Thoresby Park video.

 

A very brief view of Thoresby Park, scanning from Thoresby Hall to Perlethorpe School / Environment Educational Centre. March 2021.

Thoresby pavillions and picnics, entertainment and events.

 

Above: In the 19th and early 20th century, it became increasingly commonplace for UK villages, towns, estates and even factories, to have their own amateur cricket teams. They competed against each other, compiling their own league tables, whilst also providing an entertaining spectacle for a family day-out, and continued to thrive throughout the 1960s

Thoresby Park Cricket Club started c 1870. In the decades before the population of Perlethorpe Village expanded, with the building of  houses around the village green, and its own Social Club, Thoresby cricket pavilion was the centre of frequent social gatherings for whist-drives, dances, school concerts, and annual entertainment from something called the “Girl’s Friendly Society”. Looking at it today, it does seem a very small venue for some of that. It has no doubt been renovated at some point, but I am unsure how much of the current pavilion, if any, is the original.

Above: 2021. Thoresby Park provides two free permanent areas for family entertainment, A picnic ground by the River Meden and a woodland play area.

Today (2024) Thoresby Park gives host to everything from nature trails, theatrical events, food fayres, arts & crafts, carriage driving, simulated game shooting, pop concerts, classic car shows, - it’s a very long list!

Above: The Historic Bazaar, 2018.

Above: Fairground rides in 2021

Above: 2024. The Back 2 pop festival moves on.

The Walled Garden, Echium Garden,Thoresby Park.

 

Above: Before the renovations of 2018. Below: The drainage from the garden into the River Meden.

The Walled Garden was designed to provide for the needs not just of the Duke’s family and guests, but for the staff and servants associated with the Hall. Indeed, such would be the hustle and bustle of this year round task, the garden was deliberately situated at a distance east of the Hall in order to minimize disturbance. Ordinance Survey maps of 1906 show it already semi-secluded by trees.

Believed to have been built c.1765, the earliest reference to the Walled Garden I have found comes from the estate’s 1860 Directory:

“A new Hall is about being erected on a commanding eminence near the rockery and in line with the Gardens, the latter of which have been newly formed and enclosed by a neat brick wall. The gardens, including the orchard and kitchen grounds, cover about 10 acres of land. There is a neat residence for the gardener on the grounds”.

 The Head Gardener is listed in all the estate’s directories from 1864 – 1900 as Archibald Henderson. Directories from 1904 – 1930s list this position as being taken over by Arthur Simmons. (Simmons is also listed as making a 10 shilling contribution towards the World War 1 Memorial gated entrance to Perlethorpe Church).

A reliable description of the Walled Garden can be found in Robert White’s “Worksop, The Dukery, and Sherwood Forest” (1875):

“To the East of the Hall are the gardens, which cost £4,000, covering 8.5 acres; 5.5 acres of which are enclosed by brick walls. The rest is in slips on the East, North and West sides, with an orchard on the North. The kitchen garden is intersected by two fine broad walks 550 feet long which from North to South pass out through a pair of very splendid iron gates into the park. The lofty conservatory occupies a central position in the long range of 20 well-stocked forcing houses which are about 560 feet in length”.

The World Wars of 1914/18 and 1939/45, impacted the estate in many ways. Firstly, the loss of young male workers who lost their lives in battle. Secondly, the military presence of the troops billeted here, and the physical changes made necessary for the tanks and other armoured vehicles on which they trained. The Walled Garden never really recovered from those times, being abandoned altogether upon the death of Gervas Pierrepont, 6th Earl Manvers, in 1955.

Above: In June 2018, the garden began a scheme to renovate and restore. Open then to the public, it was called the Echium Garden. Sadly, come August 2020, it closed down, citing the cause as the lease expiring. A sad loss to those of us who value the history of Thoresby Estate and the wish to see it preserved.

Above: September 2024. The Walled Garden has only its walls.

Thoresby Park & Perlethorpe Village during World War 2.

