Thornbridge Hall
Encyclopedia
Thornbridge Hall is a large English country house
situated near the village Great Longstone
in the local government district of Derbyshire Dales
in Derbyshire
. It is a grade 2 listed building.
to St Petersburg in Russia. The Morewood family considerably enlarged the house. In 1859, Frederick Craven rebuilt the house in Jacobean
style and installed the William Morris
/Edward Burne-Jones
window in the Great Hall.
In 1896, George Marples, a Sheffield
businessman and lawyer, extended the house to nearly its present form, built lodges and cottages, landscaped the park and gardens, added his own private railway station, and acquired the Watson buffet fountain from Chatsworth House
.
From 1929, Charles Boot
, the Sheffield entrepreneur who designed and built Pinewood Studios
, added items from Clumber Park
and panelling from Derwent Hall. His company, Henry Boot Construction, was contracted to demolish Clumber after a fire in 1938. It was Boot who was responsible for bringing the many items to Thornbridge, although the bulk were lost to private buyers through auction. Thornbridge Hall is now home to a vast array of statues, facades and fountains originally belonging to Clumber.
Sheffield City Council
took over the house in 1945 and it became a teacher training college. In later years, it was used as an educational centre and conference centre by the council, providing residential facilities for teachers and pupils in the house itself and in various outbuildings.
At this time the housewas of sufficient note that a Great Western Railway
GWR 6959 Class
or Modified Hall class steam locomotive number 6964 built in May 1944, was named Thornbridge Hall in June 1947. It was withdrawn from service in September 1965 and scrapped at T. Ward, Beighton.
The Hunt family purchased the house from the Council in 1997, started restoration work to the gardens, and removed additions to the house to reveal its earlier proportions.
From 2002 Thornbridge Hall has been owned by Jim and Emma Harrison
, owners of Thornbridge Brewery
and A4e
respectively, and is both a private family home and an exclusive venue for events. It is not open to the public.
The Thornbridge Brewery
is based in a converted joiner's and stonemason’s workshop within the grounds of Thornbridge Hall. They aim "to make a small range of quality cask and bottled beers using new recipes, innovative approaches and the use of local fresh ingredients." Their first beers appeared in February 2005 and have won awards.
English country house
The English country house is a large house or mansion in the English countryside. Such houses were often owned by individuals who also owned a London house. This allowed to them to spend time in the country and in the city—hence, for these people, the term distinguished between town and country...
situated near the village Great Longstone
Great Longstone
Great Longstone with Little Longstone is one of two villages in the local government district of Derbyshire Dales in Derbyshire, England.-History:...
in the local government district of Derbyshire Dales
Derbyshire Dales
Derbyshire Dales is a local government district in Derbyshire, England. Much of the district is situated in the Peak District, although most of its population lies along the River Derwent....
in Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
. It is a grade 2 listed building.
History
From the 12th to the late 18th century, Thornbridge Hall was the seat of the Longsdon family. In 1790, John Morewood bought Thornbridge Hall for the princely sum of £10,000. He made his money selling linens out of ManchesterManchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
to St Petersburg in Russia. The Morewood family considerably enlarged the house. In 1859, Frederick Craven rebuilt the house in Jacobean
Jacobean architecture
The Jacobean style is the second phase of Renaissance architecture in England, following the Elizabethan style. It is named after King James I of England, with whose reign it is associated.-Characteristics:...
style and installed the William Morris
William Morris
William Morris 24 March 18343 October 1896 was an English textile designer, artist, writer, and socialist associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and the English Arts and Crafts Movement...
/Edward Burne-Jones
Edward Burne-Jones
Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, 1st Baronet was a British artist and designer closely associated with the later phase of the Pre-Raphaelite movement, who worked closely with William Morris on a wide range of decorative arts as a founding partner in Morris, Marshall, Faulkner, and Company...
window in the Great Hall.
