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An Englishman's Home is his Mansion! #2

...tame the gardens which were very overgrown, the grass standing about 2 feet high. As I’m sure you can imagine, after nearly 20 years of neglect, the gardens were a sorry sight having once been very grand. Apparently, when the house was built, there were 20 gardeners and the head gardner was pushed around in his wheelchair inspecting all the borders and paths; if he saw a weed it was quickly removed! I couldn’t imagine the grounds ever looking as good as they used to but we certainly had a good try and started attacking the hedges and grass as soon as we moved in. If anyone saw the Chester Zoo mini-series in 2014 about an ordinary family moving into a huge o...

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...

Skools out for summer #13

...When Hugo and Emily Meynell built Hoar Cross 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 couple. They used to have...

The War Years and Beyond #39

...ng in the gardens. Over the next twenty years the beautiful gardens gradually fell into a state of decay, which is how we found them when we moved there in 1970. The overgrown lawns   By now much of the Meynell estate lands had been disposed of. Local properties were sold to tenants and others. The Hoar Cross estate, once the pivot of the local community and a source of employment, was being considerably reduced. Colonel Meynell, who had been seriously wounded in the Second World War, was suffering from his disability and it must have been difficult for him living in such a large house. Therefore, in 1952 the family bought a smaller house in nearby Newbo...

The War years and beyond

...ng in the gardens.  Over the next twenty years the beautiful gardens gradually fell into a state of decay, which is how we found them when we moved there in 1970. By now much of the Meynell estate lands had been disposed of.  Local properties were sold to tenants and others.  The Hoar Cross estate, once the pivot of the local community and a source of employment, was being considerably reduced.  Colonel Meynell, who had been seriously wounded in the Second World War, was suffering from his disability and it must have been difficult for him living in such a large house.  Therefore, in 1952 the family bought a smaller house in nearby Newborough called Hollyb...

Gardeners World at Hoar Cross #36

...om of the gardens were smaller square gardens (including the stepping stone pond) all bordered by yew hedges. These hedges were all trimmed into spectacular shapes and must have been a full time job for Mr Rowley! (see header picture of Mr Rowley in the kitchen garden).   Lady Mary's garden showing topiary work in yew hedges    The estate also had its own farm called Home Farm. This supplied the house and staff with all the produce that they needed. The carp pool provided fish and the regular pheasant shoots provided game for the table. All very self sufficient! In addition to the farm workers and gardeners were all sorts of other workers on the estat...