1945-1961, Post War Hursley
The end of an era
Although the end of the Second World War brought peace the aftermath of the conflict and the threat of new 'Cold War' conflicts meant Hursley was unable to escape the shadow of war. The Spitfire may have been nearing the end of it's RAF service but the designers at Supermarine were already developing new jet powered fighter aircraft for both the RAF and Navy. Meanwhile the army camp in the estate was to take on several new guises as POW Camp, Bomb Disposal Headquarters, Polish refugee camp even the repository for the Polish Military archives.
The continued use of the estate by Supermarine and the army meant that when Lady Cooper died in 1948 there was never any true chance of the family returning to live in Hursley House. Captain, Sir George Cooper now lived in Merdon Manor and although he still played a central role in village life when in 1961, he too died so too did the direct male line and with him the 'Cooper Era' in Hursley Park, as IBM took the opportunity to purchase the House and part of the estate.
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