Perlethorpe Environmental Education Centre. Perlethorpe School part 5. Video.

 

 Perlethorpe Environmental Education Centre, former Perlethorpe Primary School. Video 2007. For more about the history of this school see links in the sidebar.

Above: Perlethorpe Environmental Education Centre, December 2024.

Thoresby Hayride 2015.

Thoresby Estate's Hayride does not always take exactly the same route every year. This video shows the route taken in June 2015, and names the places of historic interest along the way: Home Farm, Perlethorpe Village Hall, Radleys Lane, The Kennels, Whitemoor Farm, Whitemoor House, Whitewater, Whitewater Lane, Druids Grove, Buck Gates, White Lodge, Henry's Grove, Charles Wood, the original Duke’s carriageway, Chestnut Avenue, Nelson's Grove, Icehouse Wood, Three Gables, The Woodyard, and Perlethorpe Church.

I make no apology for the camera shake. Such is the character of a fun hayride, and I wanted to preserve that. 

 Above: Departure from Home Farm and along Radley's Lane, leaving Perlethorpe Village.

Home Farm, Perlethorpe Village.

 

Above: Home Farm (2007) looks almost identical to the way it did sixty years previous. The post box is a later addition, made necessary when Perlethorpe village post office closed down.

During the 1920s the villagers would take their own milk cans to the farm for their morning and afternoon milk. The dairy maid worked from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. milking the cows and making the cheese and butter. Thoresby Hall was sent daily fresh supplies. In 1936 Frank Cooper was in charge of the farm, and for long after it was sometimes referred to as Cooper's Farm.

During the post war years of the 1950s, when education extended opportunities for employment beyond the estate, young people deciding to stay, might work on the farm, the Woodyard, or for the Forestry Commission. A growing number were tempted by the wages of Thoresby Colliery at Ollerton.

In the early 1960's Maldwyn Fisher was in charge of Home Farm, succeeded in 1963 by John Roberson who died in 1975, after which John Orr took over.

Above: On the outer wall to the right of the Home Farm arch was the communal box from which the villagers in the 1950s / 60s would collect their bundle of newspapers and comics. This was a typical pocket money duty for many Perlethorpe schoolchildren, who would eagerly await that day in the week when the family bundle contained favourites such as "T.V. Comic" with Muffin the Mule, or “Eagle Comic”. The box was still there in 2007, but the railings we had to climb up to reach it were not.

Above and below: The rear of Perlethorpe Home Farm 215 and 2022.

A central Dutch Barn once occupied this area, but burnt down in the early 1960s. There was also a pigsty here, which was removed in 1964.

River Meden, Thoresby Estate.

 

 Above: The River Meden as it passes Thoresby Hall (2018).

 The River Meden, called the River Medin as late as the 16th century, winds a picturesque course from where once stood the stone Mills and cottages of Warsop, through Budby, before being dammed to form Thoresby Lake, and then continuing its journey through Thoresby Estate to Perlethorpe, soon after which it merges with the rivers Maun and Poulter. It was this reliable source of water which must have attracted Saxon and probably earlier Viking settlements in the area.

Above: The River Meden's winding journey through Thoresby made several small bridges necessary. The above photograph (1984) shows the view from atop Perlethorpe Bridge.

 

Above: There was once a mill on the side of this river, next to Home Farm, and powered by a water wheel. In 1875 one George Mawson started work there. This is long since gone, but the region still retains small lock gates which help control the flow. In 1862 the mill was described as having two grey millstones, two French buhr stones (said to produce a superior wheat product), and a Gorse Bruising Machine, the latter of which rendered a gorse bush into a palatable thorn-free food supplement for horses and cows when mixed with chopped hay or straw during those months when green forage might be thin on the ground. Dairymen were also of the opinion it made the milk richer and tastier.

Above: We know from records, and Leonard Knyff’s painting of 1705, that a straight canal once led from the very first Thoresby Hall, through the Mill, and on to the Kennels. The relationship between that canal and the Meden itself, remains very hard to ascertain. However, long since abandoned lock gates can still be viewed in the nearby field, weather permitting.

Perlethorpe Village part 2.

 

Above: This schoolboy drawing from 1964 was made from the bedroom window of number 3, Village Green, Perlethorpe, and shows some features such as the street lamp and railings around the smaller green which have long since disappeared. The arch of Home Farm is clearly visible, and the white building in the centre is White House. In the late 1930's Head Keeper Frank Bebbington lived there; in 1940 the game keeper Mr Carey; and in the late 1950's / early 1960's Mr Carter. The small green on the bottom right of the drawing stands in front of the red brick bungalows built c.1950 (not shown), and this green was the location for the village flag pole. The road leaving the picture on the left is Jackson's Hill.