 

Above: (c. 2010). Situated in the trees near the current carpark, opposite Thoresby Courtyard, this vehicle maintenance ramp, built to support the weight of military vehicles stationed on the estate during the war years.

Above: (c. 2010). Records state that a brick building near the dam, used by gardeners and park keepers working in the Pleasure Grounds, became a place for gas mask training during WW2. I have a strong suspicion this was it. Harmless and out of bounds, it was removed c. 2018.

During World War 2 the Midlands became a training ground for tank crews. The MoD thought that the terrain might resemble that which the British troops would encounter in France. (It did not). During this time both Thoresby Hall and The Kennels were taken over by the military. However, this article is not about the military aspect of those years but rather the activities of the people of Perlethorpe Village and Thoresby Park.

The Perlethorpe and Budby War Effort:

The women of both villages organized several contributions towards the war effort. From November 1939 to February 1940 they knitted assorted garments for the Nottingham Services Comforts Fund. Everything from pants to blankets. Both villages also donated eggs to Mansfield hospital, whilst a waste paper salvage scheme in Perlethorpe Village involved boys making weekly collections for a stockpile to be sold in Nottingham. Similarly a dump was established for tins and bones, waste materials helpful in the production of munitions. Mrs Dawson ran Perlethorpe Post Office at this time and she organized a successful National Savings Scheme for both villages to help fund the fight for victory, whilst other women instigated a Perlethorpe Spitfire Fund. 1941 saw a further fund raiser called Warship Week.

Perlethorpe School during the war:

During 1940 the school only closed for one week in August. This was on account of all the evacuees on the estate who naturally needed monitoring as much as educating during what must have been a stressful time. Thoresby started taking in evacuees from the south of the UK as early as June 1940. It also received evacuees from Sheffield before the end of that year. One activity the school children are known to have been involved in was the posting of tobacco to sailors via the Overseas League, for which they received postcards of thanks. Of less fun must have been the regular practice sessions wearing gas masks for fifteen minutes at a time.

In early 1941 parents received a letter advising their children be inoculated against diphtheria, but I was surprised to discover a County Survey health report from March that found the children to be sub normal regarding their nutrition levels. In a countryside where fresh meat and vegetables were not only plentiful, but also the basic diet, I find that hard to believe.

Perlethorpe School raised further donations to the war effort by Carol Singing, which was duly sent to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, resulting in a mention on BBC radio news in December 1941. The year after that their carols raised money for Red Cross Prisoners of War, whilst the girls made and sold soft toys to support the Wings for Victory fund.

In January 1942 temperatures inside the school dipped below freezing, and a subsequent outbreak of mumps and whooping cough in February and May was perhaps not surprising. In the Summer of 1942 funds were raised by children collecting nettles for the medicinal properties. The following year they collected Foxgloves for the same cause. 1943 was an important year in the history of the school as it saw the start of a school canteen system, providing a hot dinner for the significant number who stayed during the lunch break.

Was Thoresby Estate bombed during the war?

 During late August 1940 Thoresby, Budby and nearby Walesby were bombed on four occasions. Light, probably speculative attacks. Air raid warden W A Mendham noted in his diary that a rabbit was killed on the 19th August in the north of Budby. But the following week the Woodyard actually caught fire from an incendiary bomb. In May 1944 a Wellington bomber from Gamston, intended to be taking part in a supply drop on France, suffered engine failure over Thoresby and collided with the tree tops. It crashed North West of the Kennels (before the junction with Netherfield Lane.) Five of the six man crew were killed.

After the War:

In 1942, Proteus Camp was established in the woods near Ollerton roundabout. (See separate post about Beech Avenue). The above photograph shows Proteus Camp as it was in 1965. At its peak, probably during National Service, Proteus Camp contained 1,000 personnel. In later years the camp became known as the Dukeries Training Centre before becoming “surplus to requirements” and eventually closing down in 2004. In 2008 plans were developed to use the site for new cabins as holiday homes.

