Stanford Hall (Loughborough)
Encyclopedia
Stanford Hall is an English country house
in Nottinghamshire
, England
, in Stanford on Soar
just north of Loughborough
.
. In 1876 it was purchased by Richard Ratcliffe, a brewer from Burton on Trent, and it passsed to his son, also Richard on his death in 1898. In 1928 the owner was Kathleen Kimball.
Sir Julien Cahn
In 1928 Sir Julien Cahn
purchased the Hall for £70,000 (£ as of ),
Here Cahn built himself a cricket pitch, nine-hole golf course, bowling green, large trout lake, Sea Lion
pool, Lido, tennis court and thatched pavilion, an enormous outdoor heated swimming pool with coral walls holding fountains and artificial caves added to the fantastic wooded parkland and formal gardens.
The largest addition was a theatre designed by Cecil Aubrey Masey
built in 1937 for £73,000 (£ as of ) which seated 352 people. The walls were decorated with murals by Beatrice MacDermott. It comprised a raked auditorium, orchestra pit and Wurlitzer
organ which can be raised and lowered during performances. The organ was made for Théâtre de la Madeleine
, Paris. It was purchased by Sir Julien Cahn
for £20,000 and enlarged when it was installed.
The house was extensively remodelled over the next decade under the direction of Sir Charles Allom
, principal of arguably the finest of the large interior decorating concerns, White Allom Ltd. Together with Queen Mary
, Sir Charles advised on the redecoration of Buckingham Palace and had many multi-millionaire clients, such as Henry Clay Frick
, whose Fifth Avenue town house now houses the Frick Collection
and whose decoration by White Allom is highly regarded. The same is true of Stanford Hall.
Stanford Hall retains most of the superb interior structures and installations of Cahn's day, though most of the art moderne marble bathrooms were removed in the 1960s. The furnishings selected with Sir Charles Allom
were of the highest quality. The inclusion of many fine antiques, and the theming of the rooms by date and country gave the impression of a house that had evolved over time. By 1940 it was one of the finest and most luxurious of small country houses in the United Kingdom. Cahn died in the White Allom panelled library in 1944.
.
Chek Whyte
In March 2007 the Hall was sold by Leicester-based Raynsway Properties for £6.25 million to Chek Whyte
Industries, who planned to convert it and built a £60m retirement village within the grounds. In March 2009, the grounds hosted the English schools cross country championships. In October 2009, after the fall in property prices because of the recession, Chek Whyte obtained an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) in order to avoid bankruptcy.
Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster
In October 2011 the Hall and its grounds were purchased on behalf of Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster
as a potential site for a ‘Defence and National Rehabilitation Centre’ (DNRC). The Duke, who has served in the Territorial Army
since the age of 20 and who is committed to supporting military welfare, will lead a major donor fund raising campaign to cover the capital costs of the Defence element of the proposed new establishment. On 13 October 2011 the Government announced the next stages in the DNRC project following a comprehensive feasibility study. If the decision is made to proceed with a DNRC, it is the Duke’s intention to donate the Stanford Hall site to the project.
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...
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...
, in Stanford on Soar
Stanford on Soar
Stanford on Soar is a village and civil parish located on the River Soar, just within the Nottinghamshire side of the Nottinghamshire/Leicestershire boundary, in the Borough of Rushcliffe. It is around a mile north of Loughborough in Leicestershire. It is the southernmost place within the county of...
just north of Loughborough
Loughborough
Loughborough is a town within the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England. It is the seat of Charnwood Borough Council and is home to Loughborough University...
.
History
Stanford Hall was built between 1771 and 1774 by William Anderson of Loughborough for Charles Vere DashwoodDashwood Baronets
There have been two Baronetcies created for members of the Dashwood family, one in the Baronetage of England and one in the Baronetage of Great Britain...
. In 1876 it was purchased by Richard Ratcliffe, a brewer from Burton on Trent, and it passsed to his son, also Richard on his death in 1898. In 1928 the owner was Kathleen Kimball.
Sir Julien CahnJulien CahnSir Julien Cahn, 1st Baronet was an entrepreneur, philanthropist and supporter of cricket.-His cricket XI:...
In 1928 Sir Julien CahnJulien Cahn
Sir Julien Cahn, 1st Baronet was an entrepreneur, philanthropist and supporter of cricket.-His cricket XI:...
purchased the Hall for £70,000 (£ as of ),
Here Cahn built himself a cricket pitch, nine-hole golf course, bowling green, large trout lake, Sea Lion
Sea Lion
Sea lions are pinnipeds characterized by external ear-flaps, long fore-flippers, the ability to walk on all fours, and short thick hair. Together with the fur seal, they comprise the family Otariidae, or eared seals. There are six extant and one extinct species in five genera...
pool, Lido, tennis court and thatched pavilion, an enormous outdoor heated swimming pool with coral walls holding fountains and artificial caves added to the fantastic wooded parkland and formal gardens.
