Woodside House, originally known as The Villette, was built in 1796 by Percival Lewis, who was a local magistrate and a captain in the North Hants regiment. In 1830 the house was bought by William Rooke who died the following year. His widow enlarged the estate, buying Woodside Farm, which was inherited by his son, also William. When this William died in 1883 his son Henry Rooke inherited the house but left it to the Lymington Corporation when he died without heirs in 1925.
Years of neglect followed and the dilapidated house was demolished in about 1965 although the gardens are maintained as a public park.