During the 1950s, long after the tanks had all left the Park, the children of Thoresby Estate were left with one very tangible reminder of their presence. The infamous Tank Dip! Constructed on the north of the estate, the other side of Netherfield Lane from the Hall, and slowly filled by a tap from Piper Well underground reservoir, this stagnant installation which had once tested the waterproofing on the tanks became the school swimming pool. I remember hanging on to a pole the width of the pool, together with the rest of the class, and being dragged down its length. I'm unsure whether we were meant to be learning to swim or simply dredging the green scum from the surface. It is now long-since filled in and planted over.

Above: Children Ian and Christine Craig dangle their feet in Thoresby Estate's tank dip / swimming pool. Father and grandfather (then the gardener at Thoresby Hall) seated behind. c. 1955.

Above: The concrete roads in the woods near Thoresby Hall are a reminder of the military presence which once trained here.

Above: (2024). Thoresby Hall's courtyard has on permanent display this tank and armoured car, acknowleding it's links to the military which were once billeted here, as well as the nearby Proteus / Dukeries Training camps of the 1950s / 1960s.

Nelson's Pyramid, Thoresby Estate.

 

Charles Pierrepont, like his father before him, served in the Navy and saw active service against the French in 1798. Not surprisingly then, the Pierrepont family were ardent admirers of Lord Nelson. The south side of Thoresby Lake in particular featured tributes to the famous admiral, such as Nelson’s Grove, incorporating Nelson’s Lodge (used for many years by the game keepers), and Nelson’s Pyramid.

It is approximately 12ft high (c.3.5 meters). It was built in 1799 by Charles Herbert, specifically to commemorate Nelson’s victory at the Battle of the Nile, and on each inner side of the entrance way were listed both the French and English ships involved, together with details about guns and casualties. I have not visited Nelson’s Pyramid myself, but am told that soldiers billeted in that region during the first and / or second World Wars. These troops are also said to have added their own names to the walls. (My thanks to Stephen Richard Aizlewood for the use of his photograph).

Lady Maude Hoare, and Thoresby Park.

 

 Above: Aircraft Carrier Launched At Birkenhead (1937)

Lord Beauchamp first married Mary Stanhope. When she died in 1876, Beauchamp married Emily Pierrepont in 1878, daughter of the 3rd Earl Manvers. The marriage took place at Perlethorpe Church, Thoresby Park. They had four children. Amongst them, Lady Maud Lygon, later to become Lady Maude Hoare. (July 1882 – December 1962). This makes Maud the granddaughter of the 3rd Earl Manvers.

She was a resident at Cockglode in the late 1930s, by which time she had become quite a celebrity. The 1937 Pathe News footage above shows Lady Maude launching the Arc Royal at Birkenhead. As the wife of Sir Samuel Hoare, British Air Minister, she made a 12,000-mile round trip flight inaugurating the London-Cairo-Delhi air service. The first woman ever to fly so many miles, she was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE).

The new Thoresby House, Thoresby Park.

 

Above: New Thoresby House facing in the direction of the lake.

When Lady Rozelle Raynes passed away in 2015, she (to use the legal phrase) died “without issue”. In other words, no children of her own to inherit Thoresby Estate. Persons studying the history of the Pierrepont family line as it applies to Thoresby will be aware this situation had happened with some regularity in the past. For example, between 1680 and 1773 there had been no less than four Pierrepont Earls and one Duke who died without a son to take over the estate, which therefore had to be passed on to other family members.

In the late 1960s, Thoresby Estate had been divided between Lady Rozelle and the Trustees of the Thoresby Settlement. Her estate in Kneesall was called the “Lady Rozelle Raynes Pierrepont Estate”. In the early 1970s, she decided to leave some property to Nottinghamshire-based cousins. Her Kneesall estate went to I.D.P. Thorne, a descendant of the 3rd Earl Manvers, while she and her husband lived in Newham and Devon before retiring back to Thoresby in the early 2000s.