Above: 2 Radleys Lane, Perlethorpe, c. 1953. Note the garden walls are not yet completed.
The redbrick buildings constructed around the Village Green c.1950 are those most associated with the name of Perlethorpe today. They were built for the exclusive occupancy of those employed on Thoresby Estate's three main industries: Farming, Forestry, and the Woodard. The village green was established at the same time as the houses were built, and was not a feature before then. Electricity had been supplied to Perlethorpe just prior to their building, and wireless sets (radios) depended upon rechargeable accumulators.

There were never any shops in Perlethorpe apart from the local Post Office near the Kennels, which supplied most goods. During the 1930's a Co-op van with a huge shoe on its roof would visit the village in the hope of collecting boots for repair, but most households did their own. In the 1940's Mr Fillingham from Wolesly would arrive on a horse and cart, selling basic household goods such as candles. In the 1950's I personally remember a large Library Van the size of a removal truck would park in the village, and then proceed to Three Gables, at the Woodyard, so the residents could step into the back of it and choose their reading matter from the well-stocked shelves.

Above: I well remember, during the early1950s, how a small Bush television set in the front room of 2 Radleys Lane played black & white host to the Lone Ranger, and later on how Independent Television introduced "Murray mints, too good to hurry mints" and "Hoover beats as it sweeps as it cleans" adverts.

Read more about Perlethorpe Village Hall Social Club on THIS LINK.

Perlethorpe Village part 1.

 

Above: Map of 1774.

The early history of Perlethorpe, situated within Thoresby Estate where the A614 (Blythe Road) crosses the River Meden, is made slightly more complicated by the fact it was once governed and owned as a region in its own right, entirely separate from Thoresby.

In Saxon times this area belonged to two Saxon chiefs, Thurston and Ulmer. After the Norman Conquest, as was the fate of other lands in the region, Torp (Perlethorpe), became the joint property of the King and Roger de Busli, who also gained lands such as nearby Clumber, whilst Thuresbi (Thoresby), became the property of the King.

The origin of Perlethorpe’s name is subject to debate. “Thorpe”, an Old Norse name meaning ‘dependant settlement’, clearly suggests it started life as a Viking settlement, but Perle is more troublesome. In Old and Middle English that means “rush of water”, particularly apt considering both the River Meden and the River Maun converge close by. However, before the printing press established common spellings, and information relied on the spoken word as much as the written, the village was recorded variously through the centuries as Peureltorp, Peuerelestorp and even Peuerellingethorp. During the reign of Henry III, William de Peverel the younger had some interest in Torp and it was once assumed the “Peverelthorp” prefix was due to him. Most researchers discount that notion today. By the 18th century the common name for the village was Palethorpe. (“Pale” can mean “an area enclosed by a boundary”, adding even more to the debate).

In 1831 Palethorpe (Perlethorpe) had a population of 89 people living in 14 houses. That's an average of 6 to a house. The oldest buildings in the village today date from the mid-19th century, and were often originally in pairs. A typical example of this is Rose Cottage.

Above: The original Rose Cottage, not the nearby restaurant which took its name, stands a little further up the A614 from White Lodge. 19th century Thoresby Estate records refer to the property as Rosedale Cottages. In 1851 it was the home of Perlethorpe Village miller, J. Chamberlain. In 1862 the estate's milkman Thos Day lived in one cottage, whilst Henry Dodd occupied the other. By 1864, Dodd had moved on and been replaced by miller Robert Budd. In 1947, Rose Cottage was still divided into two properties, one being occupied by carpenter / joiner William Craig and family, later to become foreman at Thoresby Estate’s Woodyard.

Above: White Cottages at the end of Radley's Lane, were occupied in 1862 by John Radley and Joseph Sills Batten. In the 1960's the two properties merged to become the Chaplain's House.

Above: Home Farm Lodge.

Above: The Almshouses stand opposite Home Farm, and were built in 1894 by the 3rd Earl "for the benefit of the old labourers on Thoresby Estate". This implies such elegant properties were perhaps intended for those retiring from their labour? Certainly by the 1950s they were occupied by still active workers from the farm and the Woodyard, such as Jack Kenyon.

Each house in Perlethorpe had its own brick built soft water tank to contain the rain which was then drawn up from underground via a hand pump. Starting in 1860 the 3rd Earl Manvers ensured all the houses in Perlethorpe underwent any necessary repairs, and had all the thatched roofs replaced with slate. At the turn of that century a water mains was laid through the village from Boughton water works, and in the 1920s / 30s a steam roller kept the pre-tarmac roads in order. In 1947 Perlethorpe Village was supplied with electricity, and the building of the red brick houses around a new village green soon followed.

