- Blakesley Hall (Northamptonshire)
Blakesley Hall was a manor house situated near the village of
Blakesley inNorthamptonshire ,England . Dating from the reign of King Henry III in the 13th century. It was gifted at one time by Henry VIII to his daughter, Princess Elizabeth (Queen Elizabeth I of England).Blakesley Hall was owned by the Hibbit family for over forty years between 1823 to 1867.The owner William Hibbit (1767 - 1840) inherited the titles Lord Of The Manor and Patron Of The Living.During this period the Hibbits were responsible for many alterations to both the Hall and the grounds. These included the construction of The Hospital Wing and extensive landscaping of the gardens.The stable block was a focal meeting point for the Blakesley Hunt during their residence.
The family connections with Blakesley extended to the local church St. Mary The Virgin, where they were celebrated patrons (a plaque is on display near the altar). The beautiful sandstone font, donated by one of Williams sons , the vicar of St. Mary's, the Reverend Arthur Hibbit B.A. (Camb. Univ.) (1818 - 1893) is in use for baptisms to this very day.
Ownership of the Hall for the years between 1867 and 1875 was shrouded in mystery and intrigue with contestation of wills and estate claims abounding.
The hall was owned by
C. W. Bartholomew from 1876 to 1919. In 1903, Bartholemew constructed a convert|15|in|mm|sing=on-gaugeridable miniature railway Built in 1903, the convert|15|in|mm|sing=on narrow gauge line ran the three quarters of a mile from the SMJ station to the nearby 'Blakesley Hall'. The line carried coal, farm supplies and the occasional passenger and when the Hall became a military hospital during the first world war, the line was used to rehabilitate patients. The track was lifted in 1940, the Hall being demolished in 1957.Blakesley Station on the
East and West Junction Railway (later known as theStratford-upon-Avon and Midland Junction Railway ) betweenStratford-upon-Avon andBlisworth Junction . Visit (http://www.andythompson.net/blakesley.htm) for more details. One of the engines run on the miniature railway was a 4-4-4Tinternal combustion locomotive (with a steam outline) named "Blacolvesley" and built byBassett-Lowke of Northampton in 1909. [http://railwaysofbritain.bravehost.com/Saltburnminiature.html]More recently, local
architectural designer s, the Roger Coy Partnership, have been grantedplanning permission to undertake work on their proposed recreation of the hall. [http://www.rogercoy.co.uk/heritage.html] The current owner discovered astream bylandscape gardener s,James Pulham and Son (a firm which specialised in the production ofsimulated rock, known as Pulham Rock, for garden features in the 19th century), while clearing the grounds in readiness for the redevelopment. The stream, which had become overgrown, includedcascade s and otherwater features .External links
* [http://www.pulham.org.uk/Sites/Pulham%20Sites%20in%20Midlands.htm The Pulham Legacy] About James Pulham and Son
* [http://www.andythompson.net/blakesley.htm Stratford Upon Avon & Midland Junction Railway]
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