Thoresby Estate was eventually inherited by Hugh Matheson, another descendant of the 3rd Earl Manvers, who had managed the farming and forestry enterprises there since 1975, not to mention being Sheriff of Nottingham in 1997. However, amongst his many outstanding achievements, one in particular must have caught the eye of Lady Rozelle, she being a lifelong yachting enthusiast. Hugh Matheson was a keen rower since his university days, had coached several winning Oxford boat race crews, and gone on to coach Olympic winners in that sport. One can be sure they had much to chat about.

The new Thoresby House, home to the Matheson family, began construction in 1994. It looks out onto Thoresby Lake, its grounds partly extending on to the site once known as the Pleasure Grounds. In September 2019 I took advantage of their Heritage Tour of the property, guided by Mr Matheson, and was able to view artwork and furniture from the previous Thoresby Hall. A highly recommended event should it ever come around again.

Caution: This is a private residence. Publishing photographs taken inside this house is quite rightly strictly forbidden.

Above: This "waif and stray" sculpture which used to stand at Lady Rozelle's residence now stands in the grounds of the new Thoresby House. It's theme reflects her charitable activities.

Lady Rozelle Raynes 1925 – 2015.

 

Above: Lady Manvers' portrait drawing of her only daughter Lady Rozelle, looking rather proud in her Wren's uniform, 1944.

Lady Frederica Rozelle Ridgway Pierrepont would have been 15 years old when, in 1940, her father became the 6th Earl Manvers (succeeding his cousin) and took up residence in Thoresby Hall. She was the youngest of three children but the only one to survive to adulthood.

Soon after the family moved into the Hall it was requisitioned by the military. It was World War 2, and troops were billeted on the estate whilst training both here and at Rufford Abbey. As a small child she had been fascinated by the sea, and the Second World War presented an opportunity to join the WRNS as a tugboat stoker. (Much preferable in her eyes to a finishing school in Switzerland.) She would recall those times as being a “peak of happiness”, and burst into tears upon being demobbed when the war was over. But her sailing days had really only just begun, and subsequent adventures on her 25ft yacht the Martha McGilda, provided ample material to fill a series of self-penned books. In 1953 she married Major Alexander Beattie of the Coldstream Guards.

Whilst her mother continued to reside at Thoresby Hall, Lady Rozelle inherited the estate in 1955 when her father died. As was the case with many post-war stately homes in need of finances, Thoresby Hall was opened up to the public in 1957, and first husband Major Beattie was much involved in it becoming a popular attraction during a decade when visiting such places became a favourite national pastime.  However, the marriage ended in 1961.

In 1965 Lady Rozelle married Dr Richard Raynes. In the mid-1970s, with the support of husband Dr Raynes, she embarked on a scheme to help rehabilitate East End boys in care. This involved taking them out on the Thames in the Martha McGilda, half a day every fortnight, and teaching them to sail and navigate. These “Tuesday Boys” became the subject of a subsequent book, and in 1980 she established the Martha McGilda charitable trust so as this successful scheme of support for such boys might continue.

After Thoresby Hall was sold to the National Coal Board in 1984, the estate would be managed mostly by agents, but Lady Rozelle retained lifelong friends with many of the people living and working there, in particular, the Courtyard Gallery where her mother’s paintings enjoy a regular presence. In the 1980s she and her husband had a house built on the estate. She moved there in 2010 after suffering a fall, and less able to reside in London. Lady Rozelle died June 22nd 2015, a year after her husband. They left no descendants. According to internet sources "she is buried in the family plot at Thoresby".

Thoresby Estate. A walk in the park 2013. Part 2.

 

 

Caution: These videos were made on Thoresby Estate's official “Permitted Walks” in 2013. During the pandemic lockdowns of 2020, Perlethorpe Village and other parts of Thoresby Estate, became strictly out of bounds, and the “permitted walk” initiative closed down. At the time of writing, 2024, that is still the case. So, these videos are intended as a historic record of the past. They are neither a guide nor encouragement to new visitors.

Thoresby Estate. A walk in the park 2013. Part 1.

