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Hickleton Hall and the Meynells #43

This lovely Grade II listed Georgian house an class='highlight'>inan> South Yorkshire was once the childhood home of The Honourable Emily Charlotte Meynell who married Hugo Meynell of Hoar Cross and who, together with Hugo, built Hoar Cross Hall to be their family home an class='highlight'>inan> 1873. The origan class='highlight'>inan>al house was called Hickleton Palace and had been built for Judge Francis Rodes an class='highlight'>inan> the 16th century but an class='highlight'>inan> 1745 Hickleton Hall was built just to the south of this house after the estate was bought by Godfrey Wentworth an class='highlight'>inan> about 1730. Thirty years later he extended the house and added two low wan class='highlight'>inan>gs, one either side, and a servants wan class='highlight'>inan>g. Emily's father, Charles Wood, 3rd Baronet, an class='highlight'>inan>herited the house an class='highlight'>inan>...

Meet the Neighbours - Blithfield Hall #78

This month I start a brand new series on stately homes local to Hoar Cross Hall and the first one is Blithfield Hall, which was probably the nearest stately home neighbour to Hoar Cross Hall and had been privately owned by the Bagot family san class='highlight'>inan>ce the 14th century.  The house, which is Grade I listed, is situated between Rugeley and abbots Bromley and is about 6 miles from the Hall.  I remember callan class='highlight'>inan>g round with my parents once to see Nancy, Lady Bagot, and admiran class='highlight'>inan>g the goats they had roaman class='highlight'>inan>g around the nearby fields.  Blithfield Hall is known as the home of a breed of goat, the Bagot goat, which for several hundred years have lived semi-wild on the estate....

Hoar Cross Hall - a bit of History #54

Hoar Cross was part of Needwood Forest, the 11th century lands of Henry de Ferrers. The land was passed down to Henry’s son and subsequent various people over the course of 500 years endan class='highlight'>inan>g with the Webb family, around the 1730s, who bought the land and house known as the Manor of the Cross. This was quite a large house built on a hill near Yoxall (which is the village next to Hoar Cross). an class='highlight'>inan> 1740 the manor house was demolished and later the Hon. Charles Talbot bought the estate for £17,000. Eventually it was sold to Hugo Meynell, who already owned huge amounts of property all over the county and was now about to add another one to his portfolio. This branch...

See you an class='highlight'>inan> Court #27

The saga of my parents’ split contan class='highlight'>inan>ued as we grew up an class='highlight'>inan> our stately home, although their behaviour was anythan class='highlight'>inan>g but stately for most of the time! Seven years of arguan class='highlight'>inan>g and fightan class='highlight'>inan>g were about to come to an end and the solicitors had fan class='highlight'>inan>ally agreed on a date to go to court. We carried on helpan class='highlight'>inan>g my dad to run the Hall and he still went to his boat an class='highlight'>inan> Caernarfon at weekends to get away from the house but we were all gettan class='highlight'>inan>g weary of it now. We were young adults and wantan class='highlight'>inan>g to get on with our own lives. after five years together we were hopan class='highlight'>inan>g to get married at some poan class='highlight'>inan>t so we were glad that it was fan class='highlight'>inan>ally goan class='highlight'>inan>g to be sorted out one way or another. Gavan class='highlight'>inan> was...

Whodunit an class='highlight'>inan> the Library #24

When we first moved to Hoar Cross Hall, growan class='highlight'>inan>g up an class='highlight'>inan> a stately home seemed an idyllic way to live – and lots of fun if you’re a child. This ramblan class='highlight'>inan>g old house full of empty rooms and secret doors, wild gardens and woods to explore, was an class='highlight'>inan> some ways a dream come true for our family, certaan class='highlight'>inan>ly for my father. But as we turned from children to teenagers the isolation and lack of public transport was frustratan class='highlight'>inan>g. Coupled with this was my parents' fightan class='highlight'>inan>g and subsequent split, an class='highlight'>livan class='highlight'>inan>gan> at each end of the house and battlan class='highlight'>inan>g for the house and busan class='highlight'>inan>ess through their solicitors. The small gardens we loved to explore   The effect this had on me, as the eldest c...

Lest we forget #86

Duran class='highlight'>inan>g the two World Wars the Meynell family of Hoar Cross Hall served their country alongside many others from all walks of life.  after each war there was huge social upheaval, especially for women, who had been doan class='highlight'>inan>g what was traditionally 'men's work' duran class='highlight'>inan>g the war and weren't prepared to go back to domestic roles.  at the time of the First World War Frederick Meynell and Lady Mary Meynell were an class='highlight'>livan class='highlight'>inan>gan> at the Hall with their five children.  Their four sons all served an class='highlight'>inan> the war and their daughter Margaret served an class='highlight'>inan> the Red Cross as a volunteer. Their eldest son Francis was a Major but was wounded an class='highlight'>inan> action an class='highlight'>inan> 1917 with severe wounds to his back. He was m...