In 1896, George Marples, a Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
businessman and lawyer, extended the house to nearly its present form, built lodges and cottages, landscaped the park and gardens, added his own private railway station, and acquired the Watson buffet fountain from Chatsworth House
Chatsworth House
Chatsworth House is a stately home in North Derbyshire, England, northeast of Bakewell and west of Chesterfield . It is the seat of the Duke of Devonshire, and has been home to his family, the Cavendish family, since Bess of Hardwick settled at Chatsworth in 1549.Standing on the east bank of the...
.
From 1929, Charles Boot
Charles Boot
Charles Boot of Sheffield, England was the creator and builder of Pinewood Studios on the estate of Heatherden Hall at Iver Heath in the parish of Iver in Buckinghamshire, England.- Basic biography :...
, the Sheffield entrepreneur who designed and built Pinewood Studios
Pinewood Studios
Pinewood Studios is a major British film studio situated in Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, approximately west of central London. The studios have played host to many productions over the years from huge blockbuster films to television shows to commercials to pop promos.The purchase of Shepperton...
, added items from Clumber Park
Clumber Park
Clumber Park is a country park in the Dukeries near Worksop in Nottinghamshire, England. It was the seat of the Pelham-Clintons, Dukes of Newcastle.It is owned by the National Trust and open to the public.-History:...
and panelling from Derwent Hall. His company, Henry Boot Construction, was contracted to demolish Clumber after a fire in 1938. It was Boot who was responsible for bringing the many items to Thornbridge, although the bulk were lost to private buyers through auction. Thornbridge Hall is now home to a vast array of statues, facades and fountains originally belonging to Clumber.
Sheffield City Council
Sheffield City Council
Sheffield City Council is the city council for the metropolitan borough of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It consists of 84 councillors, elected to represent 28 wards, each with three councillors...
took over the house in 1945 and it became a teacher training college. In later years, it was used as an educational centre and conference centre by the council, providing residential facilities for teachers and pupils in the house itself and in various outbuildings.
At this time the housewas of sufficient note that a Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
GWR 6959 Class
GWR 6959 Class
The Great Western Railway 6959 Class or Modified Hall Class is a class of 4-6-0 steam locomotive. They were a development by Frederick Hawksworth of Charles Collett's earlier Hall Class....
or Modified Hall class steam locomotive number 6964 built in May 1944, was named Thornbridge Hall in June 1947. It was withdrawn from service in September 1965 and scrapped at T. Ward, Beighton.
The Hunt family purchased the house from the Council in 1997, started restoration work to the gardens, and removed additions to the house to reveal its earlier proportions.
Present use
Emma Harrison (entrepreneur)
Emma Harrison CBE is a British entrepreneur. She is the chairman, owner and founder of A4e . A graduate engineer , she has received honorary doctorates from the University of Derby and the University of Bradford....
, owners of Thornbridge Brewery
Thornbridge Brewery
-History:The first beers appeared in February 2005 and have won many awards.Thornbridge's beers were originally brewed by Martin Dickie, a graduate of the International Centre for Distilling and Brewing at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh and Stefano Cossi, a graduate in Food Science and...
and A4e
A4e
A4E is a training company based in the United Kingdom. The company began in Sheffield in 1991 to provide redundant steelworkers with training so that they could find new jobs...
respectively, and is both a private family home and an exclusive venue for events. It is not open to the public.
The Thornbridge Brewery
Thornbridge Brewery
-History:The first beers appeared in February 2005 and have won many awards.Thornbridge's beers were originally brewed by Martin Dickie, a graduate of the International Centre for Distilling and Brewing at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh and Stefano Cossi, a graduate in Food Science and...
is based in a converted joiner's and stonemason’s workshop within the grounds of Thornbridge Hall. They aim "to make a small range of quality cask and bottled beers using new recipes, innovative approaches and the use of local fresh ingredients." Their first beers appeared in February 2005 and have won awards.