Burley, Rutland
Encyclopedia
Burley, or Burley-on-the-Hill, is a village
and civil parish
in the county of Rutland
in the East Midlands
of England
. It is located two miles (3 km) north-east of Oakham
.
In 1379 Sir Thomas le Despenser granted the Burley manor to trustees, two of whom were his brother Henry, Bishop of Norwich and his nephew Hugh le Despenser. Thomas died without issue in 1381, when at the outbreak of the Peasants' Revolt
, Henry was at Burley and travelled to Norwich to confront the rebels.
The Old Smithy on the village green was used in advertisements for Cherry Blossom shoe polish in the 1920s.
Ashwell Prison
, a former Category C prison, is located about one mile (2 km) west of the centre of the village. Previously the site was a WWII US army base, home to part of the 82nd Airborne Division. The prison was closed in March 2011, and its future use is yet to be determined.
. The house in the manner associated with Sir Christopher Wren, was built in the 1690s by the 2nd Earl of Nottingham
, who was to a large extent his own architect and involved himself in the minutiae of construction, but employed Henry Dormer (died 1727) to supervise its building. Nottingham replaced Dormer with John Lumley in 1697. Before embarking on the project, Lord Nottingham consulted Sir Christopher Wren and had measurements taken at Berkeley House
and Montagu House
in London. The house, in an H-plan, has a pediment
ed central block and lightly projecting end pavilion
s. With its symmetrical wings and outbuildings forming a cour d'honneur
, and segmental walling linking matching blocks in a larger outer grassed court, it forms one of the most ambitious aristocratic ensembles of the late seventeenth century.
A dining room was designed for the 8th Earl of Winchilsea
, and installed in 1778.
In 1908, a fire broke out during a party attended by Winston Churchill
, destroying the west part of the house.
The mansion was converted into 6 dwelling by Kit Martin
, 1993-8, with a further 22 dwellings on the estate. Previously the estate had been purchased by Asil Nadir
in 1991.
. It contains a moving memorial by Sir Francis Chantrey to Lady Charlotte Finch
(1820).
, lived at the mansion in the late 18th century and used its grounds
to stage a number of cricket
matches, six of them first-class
, between 1790 and 1793. As late as 1814, the venue was used for a Rutland v Nottingham game.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
and civil parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in the county of Rutland
Rutland
Rutland is a landlocked county in central England, bounded on the west and north by Leicestershire, northeast by Lincolnshire and southeast by Peterborough and Northamptonshire....
in the East Midlands
East Midlands
The East Midlands is one of the regions of England, consisting of most of the eastern half of the traditional region of the Midlands. It encompasses the combined area of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Northamptonshire and most of Lincolnshire...
of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is located two miles (3 km) north-east of Oakham
Oakham
-Oakham's horseshoes:Traditionally, members of royalty and peers of the realm who visited or passed through the town had to pay a forfeit in the form of a horseshoe...
.
In 1379 Sir Thomas le Despenser granted the Burley manor to trustees, two of whom were his brother Henry, Bishop of Norwich and his nephew Hugh le Despenser. Thomas died without issue in 1381, when at the outbreak of the Peasants' Revolt
Peasants' Revolt
The Peasants' Revolt, Wat Tyler's Rebellion, or the Great Rising of 1381 was one of a number of popular revolts in late medieval Europe and is a major event in the history of England. Tyler's Rebellion was not only the most extreme and widespread insurrection in English history but also the...
, Henry was at Burley and travelled to Norwich to confront the rebels.
The Old Smithy on the village green was used in advertisements for Cherry Blossom shoe polish in the 1920s.
Ashwell Prison
Ashwell (HM Prison)
HM Prison Ashwell was a Category C men's prison located in the parish of Burley, in the county of Rutland, England. The site of a former prison is located about two miles south of the centre of the village of Ashwell, alongside the road to Oakham and opposite the former kennels of the Cottesmore...
, a former Category C prison, is located about one mile (2 km) west of the centre of the village. Previously the site was a WWII US army base, home to part of the 82nd Airborne Division. The prison was closed in March 2011, and its future use is yet to be determined.
Burley-on-the-Hill House
The mansion in the village overlooks Rutland WaterRutland Water
Rutland Water is Anglian Water's drinking water reservoir in the county of Rutland, England, just east of the county town Oakham. It was known as Empingham Reservoir during its construction and until its official opening in 1976. The centre of its dam is at British national grid reference...