The largest addition was a theatre designed by Cecil Aubrey Masey
Cecil Massey
Cecil Aubrey Massey was an English theatre and cinema architect. Massey was a pupil of Bertie Crewe. His major works include the New Wimbledon Theatre, released in 1919 together with architect Roy Young, it is a Grade II listed Edwardian situated on The Broadway, Wimbledon, London, in the London...
built in 1937 for £73,000 (£ as of ) which seated 352 people. The walls were decorated with murals by Beatrice MacDermott. It comprised a raked auditorium, orchestra pit and Wurlitzer
Wurlitzer
The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, usually referred to simply as Wurlitzer, was an American company that produced stringed instruments, woodwinds, brass instruments, theatre organs, band organs, orchestrions, electronic organs, electric pianos and jukeboxes....
organ which can be raised and lowered during performances. The organ was made for Théâtre de la Madeleine
Théâtre de la Madeleine
The Théâtre de la Madeleine is a theater in Paris built in the English style in 1924 on the site of a carousel. The first major success of the theatre came with the presentation of part one of The Merchants of Glory by Marcel Pagnol....
, Paris. It was purchased by Sir Julien Cahn
Julien Cahn
Sir Julien Cahn, 1st Baronet was an entrepreneur, philanthropist and supporter of cricket.-His cricket XI:...
for £20,000 and enlarged when it was installed.
The house was extensively remodelled over the next decade under the direction of Sir Charles Allom
Charles Allom
Sir Charles Carrick Allom was an eminent British decorator, trained as an architect knighted for his work on Buckingham Palace. Among his American clients in the years preceding World War I was Henry Clay Frick, for whom Allom furnished houses in cooperation with Sir Joseph Duveen, the eminent...
, principal of arguably the finest of the large interior decorating concerns, White Allom Ltd. Together with Queen Mary
Mary of Teck
Mary of Teck was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, as the wife of King-Emperor George V....
, Sir Charles advised on the redecoration of Buckingham Palace and had many multi-millionaire clients, such as Henry Clay Frick
Henry Clay Frick
Henry Clay Frick was an American industrialist, financier, and art patron. He founded the H. C. Frick & Company coke manufacturing company, was chairman of the Carnegie Steel Company, and played a major role in the formation of the giant U.S. Steel steel manufacturing concern...
, whose Fifth Avenue town house now houses the Frick Collection
Frick Collection
The Frick Collection is an art museum located in Manhattan, New York City, United States.- History :It is housed in the former Henry Clay Frick House, which was designed by Thomas Hastings and constructed in 1913-1914. John Russell Pope altered and enlarged the building in the early 1930s to adapt...
and whose decoration by White Allom is highly regarded. The same is true of Stanford Hall.
Stanford Hall retains most of the superb interior structures and installations of Cahn's day, though most of the art moderne marble bathrooms were removed in the 1960s. The furnishings selected with Sir Charles Allom
Charles Allom
Sir Charles Carrick Allom was an eminent British decorator, trained as an architect knighted for his work on Buckingham Palace. Among his American clients in the years preceding World War I was Henry Clay Frick, for whom Allom furnished houses in cooperation with Sir Joseph Duveen, the eminent...
were of the highest quality. The inclusion of many fine antiques, and the theming of the rooms by date and country gave the impression of a house that had evolved over time. By 1940 it was one of the finest and most luxurious of small country houses in the United Kingdom. Cahn died in the White Allom panelled library in 1944.
Co-operative College
In 1944 the hall was purchased for £54,000 in 1945 (£ as of ), by the Co-operative Union who used it to house its Co-operative CollegeCo-operative College
The Co-operative College is a University in the United Kingdom which provides "inspirational learning and resources based on co-operative values and principles for individuals and organisations to support the development of sustainable co-operative, mutual and social enterprises throughout the world"...
.
Raynesway Properties 2001-2007
The Co-operative College relocated to Holyoake House in Manchester in 2001 and sold Stanford Hall to Raynsway Properties, who planned to convert it into a 148-bedroom hotel.Chek WhyteChek WhyteChek Whyte is a British property developer and businessman, living in Nottinghamshire.-Career:...
2007-2011
In March 2007 the Hall was sold by Leicester-based Raynsway Properties for £6.25 million to Chek WhyteChek Whyte
Chek Whyte is a British property developer and businessman, living in Nottinghamshire.-Career:...
Industries, who planned to convert it and built a £60m retirement village within the grounds. In March 2009, the grounds hosted the English schools cross country championships. In October 2009, after the fall in property prices because of the recession, Chek Whyte obtained an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) in order to avoid bankruptcy.
Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of WestminsterGerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of WestminsterMajor-General Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster, , is the son of Robert George Grosvenor, 5th Duke of Westminster, and his wife Hon. Viola Maud Lyttelton. He is the owner of property company Grosvenor Group...
In October 2011 the Hall and its grounds were purchased on behalf of Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of WestminsterGerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster
Major-General Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster, , is the son of Robert George Grosvenor, 5th Duke of Westminster, and his wife Hon. Viola Maud Lyttelton. He is the owner of property company Grosvenor Group...
as a potential site for a ‘Defence and National Rehabilitation Centre’ (DNRC). The Duke, who has served in the Territorial Army
Territorial Army
The Territorial Army is the part time volunteer force of the British Army. With around 35,500 members, the TA forms about a quarter of the overall manpower strength of the British Army. TA members regularly volunteer to serve overseas on operations, either with TA units, or as individuals...
since the age of 20 and who is committed to supporting military welfare, will lead a major donor fund raising campaign to cover the capital costs of the Defence element of the proposed new establishment. On 13 October 2011 the Government announced the next stages in the DNRC project following a comprehensive feasibility study. If the decision is made to proceed with a DNRC, it is the Duke’s intention to donate the Stanford Hall site to the project.