Quenby Hall
Encyclopedia
Quenby Hall is a Jacobean
house in parkland near the villages of Cold Newton
and Hungarton
, Leicestershire
, England. It is described by Pevsner
as: the most important early-seventeenth century house in the county (of Leicestershire). The Hall is Grade I listed, and the park and gardens grade II, by English Heritage
.
and is best reached from the A47 road
by taking the turn towards Hungarton at the village of Billesdon
.
data. There may have been a house on the site before building of the current house which began in 1618. A clock on the west front is dated 1620. Building finished in 1636. The house is 'H-shaped' and on a hillside location. It has three stroreys and a very shallow pitched roof.
The house was bought in 1904 and restored by Lady Henry Grosvenor who made Edwardian improvements and restored much of the Jacobean interior. Twenty years later it was bought by Sir Harold Nutting until his death in 1972. The Squire de Lisle then bought Quenby selling their then house Grace Dieu Manor
, to replace the family seat at Garendon Hall which was demolished in 1964. Quenby has since been extensively restored. The current owner is Frederick de Lisle.
(2006) was made at the Hall.
Jacobean
Jacobean indicates the period of English history that coincides with the reign of James I of England :*Jacobean era*Jacobean architecture*Jacobean literature*Jacobean English...
house in parkland near the villages of Cold Newton
Cold Newton
Cold Newton is a small hamlet and civil parish in the Harborough district of Leicestershire. It is situated about two miles from Tilton on the Hill and two miles north of Billesdon. Some above sea level, it overlooks the Wreake valley. For administrative purposes the village is linked with Lowesby...
and Hungarton
Hungarton
Hungarton is a small village in the county of Leicestershire, England. It is about north-east of Leicester and south-west of Melton Mowbray...
, Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
, England. It is described by Pevsner
Pevsner
Pevsner is a surname, and may refer to:* Antoine Pevsner , a Russian sculptor* Sir Nikolaus Pevsner , a German-born British scholar of the history of architecture;** ....
as: the most important early-seventeenth century house in the county (of Leicestershire). The Hall is Grade I listed, and the park and gardens grade II, by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
.
Location
The Hall is just south of Hungarton, about 7 miles (11.3 km) east of the centre of LeicesterLeicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
and is best reached from the A47 road
A47 road
The A47 is a trunk road in England originally linking Birmingham to Great Yarmouth. Most of the section between Birmingham and Nuneaton is now classified as the B4114.-Route:...
by taking the turn towards Hungarton at the village of Billesdon
Billesdon
Billesdon is a village and civil parish in the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England, with a population of 745 according to the 2001 census. It is just off the A47, nine miles east of Leicester. The Billesdon bypass opened in October 1986...
.
History
Quenby Hall was built between 1618 and 1636 by George Ashby (1598–1653) a High Sheriff of Leicestershire. The village of Quenby was held by the Ashby family from the 13th century and remains of the village are in the present park. The village population was at least 25 in 1377 based on Poll TaxPoll tax
A poll tax is a tax of a portioned, fixed amount per individual in accordance with the census . When a corvée is commuted for cash payment, in effect it becomes a poll tax...
data. There may have been a house on the site before building of the current house which began in 1618. A clock on the west front is dated 1620. Building finished in 1636. The house is 'H-shaped' and on a hillside location. It has three stroreys and a very shallow pitched roof.
The house was bought in 1904 and restored by Lady Henry Grosvenor who made Edwardian improvements and restored much of the Jacobean interior. Twenty years later it was bought by Sir Harold Nutting until his death in 1972. The Squire de Lisle then bought Quenby selling their then house Grace Dieu Manor
Grace Dieu Manor
Grace Dieu Manor is a 19th-century country house near Thringstone in Leicestershire, England, now occupied by Grace Dieu Manor School. It is a Grade II listed building.-History:...
, to replace the family seat at Garendon Hall which was demolished in 1964. Quenby has since been extensively restored. The current owner is Frederick de Lisle.
Stilton cheese
Stilton cheese originated here and was first made by the housekeeper. After a break of 250 years, production began again in 2005 but the business folded in 2011.Film location
Part of the British film A Cock and Bull StoryA Cock and Bull Story
A Cock and Bull Story is a 2006 British comedy film directed by Michael Winterbottom...
(2006) was made at the Hall.