. The house in the manner associated with Sir Christopher Wren, was built in the 1690s by the 2nd Earl of Nottingham
Daniel Finch, 2nd Earl of Nottingham
Daniel Finch, 2nd Earl of Nottingham, 7th Earl of Winchilsea PC , was an English Tory statesman during the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries.-Early life:...
, who was to a large extent his own architect and involved himself in the minutiae of construction, but employed Henry Dormer (died 1727) to supervise its building. Nottingham replaced Dormer with John Lumley in 1697. Before embarking on the project, Lord Nottingham consulted Sir Christopher Wren and had measurements taken at Berkeley House
Devonshire House
Devonshire House in Piccadilly was the London residence of the Dukes of Devonshire in the 18th and 19th centuries. It was built for William Cavendish, 3rd Duke of Devonshire in the Palladian style, to designs by William Kent...
and Montagu House
Montagu House, Bloomsbury
Montagu House was a late 17th-century mansion in Great Russell Street in the Bloomsbury district of London, which became the first home of the British Museum....
in London. The house, in an H-plan, has a pediment
Pediment
A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure , typically supported by columns. The gable end of the pediment is surrounded by the cornice moulding...
ed central block and lightly projecting end pavilion
Pavilion (structure)
In architecture a pavilion has two main meanings.-Free-standing structure:Pavilion may refer to a free-standing structure sited a short distance from a main residence, whose architecture makes it an object of pleasure. Large or small, there is usually a connection with relaxation and pleasure in...
s. With its symmetrical wings and outbuildings forming a cour d'honneur
Cour d'Honneur
Cour d'Honneur is the architectural term for defining a three-sided courtyard, created when the main central block, or corps de logis, is flanked by symmetrical advancing secondary wings, containing minor rooms...
, and segmental walling linking matching blocks in a larger outer grassed court, it forms one of the most ambitious aristocratic ensembles of the late seventeenth century.
A dining room was designed for the 8th Earl of Winchilsea
Daniel Finch, 8th Earl of Winchilsea
Daniel Finch, 8th Earl of Winchilsea and 3rd Earl of Nottingham, KG, PC was a British politician. Styled Lord Finch until 1730, he was the eldest son of Daniel Finch, 2nd Earl of Nottingham and his second wife Anne Hatton, daughter of Christopher Hatton, 1st Viscount Hatton...
, and installed in 1778.
In 1908, a fire broke out during a party attended by Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
, destroying the west part of the house.
The mansion was converted into 6 dwelling by Kit Martin
Kit Martin
Kit Martin is an English architect and country house property developer.-Career:Martin is the son of Sir Leslie Martin, Professor of Architecture at the University of Cambridge. Since the 1970s Martin has specialised in the saving and restoration of country houses, by dividing them into smaller...
, 1993-8, with a further 22 dwellings on the estate. Previously the estate had been purchased by Asil Nadir
Asil Nadir
Asil Nadir is a Turkish Cypriot businessman, who was Chief executive of Polly Peck, which he took over as a small textile company, growing it during the 1980s to become one of the United Kingdom's top 100 FTSE-listed companies, with interests in consumer electronics, fruit distribution and packaging...
in 1991.
Church
The church of the Holy Cross, adjacent to the mansion, is in the care of the Churches Conservation TrustChurches Conservation Trust
The Churches Conservation Trust, which was initially known as the Redundant Churches Fund, is a charity whose purpose is to protect historic churches at risk, those that have been made redundant by the Church of England. The Trust was established by the Pastoral Measure of 1968...
. It contains a moving memorial by Sir Francis Chantrey to Lady Charlotte Finch
Lady Charlotte Finch
Lady Charlotte Finch was governess of the children of George III and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, King and Queen of Great Britain and Ireland. She was the daughter of Thomas Fermor, 1st Earl of Pomfret, and Henrietta Louisa Jeffreys. Charlotte, on 9 August 1746, married the Hon. William...
(1820).
Cricket venue
George Finch, 9th Earl of WinchilseaGeorge Finch, 9th Earl of Winchilsea
George Finch, 9th Earl of Winchilsea KG PC FRS was an important figure in the history of cricket. His main contributions to the game were patronage and organisation but Winchilsea, an amateur, was also a very keen player....
, lived at the mansion in the late 18th century and used its grounds
The Park, Burley-on-the-Hill
The Park was a cricket ground situated in the rural village of Burley-on-the-Hill in Rutland. It was used for first-class cricket in 1790, when an early England team played pre-county club Hampshire. The same fixture was repeated the following year. Also in 1791, an Old Etonians side played the...
to stage a number of cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
matches, six of them first-class
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
, between 1790 and 1793. As late as 1814, the venue was used for a Rutland v Nottingham game.