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Manor Park is a luxury private development of some 41 executive family homes;
which is situated on the site of Leigham Manor and its Estate;
Leigham Manor falling into ruin in the late 20th century.
The Estate stretched from the Laira and the edge of the Saltram Estate, along the west bank of the tidal stretch of the River Plym up past what is now the Riverside campsite, along the non-tidal stretch of the river as far as Plym Bridge. The Estate covered the whole area of what is now Mainstone and the housing Estate of Leigham over to Forder Valley and beyond..
The southern border of the Estate was roughly along what is now the Parkway and took in the whole of the area now covered in various out of town superstores and small factory units on the site of what used to be the Tecalemit group of factories.
Leigham is now a district of Plymouth, and in the Parish of Estover,
which itself was carved out of the Leigham Estate in the 1960's and 70's,
but Leigham once fell within the Parish of Plympton St. Mary.
LEIGHAM -- Legham 1242; Leyham 1318; Lygham 1365.
This name comprises two elements, "leah" and "ham".
The first probably meant 'an open place in a wood where the grass could grow', says Ekwall,
but it could also refer to 'meadow' or 'pasture-land'. The second element is the Old English for 'village, estate, manor or homestead' but is commonly thought to refer to the first named.
If Ekwall's assertion that "ham" is older than "tun" as a place-name is correct then maybe Leigham is older than Sutton and could refer to the place that Sutton was south of,
given that Weston is to its west as well.
"Leigham Manor was owned by the Bunker family, as were several other properties by the
River Plym at Marsh Mills, now part of Plymouth. Leigham was set in 30 acres with prime
pasture and fishing rights. It also had two adjoining small cottages that were used for a gardener and a caretaker, and a lodge at the entrance to the drive from Forder Valley Road. The drive was once lined with beautiful rhododendrons and azaleas and there was also a tennis court.
The Bunker families were all members of the Plymouth church. The Admiralty rented Leigham Manor as a hospital during the war years, and it was run by naval nursing staff. Leigham Manor lodge was let to an Adventist family called Whiting during this period. After the war Leigham Manor was sold to an engineering firm, Tecalemit, who had built a factory in the valley.
They converted Leigham Manor into flats for their executives. We understand it was later sold
to a developer when Tecalemit moved to Estover, another part of Plymouth. The other
properties were compulsorily purchased by the Plymouth City Council of the time after the war, with the intention of big industrial development and riverside walks etc in the area.
Site Map
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