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Gardeners' World at Hoar Cross #39

GARDENERS’ WORLD AT HOAR CROSS:    In it’s heyday Hoar Cross Hall had around 28 people employed to keep The 20 acres of grounds tidy and weed free. In Victorian England The most common of all male servants was The gardener. At Hoar Cross The head gardener had numerous under-gardeners known affectionately as ‘digging slaves’! They were responsible for producing fruit, vegetables and growing luxury items in and out of season, much of it under glass. Adjacent to The house was The carp pool and greenhouse area along with a palm house; next to These was a walled kitchen garden. This supplied The house with all its fruit, vegetables and herbs. The palm house...

Meet The Neighbours - Shugborough Hall #80

The next house in this series is a mere half hour from Hoar Cross Hall and we often visited it during The summer months and later, when my children were born, we’d take Them for a visit too!  Seated on The edge of Cannock Chase this elegant house was once a manor house owned by The Bishops of Lichfield, until The dissolution of The monasteries around 1540.  Later it came into The hands of The Anson family, who were ancestors of The Earls of Lichfield, and stayed There for three centuries.  William Anson’s grandson, also called William, demolished The manor house in 1693 and built a three storey building in The Neo-Classical style which forms The central p...

SKOOLS OUT FOR SUMMER! #13

SKOOLS OUT FOR SUMMER! When Hugo and Emily Meynell built The Hall it included a whole estate with it, namely kitchen gardens, greenhouses, stables, a farm and cottages.  Old Hall (Their original home) was also on The estate and was accessed via a private road, which ran from The main road.  By The time The seventies came along The stable block and Old Hall were private houses and anoTher part of Old Hall had been made into a children’s home.  Emily Meynell had started this home in The Victorian days, calling it ‘The Home of The Good Shepherd’ but it was for boys only at that time.  When we were There it was a mixed home and run by a husband and wife co...

The Grand Opening #5

The GRAND OPENING:     And so we move into 1971 and The preparation of Hoar Cross Hall so we could open it to The public by Easter. During The run up to buying The house my dad had been buying furniture, carpets and paintings like crazy and I remember our previous home being jam packed with chaise longues, sideboards and carved chests as well as all The suits of armour that he already had. This furniture was now set out in all The rooms. My mum’s collection of Victorian costumes were on display in The Ballroom as well as my dad’s collection of silver plated ‘display’ armour, which hung around The panelled walls; The suits of armour and The many painti...

Skools out for summer! #12

SKOOLS OUT FOR SUMMER!    When Hugo and Emily Meynell built Hoar Cross Hall it stood within 50 acres of land.  Their estate included kitchen gardens, greenhouses, stables, a farm and cottages. Old Hall (Their original home) was also on The estate and was accessed via a private road, which ran from The main road. By The time The seventies came along The stable block and Old Hall were private houses and anoTher part of Old Hall had been made into a children’s home. Emily Meynell had started this home in The Victorian days, calling it ‘The Home of The Good Shepherd’ but it was for boys only at that time. When we were There it was a mixed home and run by a...

Moving On #35

MOVING ON – The END OF AN ERA:      And so, after ten years of growing up and living in a stately home, I have come to The end of my story. After my parents’ divorce it was agreed that my mum bought out my dad's half of The house and he had to leave his dream home forever. He and Gavin moved out to live in Burton-on-Trent and my mum carried on running Mediaeval Banquets for a few more years. She and The singer eventually got togeTher much to my dad’s chagrin. The singer spent a lot more time at The Hall helping my mum run The banquets; however, Piers didn’t really get on with him. When he was about 14 years old my dad received a phone call from Piers...