Read more about Perlethorpe Bridge, 1847, on THIS LINK.

Perlethorpe Primary School part 3.

 

Above: Mr Peter Pierpont stages a joke photograph with the pupils outside the side entrance to the school, c.1959, with Mrs Morgan in the rear. Left to right: Colin Turnbull, Janet Carter, Barry Fretwell, Billy Craig, unknown, Ian Gordon Craig, Patricia Tully, Theresa Tully, Geraldine Mountjoy, Unknown, Unknown, Linda Fisher, John Dew, Simon Morgan, Susan Tully, Eric Fretwell, Alan Wignall, David Dewhurst. Teachers are Peter Pierpont and Mrs Morgan. Corrections can be made via the comments box.

 Renovations to Perlethorpe School were completed in 1959. During the course of those renovations the children attended lessons in the Village Hall, 100 yards down the road, which had been built in 1957.

Mr Peter Pierpont took over as Headteacher in January 1961, with Mrs Morgan in charge of the juniors. The dinner lady was Mrs Langstaff. Peter Pierpont (no relation to the Pierreponts) was possibly the first male schoolteacher Perlethorpe had employed. His outgoing nature, and slightly boisterous attendance at Village Hall socials, whilst the children got involved with Twist dance competitions, is something I well remember. Examination results for the 11+ in 1961 show standards of education were high with the majority of the applicants going on to grammar school. Mr Pierpont died in 1963.

Peter Pierpont was replaced by C. Alan Bollans in April 1964, whilst Mrs Morgan continued to teach the juniors.

 Above: Mr C. Bollans with a group of school children outside the school grounds in front of Perlethorpe Church, c.1962.
Left to right: Alan Wignall, unkown, unknown, Janet Carter, David Dewhurst (rear), unknown, Brian George (rear), Eric Fretwell, William Craig jnr. (hand on lama), John Dew, Simon Morgan, unknown. Teacher is C. Allan Bollands. Corrections can be made via the comments box.

Above: Class of c. 1964 / 65.

 I am thankful to ex-schoolmate Eric Fretwell for this school photograph. The teachers are Mrs Morgan and Mr Bollans, but most of the pupils’ names eluded us. If anyone can fill the gaps, do leave a comment.

Left to Right: Yvonne Graham, Gordon Hodgkinson, Valerie Johnson, Unknown, Unknown, John Dew, Unknown, Unknown, Simon Morgan, Eric Fretwell (Back), Nicholas Almond, John Wignall, Unknown (Front), Alan Wignall (Back),
Unknown, Unknown, Unknown, David Dewhurst, Nigel Dew, Brian George, Brian Lupton, Unknown, Janet Carter (Back), Unknown, Michael Roberson, Dawn Johnson, Jonathan Bollans, Unknown. Update: The 4th boy on front row with tie is Mark Beard, girl with hair band and coat is Elizabeth Beard, between and behind them is Robert Beard.

In December 1984 the decision was made to close the school, which by then had a total of only 16 pupils. Headmaster C A Bollans left in July. His service towards all aspects of the life of Thoresby Estate was notable, and when the school closed he continued to serve the estate, working in the art gallery, organising his beloved cricket team, and much more. Mrs Morgan became the school's final Headmistress for just one term, presiding over only 4 pupils.

Above: Perlethorpe Primary School 1985, one year after its closure. The arch window on the left was originally the doorway where Mrs Bruce stood and rang her bell in the 1950's.

Perlethorpe Primary School part 2.

 

 Above: Class of c.1953 / 54.

My gratitude to one time school mate Allan Wignall and his sister Joan for sending me a full list of the pupils' names:

Back row from left to right. 1 Mrs Storey. 2 Carol Mendan. 3 Pauline Johnstone. 4 John Singleton. 5 Richard Gill. 6 Pamela Cooper. 7 Stewart Johnstone. 8 Sheila Carnitas. 9 Mrs Bruce.

Middle Row from left to right. 1 Robert Rayner. 2 Hazel Wood. 3 Ronald Pashley. 4 Janet Fuller. 5 Josephine Jackson. 6 Christopher Devereax. 7 Christine Mott. 8 David Reddish. 9 Philip Whittaker.

Bottom Row from left to right. 1 Christopher Cooper. 2 Joan Wignall. 3 Rose Carrol. 4 Kenneth Mott. 5 Tommy Riddley. 6 Francis Hendem. 7 Christine Craig. 8 Cynthia Wilks. 9 Madelaine Crowden. Mistakes can be corrected via the comments box.

