Sandhill Park

Sandhill Park in the parish of Bishops Lydeard, Somerset, England is a derelict country house built in about 1720. It was used in the 20th century as a prisoner of war camp, a home for handicapped children and later as a military and civilian hospital.HistoryThe estate was originally known as "Hill". In St Mary's Church, Bishops Lydeard, is a monument inscribed as follows: "In a vault near this place lyeth the body of Elizabeth Periam, relict of John Periam of Hill, Esq, and dau(ghter) of John Southey of Fitzhead, Esq....she....died lamented May 14, 1767, aged 68... Sarah, dau of John Periam of Milverton and heir to her brother John Periam of Hill, married 1719 died 21 June 1771 aet 74 wife of Thomas Lethbridge". John I Periam (1657-1711) of Milverton was the father of Sarah Periam, the wife firstly of Thomas Lethbridge (d.1734), a lawyer of Clement's Inn and secondly of George Bere of Taunton, a Doctor of Physick. In St Michael's Church, Milverton, is a ledger stone inscribed as follows: "Here lyeth the body of John Periam, Gent., who dyed Sept. 19 1711 aged 54".The mansion was built in 1720 by John II Periam, the Member of Parliament for Minehead, and named "Hill House". It was afterwards lived in by the Lethbridge family from 1767 to 1913.During World War I it was used as a prisoner of war camp for German and Austrian Officers. In 1919 it was converted by Somerset County Council into a home for handicapped children.