Welcome to Staunton Harold Hall
The Staunton Harold Estate is a traditional country estate of some 2000 acres, centred on the great Georgian mansion, Staunton Harold Hall. Family run, and ‘hands on’ in its management style, the estate has embraced modern uses for its diverse assets. The Hall itself became a family home again in 2003, after fifty years of institutional use. With some eighty three rooms, the main building easily accommodates three generations of our family. Son-in-law, Tony Cantrill, has taken over the West Wing, now converted into high quality managed offices and conference facilities, known as LION COURT. The suite of fine ‘State Rooms’ on the east and north front lend themselves to large functions, and here we host weddings and other events up to twelve times a year. Our family’s involvement with Staunton Harold began in 1955, when we purchased the three farms at the core of the estate. These included the large Georgian stable block, which stood abandoned and ruinous. We put it in good repair, and in 1974 began its conversion to craft workshops and studios. Now known as the FERRERS CENTRE FOR ARTS AND CRAFTS this is a true ‘making’ centre with some eighteen businesses covering a range of disciplines. Most of our land is let to local farmers, but the four hundred acres of woodland we manage ourselves with a forestry team based at our estate sawmill. From here we sell firewood through the TEN MILE TIMBER COMPANY, and sawn material, mainly oak and larch, cut to customers’ requirements. Our family business centres around maintaining and renting out property and a recent addition to this, built from our own timber, is DEERPARK LODGE. This is a holiday cottage, sleeping six, set among trees on a hill above the Hall. The hamlet of Staunton Harold includes a garden centre, in separate ownership, and a fine 17th century church, now in the care of the National Trust. We have become something of a walking and cycling centre, with adequate car parks and restaurants and seven routes radiating from the settlement.
Bulletin 125 – September 2016
Keeping Up Appearances
It’s been the year of painting the doors and windows at the Ferrers Centre, all one hundred and eighteen of them. Mark has been on them all summer, and should finish before the weather breaks.
Most have been replaced at some time during our sixty years of ownership, but the main doors I believe to be original. Because they open inwards, and are protected under the deep reveal of the arch when closed, they do not catch the weather. If I’m right, they will have witnessed a rich tapestry of events over two hundred and forty years.
Elsewhere we are finding rot in some of the window cills. It’s always the cills which rot, the other ninety percent goes on indefinitely, In earlier days we would cut out the cill and splice the jambs, fitting new timber; nowadays we dig out the rot, apply wood hardener, fill the void, sand down and repaint. I used to think this a short term cheat but after thirty years I have to accept that it is a solution which lasts long term.
All of our ground floor workshops and studios are let at present, but WE WILL SHORTLY HAVE AN ATTRACTIVE FIRST FLOOR UNIT TO LET. This has central heating and water laid on, can be used as a studio or office, but not with public access. Details are available from our daughter, Caroline Large, on 01332 862250.
Like all our estate staff, Mark is multi-skilled, able to turn his hand to pretty well anything. One thing he cannot do is keep paint off himself; you can always tell if he’s been painting red doors or white windows.