 

Caution: These videos were made on Thoresby Estate's official “Permitted Walks” in 2013. During the pandemic lockdowns of 2020, Perlethorpe Village and other parts of Thoresby Estate, became strictly out of bounds, and the “permitted walk” initiative closed down. At the time of writing, 2024, that is still the case. So, these videos are intended as a historic record of the past. They are neither a guide nor encouragement to new visitors. 

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.

Three Gables, The Woodyard, Thoresby Park.

 

Above: painting by Leslie A Miles (1943) depicts Three Gables, Thoresby Park, as it was when Clerk of Works Noel Whitworth lived there 1940 – 50. My thanks to James Whitworth for consenting to its use on this blog.

Above: Three Gables, Thoresby Park, 1964. The kitchen extension is on the left.

Three Gables, built in 1876, is situated by the road side at the Woodyard, and was the customary residence of the estates’ Clerk of Works, such as Noel Whitworth in the late 1940s / early 1950s. A three bedroom house, one to each gable, the original kitchen was situated beneath the left gable before an extension with corrugated roof and plastic skylight was added. The original stone framed outside window was retained inside the extension. The former kitchen then became the central living room, but kept its cast iron range for cooking. The range incorporated a small circular platform which would swing across over an open log fire to heat one's kettle. A drying wrack hung from the ceiling for the laundry, which could be boiled in the copper stove in the outhouse across the yard to the left of the building. This copper stove was fundamental in the making of family Christmas puddings in the 1950's / early 1960s. The house was joined onto the Woodyard complex. In the very narrow, dark and dusty store next door were kept the shiny brass fittings for coffins, whilst a hand operated fire bell hung on the wall outside.

Following the departure of Noel Whitworth the house was occupied for much of the 1950's and early 1960's by William "Jock" Craig, the Woodyard foreman.

Above: A corner of the lounge, schoolboy sketch, 1963. Note the portable record player of the time.

In the early 1960s the property still featured an extensive garden laid out according to Victorian tradition; decorative flowers and lawns in front of the house, with vegetable patches and fruit bushes all formally arranged to the right alongside the Woodyard buildings.

Above: c. 1960. The Victorian style garden. The near window is the lounge. The far window is the office of the Clerk of Works. Beyond is the Pleasure Grounds. Below: A family at home.

Above: 1985.

Above: 2019. The garden and its iron fencing have gone.

Thoresby Park deer.

 

Thoresby Park's deer reside mostly in an area called the Pleasure Grounds, a private landscaped area on the south side of Thoresby Lake.

In  1917, the 4th Earl Manvers had the Red Deer slaughtered and removed when a woman was attacked and injured. After that incident only the Fallow Deer were bred.

Above: Any deer which escaped from the Pleasure Grounds could find straw and shelter in the deer huts around the estate, such as this one beside what was once a shale track linking the Woodyard with the farm, and is now a tarmacked private road. Today the hut is only used by the farm.

For more about the deer in Thoresby Park see also: Buck Gates.

Thoresby Park Pleasure Grounds.

 

The Pleasure Grounds, Thoresby Park, are situated across the lake from Thoresby Hall next to the Woodyard. In the middle of the 18th century, when the 2nd Duke of Kingston was extending the lake for his boats, he also landscaped the surrounding area, and the Pleasure Grounds originate from that time. This was a place where the Duke and subsequent Earls could stroll in private with invited house guests, possibly accessing the grounds via a boat trip across the lake, or via Stone Bridge (Green Bridge), at the point where the River Meden leaves the lake to continue on its way to Perlethorpe.

Simply referred to on maps today as "Park", the Pleasure Grounds remained a private, secluded area into the 1960's. However, on one occasion as a child in 1964, I took a camera inside the grounds and took these photographs. They may well be unique.

Above: This passage way through the centre of the Pleasure Grounds is part of a three mile route which once linked Thoresby Bridge with Buck Gates in a perfectly straight line. The Duke's carriages would pass this way on route to Ollerton, and Newark beyond. In the centre of the frame one can see deer feeding, whilst the mist beyond obscures the view of Thoresby Hall itself.

