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To the Manor Born #77

Before we moved to Hoar Cross Hall my father had bought an old Manor House in the village of Shardlow, near Derby, which had previously been a vicarage among other things.  I think my parents must have had a love of historic buildings and indeed were members of the Society for the Preservation of Ancient Buildings and Monuments.  My dad had a business in Derby at the time making alabaster items such as table lamps and candlestick holders and when he bought the Manor House he moved his business there, as it had lots of outbuildings for all the alabaster equipment. Some of my father's alabaster pieces   The House itself had about 17 rooms and was built i...

Moving Into a Mansion #67

As summer turns to autumn my thoughts have gone back in time to 1970 when my family moved House at this time of the year - not to any old House, but to a 70-roomed stately home in Staffordshire!  The whole process of moving  was done over the summer months as we lived about 20 miles away in an old vicarage with a large garden and lots of outbuildings. This House was about 200 years old and they say Bonnie Prince Charlie marched past it on his way to battle back in the day, for all you history buffs out there!  Actually I love history and I think my interest was fuelled by living in these historic Houses as a child.  My dad used to be a racing driver in the 1...

Moving House to a mansion #1

MOVING House TO A MANSION:       My parents took vacant possession of Hoar Cross Hall in 1970 and the whole process of moving House was done over the summer months.  We lived about 20 miles away in an old vicarage with a large garden and lots of outbuildings. This House was about 200 years old and they say Bonnie Prince Charlie marched past it on his way to battle back in the day, for all you history buffs out there!  Actually I love history and I think my interest was fuelled by living in these historic Houses as a child.  My dad used to be a racing driver in the 1950s and before that he did motorcycle racing, often at nearby Donington Park.  During the...

Hoar Cross Hall - a bit of history #17

If you love to read up on the history of old Houses then you'll love to hear about all the generations of people that lived at Hoar Cross Hall.  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 ending 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). In 1740 the Manor House was demolished and later the Hon. Charles Talbot bought the estate for £17,000. Eventually it was sold t...

Moving into the Manor #2

MOVING INTO THE Manor:          My parents took vacant possession of Hoar Cross Hall in 1970 and the whole process of moving House was done over the summer months.  We lived about 20 miles away in an old vicarage with a large garden and lots of outbuildings. This House was about 200 years old and they say Bonnie Prince Charlie marched past it on his way to battle back in the day, for all you history buffs out there!  Actually I love history and I think my interest was fuelled by living in these historic Houses as a child.  My dad used to be a racing driver in the 1950s and before that he did motorcycle racing, often at nearby Donington Park.  During the...

Moving in - to a stately home! #2

MOVING IN -  TO A STATELY HOME!   My parents took vacant possession of Hoar Cross Hall in 1970 and the whole process of moving House was done over the summer months. We lived about 20 miles away in an old vicarage with a large garden and lots of outbuildings. This House was about 200 years old and they say Bonnie Prince Charlie marched past it on his way to battle back in the day, for all you history buffs out there! Actually I love history and I think my interest was fuelled by living in these historic Houses as a child. My dad used to be a racing driver in the 1950s and before that he did motorcycle racing, often at nearby Donington Park. During the 1960s h...