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Meet the Neighbours - Sudbury Hall #79

Continuing the series on neighbouring houses to Hoar Cross Hall, let me introduce you to Sudbury Hall, which is about 7 miles away and on the border of Staffordshire and Derbyshire.  The manor of Sudbury was listed in the Doomsday Book following the Norman Conquest in 1086, so a lot older than the Hall, and is a Grade I listed building.  The Vernon family came to Sudbury after a 16th century marriage between Sir John Vernon, from Haddon Hall in Derbyshire, and the Sudbury heiress, Ellen Montgomery.  It seems the Vernon family have stayed in the Hall for generations right up until the 20th century when the 10th Baron Vernon transferred the Hall and its princip...

The Origins of the Stately Home #39

...rs of the 18th century was 'Capability' Brown who was very much a 'hands on' gardener and designed many gardens and parklands for the aristocracy, which are still seen and enjoyed today by visitors to these grand houses.   Typical landscaped parkland   All large houses are called different names too and you may have thought that this was down to the size of them, as I did. And this is true to a point but they also tell us what type of person lived there and what the house was used for. For instance, a Palace belongs to a royal household, a Chateau belongs to a King or nobleman and a Manor is always on an estate of a Lord's land. The people who lived in...

The origins of the stately home #43

...rs of the 18th century was 'Capability' Brown who was very much a 'hands on' gardener and designed many gardens and parklands for the aristocracy, which are still seen and enjoyed today by visitors to these grand houses. All large houses are called different names too and you may have thought that this was down to the size of them, as I did. And this is true to a point but they also tell us what type of person lived there and what the house was used for. For instance, a Palace belongs to a royal household, a Chateau belongs to a King or nobleman and a Manor is always on an estate of a Lord's lands. The people who lived in them were usually aristocrats – famil...

Hoar Cross Hall - a bit of history! #14

...  In the 18th century Hugo Meynell had the title of ‘the father of fox-hunting’ as he had founded the Quorn Hunt in 1750 which became famous around the district.  He bred his own strain of foxhounds and was the first person to study fox-hunting from a scientific point of view.  He bought Quorn Hall in 1754 and built stables and kennels there, having 30 horses stabled at its height.  In 1758 he became High Sheriff of Staffordshire and Member of Parliament for Lichfield.   When his son, Hugo, died in 1800 he sold Quorn Hall to the Earl of Sefton and left to live in Derbyshire; although the family owned large amounts of property all over the Midlands in a...

Hoar Cross Hall - a bit of history #13

...n. In the 18th century Hugo Meynell had the title of ‘the father of fox-hunting’ as he had founded the Quorn Hunt in 1750 which became famous around the district. He bred his own strain of foxhounds and was the first person to study fox-hunting from a scientific point of view. He bought Quorn Hall in 1754 and built stables and kennels there, having 30 horses stabled at its height. In 1758 he became High Sheriff of Staffordshire and Member of Parliament for Lichfield. When his son, Hugo, died in 1800 he sold Quorn Hall to the Earl of Sefton and left to live in Derbyshire; although the family owned large amounts of property all over the Midlands in at least fi...

Behind the Green Baize Door #41

...n the mid 18th century and was used mainly for cabinet and closet linings in Europe – also games tables. I'm sure you are all familiar with pool and snooker tables showing off their red and green baize cloth.  Baize was also used as clothing for monks, nuns and soldiers as it was very warm and hard wearing. Is there no end to the talents of this serviceable cloth? A typical green baize door (in need of TLC!)   The green baize door was usually at the end of a long corridor leading from the kitchens, which were strategically placed at one end of the house for deliveries from the kitchen garden and home farm. Long before labour-saving devices, servants...