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 135 – July 2017
The End of the Line
Fourteen years, and one hundred and thirty five articles later, this will be my last bulletin. I feel that in this form they have run their course.
It all started with postings before we moved into the Hall, to explain why, after years of hospice use and unlimited access, we needed to make part of the Hall grounds private for our family. Since then it has become, at various times, an information board for explaining and promoting the estate, and a platform for my various hobby horses. How many people read it? I don’t know, but last year one guy said he was never coming to Staunton again because of my ‘pro Brexit’ stance.
For many years now the bulletin has appeared on two notice boards at Staunton, and on our website. In its place I propose to post regular information on the website, sometimes including photographs courtesy of my daughter, Caroline.
On that topic I should here announce that we have an empty unit at the Ferrers Centre. The Catherine Wheel Gift Shop was started thirty years ago to help fund a local school being restarted by parents at Ticknall. Caroline was a six year old pupil, now she has a ten year old son herself. The gift shop has closed, and we want to turn it back into a place where things are made, in the spirit of the centre. Beyond that, and the insistence on quality, we are open to suggestions. Caroline is handling enquires, by letter or email:
caroline@andrewlargesurveyors.co.uk
