Rockleigh Cottage is first shown in the plans of The Grove, a house which had been built by a Mr Coventry in 1839 and which Thomas Docwra bought in 1866. The cottage was probably the gardener’s cottage for The Grove and was only named Rockleigh Cottage on its separation from the house and garden in 1938.
On 2 April 1872, John, 3rd Earl of Eldon sold a strip of his land (highlighted in red below) up to Peveril Point Road to Thomas Docwra to add on to The Grove which included the garden of Rockleigh Cottage. The strip of land was from an area of land called “Sentry Field” . When the land was sold it was covenanted so that the buyer would have to build a wall to prevent the slippage of earth from Sentry Field. This is the reason Rockleigh Cottage still has a rather grand wall for the size of the house.
Rockleigh Cottage can be seen on the map below to the eastern side of the Grove Estate. The strip of land highlighted in red includes the garden of Rockleigh Cottage.
Thomas Docwra died 1892 and the Grove estate was sold to Edwin Williams.
On 8 May 1901 Edwin Williams sold part of the Grove Estate comprising the east side together with the messuage (a dwelling house with outbuildings and land assigned to its use), stables ,cottage, “ornamental tower and outbuildings erected thereon and known as Peveril Tower” to John Denham Smith.
In 1911 the census recorded that George Masters (32) (Gardener) and his wife Anna Louisa Masters (35) lived at Rockleigh Cottage. The number of rooms in the cottage was four.
On 8 April 1920, the Executors of John Denham Smith sold the house, now known as Rockleigh House, to Sir Arthur Robert Adams KBE of Penang for £4,400.
Sir Arthur Robert Adams KBE died on 3 April 1937 and the executors of the estate sold Rockleigh House but Rockleigh Cottage was sold separately.
In August 1937 a kitchen appears to have been built on to the left of the building.
On 20 February 1938 Rockleigh House and its surrounding land (excluding Rockleigh Cottage) was sold to Exton Hotel Limited.
Rockleigh Cottage and garden was sold to Mr and Mrs L J Tatchell on 14 March 1938 for £1,200.
Leonard J Tatchell died on 2 February 1963 and Rockleigh Cottage passed to his daughter Miss Sophie Tatchell.
Miss Sophie Tatchell died on 29 December 2014 and her executors sold Rockleigh to the present owners in March 2015. The cottage has been extensively renovated and was finished in December 2018.
Rockleigh Cottage 