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SKOOLS OUT FOR SUMMER! #13

SKOOLS OUT FOR SUMMER! When Hugo and Emily Meynell built the Hall it an class='highlight'>inan>cluded a whole estate with it, namely kitchen gardens, greenhouses, stables, a farm and cottages.  Old Hall (their origan class='highlight'>inan>al home) was also on the estate and was accessed via a private road, which ran from the maan class='highlight'>inan> 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 an class='highlight'>inan>to a children’s home.  Emily Meynell had started this home an class='highlight'>inan> the Victorian days, callan class='highlight'>inan>g 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 Tax Man Cometh #29

My parents’ court case was fan class='highlight'>inan>ally over and my dad had six months to leave the family home, Hoar Cross Hall. an class='highlight'>inan> the meantime my mum had to fan class='highlight'>inan>d the funds to buy him out and he had to fan class='highlight'>inan>d another house to live an class='highlight'>inan>. He also had an awful lot of stuff to move too! He eventually found a house an class='highlight'>inan> nearby Burton-on-Trent but as it was obviously a lot smaller he had to get rid of a lot of his possessions and one of the first than class='highlight'>inan>gs to go was his Lotus Elite. He advertised it an class='highlight'>inan> the local paper but an class='highlight'>inan>stead of gettan class='highlight'>inan>g a phone call from a likely buyer, the first call was from the local tax office. Back an class='highlight'>inan> those days they used to check advertisements an class='highlight'>inan> the newspapers and...

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>...

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

When we first moved to Hoar Cross Hall, an class='highlight'>growan class='highlight'>inan>gan> an class='highlight'>upan> 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. Coan class='highlight'>upan>led with this was my parents' fightan class='highlight'>inan>g and subsequent split, livan class='highlight'>inan>g 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...

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

The saga of my parents’ split contan class='highlight'>inan>ued as we grew an class='highlight'>upan> 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...

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...