Rufford Abbey
Encyclopedia
Rufford Abbey is an estate in Sherwood Forest
in Nottinghamshire
, England
. It was originally a Cistercian abbey
. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries
in the 16th century it became a country house. Part of the house was demolished in the 20th century, but the remains, together with the grounds, are open to the public.
, on 12 July 1147, and populated with Cistercian monks from Rievaulx Abbey
in Yorkshire
.
The English Pope, Adrian IV gave the blessing for the abbey in 1156, following which the abbey's lands expanded and the villagers of Cratley
, Grimston and Rufford, Inkersall
were evicted. A new village of Wellow
, just outside the estate housed some of the displaced people.
The Valor Ecclesiasticus
of 1534 gives the gross income of the abbey as £254 6s. 8d. (£ as of ),and the clear annual value as £176 11s. 6d. (£ as of ).
Abbot Doncaster obtained a pension of £25 a year, on the dissolution of the house in 1536 among the lesser monasteries, but it was voided on his speedy appointment to the rectory of Rotherham on 2 July 1536.
Abbots of Rufford
. In 1626, the house was sold to Sir George Savile
, and later inhabited by his descendant, the Marquess of Halifax
.
The Savile family sold the estate during the Great Depression
, and it was later acquired by English Heritage
. The late 17th century North Wing was demolished in the 1950s.
was listed in the Domesday Book
.
The Rufford Estate covered approximately twenty-nine square miles and in addition to the ancient Liberty of Rufford
, it included the parishes of Bilsthorpe
, Eakring
and most of Ollerton
, Ompton, Boughton
, Wellow
, and extended into Blidworth
, Edwinstowe
, Egmanton
, Farnsfield
, Kirton
, Tuxford
, and Walesby
.
The titles of Lord of the Manor
of Rufford
and of the Liberty of Rufford
were sold at auction by the Manorial Society of Great Britain
in July 2010.
Between 1729 and c.1845 many improvements were made to the Rufford estate. For example; the addition of the bath house, the creation of the lake and mill buildings, the construction of the brewhouse, water tower and coach house and also the addition of five ice houses.
Although Rufford Abbey once boasted five ice houses, only two remain today. All were constructed around 1820, when the estate was owned by John Lumley-Savile, 8th Earl of Scarbrough
(1788–1856). The five ice houses are located near Rufford lake, created c1750; for the simple reason that the movement of ice from its source was easier.
Not all of Rufford’s ice houses faced north, as accessibility and the logistics of the ice may have meant that the builders found it easier to place the doorways facing the lake rather than northerly. It is believed that ice was mainly taken from Blackwalk Pond, which was drained to make way for housing in the 20th century. Blackwalk Pond was used to serve the abbey in Rufford's monastic era, and later supplied water to Rufford's water tower and brewhouse, which remain on site today.
assembled in Rufford Park as a mass action against what was perceived to be the unfair monopolising of game-hunting rights by wealthy landowners. The poachers were attacked by ten gamekeepers and, in the ensuing battle, one of the gamekeepers was badly injured and later died of a fractured skull. Four of the poachers' ringleaders were arrested and each subsequently sentenced to deportation and fourteen years of penal servitude for manslaughter. The incident gave rise to the popular ballad, Rufford Park Poachers (Roud
#1759), which depicts the poachers as bold heroes.
By the early 1900s, the Rufford Abbey Estate comprised some 18500 acres (74.9 km²), but had begun to feel the effects of rising running costs and reduced incomes. It was eventually sold in 1938.
was also used.
also transcribed "Rufford Park Poachers" in the third movement of his suite, "Lincolnshire Posy
."
Sherwood Forest
Sherwood Forest is a Royal Forest in Nottinghamshire, England, that is famous through its historical association with the legend of Robin Hood. Continuously forested since the end of the Ice Age, Sherwood Forest National Nature Reserve today encompasses 423 hectares surrounding the village of...
in Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
, 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 was originally a Cistercian abbey
Abbey
An abbey is a Catholic monastery or convent, under the authority of an Abbot or an Abbess, who serves as the spiritual father or mother of the community.The term can also refer to an establishment which has long ceased to function as an abbey,...
. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
in the 16th century it became a country house. Part of the house was demolished in the 20th century, but the remains, together with the grounds, are open to the public.
The Monastic Foundation
The abbey itself was founded by Gilbert de GantGilbert de Gant, Earl of Lincoln
Gilbert de Gant, 1st Earl of Lincoln was an English nobleman who fought for King Stephen during The Anarchy.He was the son of Walter de Gant and Maud of Brittany...
, on 12 July 1147, and populated with Cistercian monks from Rievaulx Abbey
Rievaulx Abbey
Rievaulx Abbey is a former Cistercian abbey headed by the Abbot of Rievaulx. It is located in Rievaulx , near Helmsley in North Yorkshire, England.It was one of the wealthiest abbeys in England and was dissolved by Henry VIII of England in 1538...
in Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
.
The English Pope, Adrian IV gave the blessing for the abbey in 1156, following which the abbey's lands expanded and the villagers of Cratley
Cratley
Cratley is a lost village in Nottinghamshire, England. It may have been located close to North Laithes Farm at Kneesall although an alternative site east of Laund Wood has been suggested. Another name's for the settlement is Cratela, or Creilage...
, Grimston and Rufford, Inkersall
Inkersall
Inkersall and Inkersall Green are areas of settlement in Derbyshire, England. They are located south of the A619 road, east of Chesterfield.Inkersall is a small hamlet just outside Chesterfield, which has seen fast development over the last few years....
were evicted. A new village of Wellow
Wellow, Nottinghamshire
Wellow is a village in Nottinghamshire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 444It has a village green and a maypole, which is still in use. The parish church of St Swithin is 12th century, which was restored, with a new chancel, in 1878-9. On the east and south sides of...
, just outside the estate housed some of the displaced people.
The Valor Ecclesiasticus
Valor Ecclesiasticus
The Valor Ecclesiasticus was a survey of the finances of the church in England, Wales and English controlled parts of Ireland made in 1535 on the orders of Henry VIII....
of 1534 gives the gross income of the abbey as £254 6s. 8d. (£ as of ),and the clear annual value as £176 11s. 6d. (£ as of ).
Abbot Doncaster obtained a pension of £25 a year, on the dissolution of the house in 1536 among the lesser monasteries, but it was voided on his speedy appointment to the rectory of Rotherham on 2 July 1536.
Abbots of Rufford
- Philip de Kyme, temp. Stephen
- Edward, 1203
- Geoffrey, circa temp. John, 1218, &c.
- Thomas
- Simon, circa 1232
- G—, circa 1239
- Geoffrey, circa 1252
- William, circa 1259
- Henry, 1278
- Thomas de Stayngreve, circa 1283
- Henry, circa 1288
- Henry de Tring, circa 1315
- Elias Lyvet (LevettLevettLevett is an Anglo-Norman territorial surname deriving from the village of Livet-en-Ouche, now Jonquerets-de-Livet, in Eure, Normandy. Ancestors of the earliest Levett family in England, the de Livets were lords of the village of Livet, and undertenants of the de Ferrers, among the most powerful of...
), circa 1332 - Robert de Mapelbek, 1352
- Thomas, 1366
- John de Harlesay, 1372
- John de Farnsfeld, 1394
- Thomas Sewally, circa 1400
- Robert de Welles, 1421
- Robert Warthill, died 1456
- William Cresswell, 1456
- John Pomfrat, died 1462
- John Lilly, 1462
- John Greyne, 1465
- Roland Bliton, 1516
- Thomas Doncaster, last abbot
Later owners
The estate was later granted to the Talbot family, and its residents included George Talbot, 6th Earl of ShrewsburyGeorge Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury
George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury, 6th Earl of Waterford, 12th Baron Talbot, KG, Earl Marshal was a 16th century English statesman.-Life:...
. In 1626, the house was sold to Sir George Savile
George Savile
Sir George Savile, 8th Baronet was an English politician.-Background:Savile was born in Savile House, London, the only son of Sir George Savile, 7th Baronet and Lady Savile , of Rufford Abbey, Nottinghamshire and inherited his baronetcy on the death of his father in 1743.-Political career:He...
