Haddon Hall

Haddon Hall is a fortified manor house on the river Wye in Derbyshire. It exhibits Elizabethan and Tudor architecture reflecting a build period initially dating back to the 11th century with additions spread between 13th to 17th century which form the majaor parts of the current structure, for example the banquetting hall and kitchens date to 1370. The hall is currently owned by Lord and Lady Edward Manners and the Manners family inherited the hall through marriage in 1565. By 1703 ownership was in the hands of a John Manners who was 9th Earl of Rutland and was made the 1st Duke of Rutland in that year and moved to Belvoir Castle. As a consequence he and his heirs used Haddon very little and it therefore remeined largely unaltered from its 16th century condition. By the 1920s the hall was owned by another John Manners who was 9th Duke of Rutland and he undertook a lifetime of meticulous restoration leading to the hall being described as "the most complete and most interesting house of its period". Haddon Hall has been a Grade 1 listed property since 1951 and the Elizabethan gardens have been Grade 1 listed since 1984.

Sutton Scarsdale Hall

Sutton Scarsdale Hall is the fourth or fifth structure built on the site and was commenced in 1724 in a Baroque style and incorporated an earlier existing building. It was built in a grand style with lavish interiors. After a few family linked owners the building was purchased by Richard Arkwright junior in 1824, his father being the inventor of the water frame. The property passed through further Arkwright heirs until it was acquired by William Arkwright in 1915. However, the cost of running and maintaining the hall had built up debts and it was put up for sale in 1919. Sadly there were no takers and it was acquired by a groupl of local asset strippers who sold off many of the rooms as salvage including some that went to America and can still be seen in the Museum of Art in Philidelphia. Parts sold also included the roof and without this the hall quickly deteriorated but was saved from demolition in 1946 by a new owner. Subsequently the hall has paased in to the care of English Heritage and we went for a look today and found it to still be pretty impressive.

Buckinghamshire Railway Centre

The Railway centre is situated at Quainton, a little outside of Aylesbury with the original line dating back to 1868. The station building, which is still extant, was built in 1899. From the early days carrying agricultural produce and building materials the line started operating passenger services until 1963 when stopping services ceased and the line then closed in 1966. The London Preservation Society arrived in 1969 and the site has developed in to a working musuem with engines, rolling stock, original buildings and various artefacts detailing the history of the line and local area. We visited today, which was a live steam day, and found it an interesting place.