Above: The same area but viewed from the top of the landscaped embankment, over the rhododendrons. These embankments also harbored what was sometimes thought to be a bomb shelter, but which was in fact a storage place for ice before the days of refrigeration. Hence this area is referred to as Ice House Wood on some old maps.

Top photo and above: The River Meden leaves the landscaped Pleasure Grounds at the weir end of Thoresby Lake, before continuing on to Perlethorpe Village.

Steam Train at Thoresby Park.

 

Above: This steam train was called Sir Nigel Gresley, and took William Kirkland of Ollerton, twelve years to build. It was based on a real life locomotive. It became a popular attraction at Thoresby Hall, Thoresby Estate, in 1966 and continued to be so for several years before moving to Stapleford Park in Leicestershire. The steam train was situated on the lawns between the Hall and the river, no doubt avoiding the carefully attended cricket pitch. One can see Stone Bridge (a.k.a. Green Bridge) in the background.

Above: Still visible today are the sleepers from the train's rail track in the area where it ran parallel to the River Meden.

Below: The winter of 2020 saw the welcome return to Thoresby Park of a new steam railway ride for children, with Steve Purves at the wheel. Positioned opposite the entrance to the courtyard, it was able to operate over three weekends, proving a most welcome and popular attraction during an ongoing corona-virus pandemic, and the constant threat of lockdown.

 Operated by the 'There and Back Light Railway' company it is the largest portable steam railway in the Midlands, authentically powered by real steam, along a track over 450ft long, with rides costing just £2.

Thoresby Lake videos, Thoresby Hall.

 

These films were taken on the north side of Thoresby Lake, an area which had been a well-used public footpath as late as the 1940's. The people from Perlethorpe would walk along here to Budby (and visa verca), able to purchase sweets from vendors along the way, or take a seat on a bench and admire the view. In the 18th Century this is probably where the general public were invited to stand and view Evelyn Pierrepont, 2nd Duke of Kingston upon Hull, as his boats maneuvered about the lake. In 1928 Perlethorpe School had to introduce a new rule to prevent pupils from Budby taking this route when the lake became frozen over and was considered dangerous. They were instructed instead to walk via Nelson's Lodge and the Woodyard. Most of the little piers along the lake's edge are crude, relatively modern, concrete and tarmac constructions. But at the start of the film you will see stones which were clearly once a part of something more significant. For a short time, c.2007-2010, the footpath was once again opened and became a popular walk for those staying at Warners Thoresby Hotel, although one could no longer proceed any further than this halfway point towards William Castle (Budby Castle), nor get a clear view of Kingston Island, the latter of which seems to have lost all definition to its boundaries. Sadly, at the time of writing (2012) access to the lake has been closed off once again.

Perlethorpe Environmental Education Centre. Perlethorpe School part 4.

 

Above: Perlethorpe Environmental Education Centre as seen from the churchyard opposite. Countless generations of Perlethorpe schoolchildren have crawled along the long lower branch of that Lime tree.

When Perlethorpe Primary School closed in 1984, both the land and building reverted to the ownership of Thoresby Estate, Lady Rozelle. As has been mentioned elsewhere on this blog, Lady Rozelle was already a keen supporter of childhood education through her 1970s scheme to rehabilitate “East End boys” in care. Negotiations between Thoresby Estate and Nottinghamshire Education Committee soon took place, and it was agreed that this once busy primary school, could be used as a field study centre.

In 1985 the centre offered the opportunity for groups of children, perhaps from a mostly city or town background, to visit designated areas in the park’s woodlands, farm land, and river. It proved a great success. Between then and now (2024), the centre has gone on to develop and offer a rich, broad curriculum, incorporating such subjects as Archaeology, Geology, Art, Bushcraft, Saxons & Vikings, Victorian days, World War, Art, and of course, the Nature Studies so enjoyed by the estates own children in many decades past.

Above: Roof repairs, 2015.

Above: Rear view, 2017.

Above: 2021. Solar panels being fitted for an environmentally friendly Environmental Education Centre.

Above: 2022. New extensions to the Centre.