, and later inhabited by his descendant, the Marquess of Halifax
George Savile, 1st Marquess of Halifax
George Savile, 1st Marquess of Halifax PC was an English statesman, writer, and politician.-Family and early life, 1633–1667:...
.
The Savile family sold the estate during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, and it was later acquired 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...
. The late 17th century North Wing was demolished in the 1950s.
History of The Lordship and Liberty of Rufford
The Manor of RuffordRufford
Rufford may refer to:* Rufford, Lancashire, England**site of Rufford New Hall, Rufford Old Hall and Rufford railway station* Rufford, Nottinghamshire, England**site of Rufford Abbey...
was listed in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
.
The Rufford Estate covered approximately twenty-nine square miles and in addition to the ancient Liberty of Rufford
Liberty of Rufford
The Liberty of Rufford was an extra-parochial liberty in the County of Nottinghamshire.It extends southward from the vicinity of Ollerton, for more than six miles, along the banks of the Rainworth-water, and consists of 10,221 acres...
, it included the parishes of Bilsthorpe
Bilsthorpe
Bilsthorpe is a village and civil parish in the Newark and Sherwood district of Nottinghamshire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 3,076. It is about five miles south of Ollerton, and near the junction of the A614 and A617....
, Eakring
Eakring
Eakring is a village in the Newark and Sherwood district in Nottinghamshire.-Geography:It is situated between the A617 and the A616 roads between Ollerton and Southwell. Dukes Wood to the south is situated on the top of an escarpment, giving good views over the Trent valley to the east and towards...
and most of Ollerton
Ollerton
Ollerton is a town in Nottinghamshire, England, on the edge of Sherwood Forest in the area known as the Dukeries. It forms part of the civil parish of Ollerton and Boughton....
, Ompton, Boughton
Boughton, Nottinghamshire
Boughton is a village in Nottinghamshire, England forming part of the civil parish of Ollerton and Boughton.Boughton windmill was located close to the present B6381 road ....
, Wellow
Wellow, Nottinghamshire
Wellow is a village in Nottinghamshire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 444It has a village green and a maypole, which is still in use. The parish church of St Swithin is 12th century, which was restored, with a new chancel, in 1878-9. On the east and south sides of...
, and extended into Blidworth
Blidworth
Blidworth is a small village approximately five miles east of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England. Its history can be traced back to the 14th century, although many of the current houses were built in the first half of the 20th century to provide housing for workers at Blidworth Colliery .-Robin...
, Edwinstowe
Edwinstowe
Edwinstowe is a village in the heart of Sherwood Forest, north Nottinghamshire, England.Its name means Edwin's resting place because King Edwin of Northumbria's body was hidden in the church after he was killed in the Battle of Hatfield Chase, near Doncaster, probably in 633. References to...
, Egmanton
Egmanton
Egmanton is a small village located one mile south of Tuxford and one mile north of Laxton in Nottinghamshire, England. The name derives from the Old English words for Ecgmund's farm/settlement.The nearest larger towns are Retford and Newark-on-Trent...
, Farnsfield
Farnsfield
Farnsfield is a village and civil parish in Nottinghamshire in Sherwood Forest. It is in the local government district of Newark and Sherwood....
, Kirton
Kirton, Nottinghamshire
Kirton is a village in Nottinghamshire, England. It is located east of Ollerton. According to the United Kingdom Census 2001 it had a population of 273 ....
, Tuxford
Tuxford
-Geography:Tuxford is a village and a civil parish on the southern edge of the Bassetlaw district of Nottinghamshire, England. It may also be considered a small town as it was historically a market town. Nearby larger towns are Retford and Newark-on-Trent. From Harvest Cottage, near the ECML, the...
, and Walesby
Walesby, Nottinghamshire
Walesby is a village and civil parish in Nottinghamshire, England. At the time of the 2001 census it had a population of 1,255. It is located north of Newark. The parish church of St Edmund is Perpendicular in style The village is famous for its forest, part of which forms a Scout camp...
.
