maresfield Park from their great friends Hervey and Blanche Pechell – Hervey Pechell is godfather to their son Frederick Hervey Münster.
November 1897
Count Münster donates Recreation Ground to celebrate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee
Queen Victoria’s daughter, Empress Victoria of Germany, plants an oak tree at the commemorative celebration
April 1898
Death of Blanche Pechell (née Shelley)
The last of the Shelley family, Blanche dies at her home in Bellagio, Lake Como, Italy.
December 1898
Death of Hervey Pechell
Hervey dies aged 57 in Mayfair, having “never recovered from the loss…of his wife Blanche”. He is buried in Maresfield Churchyard. In his will, he leaves Maresfield Park to his great friend Count Alexander von Münster, who has been renting the property
1910-1914
German royalty visit Prince Münster at Maresfield Park
July 1914
Kaiser Wilhelm’s sisters are at Maresfield Park just before WW1 is declared
They hurriedly leave for Germany, together with the Münsters
July 1914
World War 1 starts, British Government confiscates Maresfield Park from Prince Münster and turns it into a military camp
1914-1918
Tens of thousands of troops pass through Maresfield Park camp
1920
Royal Corps of Signals founded in Maresfield Park
A dedicated signals unit was formed from the Royal Engineers, and Maresfield Park became the School of Signals and Signal Training Centre
25 September 1924
One week later, William Abbey sells half the estate, including most of Maresfield, to Thomas Place of Northallerton
Thomas Place buys 1,327 acres of the estate for £37,600 (£2M in 2026). Thomas Place was a timber merchant from Yorkshire who purchased several landed estates in addition to Maresfield Park, and broke them up to sell on.
18 November 1924
Maresfield Park Estate broken up into 90 lots and sold off
Most lots were sold privately before the public auction
1989
Maresfield Bypass opens
Residents celebrate with a street party