Pax Wood

The Pax Wood campsite in Rowhill Road, Wilmington was part of the Rowhill Grange estate owned by my grandfather, G.Leslie Wates. The site was originally the house known as Woodlands, a large Victorian house built probably at the end of the 19th century. It was acquired by my grandfather in 1936 shortly after the house had been demolished, but with the stable block and dairy left standing. More detailed information is in my history of Rowhill Grange on pages 23,45 and 46 and map on page 126.

The family's involvement with and support of Boy Scouts and Girl Guides is recorded on pages 59 and 131. This lead to the stable block at Woodlands being renovated for the use of Guides and Brownies and being opened by Lady Baden-Powell in 1957, becoming known as Pax Wood. The story leading up to this is recounted on pages 129ff and in The Story of Pax Wood by Helen Grant. Here also is the press release on the opening. The last page of the press release is the story of Pax Wood as told by Lady Baden-Powell to the assembled Brownies

My grandfather having died not long after the opening of Pax Wood, the family agreed in 1963 to give the Guides a 60 year lease to give them the necessary security to enable them to incur the expense of erecting the first Pax Hall. In 1981, in contemplation of having to spend further money the Guides asked whether the family would sell them the freehold of the site for £5000. This was agreed but on the basis of the grant of a 999 year lease at the price of £4999 with the option to buy the freehold for £1 at the end of the original 60 year period, the family having the right to buy the site back during this period for the original price if the Girl Guides wished to sell. This was completed in 1984 the freehold being vested at that time in the names of myself and Helen Grant's son, Alec Grant, in trust for all the grandchildren. The story is continued in an updated version of The Story of Pax Wood issued in 2007 which includes the rebuilding of the original coach house and the erection of the new Pax Hall on the site where the original Woodlands house had stood.

The opportunity to purchase the freehold for £1 arose after 25th December 2022 and the transfer was completed on 29th November 2023 but without the payment of the £1. The Pax Wood committee under the chairmanship of Lynda Metcalfe organised a dinner to celebrate this event attended by members of the Wates family to whom a framed memento was presented including photos and a coin for the £1!

Brian Wates Sept 2024

Return to Wates family page.