 Education at Perlethorpe in the 1950s adhered of course to a strict timetable, but always incorporated a rich tapestry of creative exercises in manual dexterity, from weaving to maypole dancing, and from plasticine modelling to drawing the butterfly specimens that surrendered their short lives to Mrs Bruce’s thumb. If the sun came out (which seemed to happen practically every day), we simply all went on a nature walk. The nature books in which we drew our collected specimens were dark green hard backs. Dip-in pens were a compulsory element of writing lessons. New nibs were periodically issued to the class who were then instructed to place the small brass nib in their mouths to suck off the protective wax coating. (Perlethorpe Church records list no fatalities from this activity!) The walls were covered by large posters depicting the different animals, birds and trees from each season. When my older sister and myself retrieved a stag's skull and antlers from beneath the rhododendrons of the Pleasure Grounds that also became part of the display. (It's still there). Mrs Storer was in charge of the juniors prior to the arrival of Mrs Ward. Mrs J E Bruce became Headmistress in January 1950, in charge then of the seniors as they approached the "11-plus" examination.

At the start of the school day, and after dinner, the pupils would line up in two orderly rows at the sound of her bell, ready to enter the school via the dark oak door which was situated on the left of the front of the building. (This porch entrance was converted to a window during the renovations of 1959, and the porch became a storeroom.) Coats were hung inside that porch. The seniors then turned right and sat in rows with their backs to two rectangular windows, awaiting Mrs Bruce's instruction. The juniors walked straight ahead, beneath the high arched window on their left, and entered the rear classroom to be taught by Mrs Ward. A spelling mistake might merit a light slap on the back of the leg from her, whilst good work could merit a new pencil, complete with the novelty of having an eraser on the end.

Before the renovations of 1959 the pupil's toilets were stagnant metal drums with wooden seats situated on the right of the building where the entrance porch is today. The boy's urinal was a brick wall which separated them from the girls' toilet on the other side. This was open air, and swilled only occasionally by a solitary tap. A favourite game among the boys was seeing who could pee the highest up that wall.

Miss J E Bruce resigned as Headmistress in December 1960. She was noted for her dedication towards getting her pupils through the 11+ examination and on to a grammar school beyond. But the population of Perlethorpe Village was ever diminishing as the Estate's fortunes changed with the decades.

Above: This is what a pupil's exercise book and school reports looked like in the late 1950s / early 60s.

Thoresby Park bridges.

 

Above: 19th century engraving showing the Green Bridge leading to Thoresby Hall.

Above: Green Bridge, originally called Stone Bridge, but renamed due to the grass which covers its path, has retained much of its beauty. This bridge was originally sited further upstream, its elegant design clearly intended for lightweight carriages, coaches and pedestrians visiting the original Thoresby Hall. But it presented what was considered an unflattering end-on view of the building. So Charles (Meadows) Pierrepont, 1st Earl Manvers, in consultation with landscape gardener Humphrey Repton, moved the bridge to its present location. The actual bridge was relocated, and not simply rebuilt. However, when the third Hall was built further uphill to the north, and mechanised vehicles replaces carts and horses, it became impractical to use as a regular route.

Above: Pierrepont Bridge, designed by Wilkins, an architect from Cambridge, stands near Budby Castle (originally called William Castle) and strides the western tip of Thoresby Lake where the River Meden leaves Budby. In its prime, one could stand there and see Kingston Island, with Thoresby Hall beyond, and even the spire of Perlethorpe Church in the distance. Not designed for heavy mechanised traffic, but stout enough to serve as a route for the boat crews, and later on the Clerks of Work who resided at the Castle. Today its ironwork railings and other features are long since gone.

Above and below: Referred to on this c.1913 postcard (and still today) as Thoresby Bridge, this was originally named 7 Ton Bridge. It linked the present Thoresby Hall with Perlethorpe Village, and the main roads beyond. As the name implies, it was designed to support the heavy mechanized vehicles of the 20th century, including those used by the military in two World Wars when soldiers were billeted on the Estate. 7 Ton Bridge did however close down during the 1980's as ownership of the Hall changed, and the maintenance of certain properties on the Estate changed with it. Today it only allows access to the estate's own official vehicles. However, pedestrian access is now possible (2024) so visitors to the estate can use the nearby picnic area.

Below: Perlethorpe Village bridge over the River Meden, 1986. Perlethorpe bridge was built in 1847, with one of it piers being rebuilt in the early 1980s. It is a grade 2 listed building.