The titles of Lord of the Manor
Lord of the Manor
The Lordship of a Manor is recognised today in England and Wales as a form of property and one of three elements of a manor that may exist separately or be combined and may be held in moieties...
of Rufford
Rufford
Rufford may refer to:* Rufford, Lancashire, England**site of Rufford New Hall, Rufford Old Hall and Rufford railway station* Rufford, Nottinghamshire, England**site of Rufford Abbey...
and of the Liberty of Rufford
Liberty of Rufford
The Liberty of Rufford was an extra-parochial liberty in the County of Nottinghamshire.It extends southward from the vicinity of Ollerton, for more than six miles, along the banks of the Rainworth-water, and consists of 10,221 acres...
were sold at auction by the Manorial Society of Great Britain
Manorial Society of Great Britain
The Manorial Society of Great Britain was founded in 1906. It has a membership of approximately 1,900, comprising Lords of the Manor and feudal barons, peers, as well as historians, mainly from the United Kingdom but also some from Ireland.Its aims are:...
in July 2010.
Ice houses
Although Rufford Abbey once boasted five ice houses, only two remain today. All were constructed around 1820, when the estate was owned by John Lumley-Savile, 8th Earl of Scarbrough
John Lumley-Savile, 8th Earl of Scarbrough
John Lumley-Saville, 8th Earl of Scarbrough , styled Viscount Lumley between 1832 and 1835, was a British peer and politician.-Background:...
(1788–1856). The five ice houses are located near Rufford lake, created c1750; for the simple reason that the movement of ice from its source was easier.
Not all of Rufford’s ice houses faced north, as accessibility and the logistics of the ice may have meant that the builders found it easier to place the doorways facing the lake rather than northerly. It is believed that ice was mainly taken from Blackwalk Pond, which was drained to make way for housing in the 20th century. Blackwalk Pond was used to serve the abbey in Rufford's monastic era, and later supplied water to Rufford's water tower and brewhouse, which remain on site today.
The 1851 poaching incident and ballad
In 1851, a gang of forty or so poachersPoaching
Poaching is the illegal taking of wild plants or animals contrary to local and international conservation and wildlife management laws. Violations of hunting laws and regulations are normally punishable by law and, collectively, such violations are known as poaching.It may be illegal and in...
assembled in Rufford Park as a mass action against what was perceived to be the unfair monopolising of game-hunting rights by wealthy landowners. The poachers were attacked by ten gamekeepers and, in the ensuing battle, one of the gamekeepers was badly injured and later died of a fractured skull. Four of the poachers' ringleaders were arrested and each subsequently sentenced to deportation and fourteen years of penal servitude for manslaughter. The incident gave rise to the popular ballad, Rufford Park Poachers (Roud
Roud Folk Song Index
The Roud Folk Song Index is a database of 300,000 references to over 21,600 songs that have been collected from oral tradition in the English language from all over the world...
#1759), which depicts the poachers as bold heroes.
By the early 1900s, the Rufford Abbey Estate comprised some 18500 acres (74.9 km²), but had begun to feel the effects of rising running costs and reduced incomes. It was eventually sold in 1938.
TV series
The abbey was the setting for the children's book and later TV series called Polly Flint in the mid-80s. The small neighbouring village of WellowWellow, Nottinghamshire
Wellow is a village in Nottinghamshire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 444It has a village green and a maypole, which is still in use. The parish church of St Swithin is 12th century, which was restored, with a new chancel, in 1878-9. On the east and south sides of...
was also used.
Music
"Rufford Abbey" is a popular piece composed and arranged for Brass Band by D. Rimmer (note: not William Rimmer, known for his marches). It is often used as an intermediate grade competition piece, and is a popular choice for recitals. Percy GraingerPercy Grainger
George Percy Aldridge Grainger , known as Percy Grainger, was an Australian-born composer, arranger and pianist. In the course of a long and innovative career he played a prominent role in the revival of interest in British folk music in the early years of the 20th century. He also made many...
also transcribed "Rufford Park Poachers" in the third movement of his suite, "Lincolnshire Posy
Lincolnshire Posy
Lincolnshire Posy is a piece by Percy Grainger for concert band composed in 1937 for the American Bandmasters Association. Considered Grainger's masterpiece, the work is composed of six movements, each adapted from folk songs that Grainger had collected on a 1905–1906 trip to Lincolnshire,...
."