Annesley Hall, Notts, June 2020

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HughieD

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1. The History
Annesley Hall, near Annesley in Nottinghamshire, is a Grade II listed country house. The Hall dates from the mid-13th century and was the ancestral home of the Annesley family before passing to the Chaworth-Musters. Alice Chaworth, heiress to the Manor of Annesley, married George Chaworth. The Chaworth family then owned the house for the next 350 years. Mary Chaworth, who lived at the Hall in the late 1700s/early 1800's, was the boyhood lover of the poet Lord Byron, but she married John Musters in 1805 who she went on to have seven children with. Earlier a more tenuous Byron link saw the poet's uncle, William Byron, kill William Chaworth in a duel in the Stars and Garter pub in London. The drunken argument over who had more game on their estates saw Lord Byron thrust his sword through Chaworth's stomach. Chaworth died the next day and Lord Byron was later found guilty of manslaughter but got off with a small fine!

The Chaworth-Musters went on to become one of the most powerful families in Nottinghamshire. John Chaworth-Musters was appointed High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire for 1864–65. Alterations to the hall saw the addition of a service wing in 1880. The Chaworth-Musters finally sold the hall in 1972 and the new owners controversially removed many of the 17th century fittings. The hall suffered its first fire in 1997 which caused such serious damage to the hall that it has not been inhabited since then. Annesley Lodge, the former gatehouse (also grade II listed) is in slightly better condition. Annesley Old Church, near to the hall, is Grade I listed. The hall is currently on the Buildings at risk register as ‘deteriorating’. The Hall featured on the popular 2005 show Most Haunted. The council and ground owners are trying to restore the building in order to save it however, unfortunately on 16th May, 2015 two of the three floors of the hall were ruined by another fire.

Archive picture in happier days:

22725486266_e065fc522a_b.jpgAriel-view-of-Hall-and-Old-Church by HughieDW, on Flickr

2. The Explore
Last came here back in October 2015. Never got in so thought I’d have another crack. As we pulled up there was a police car parked right outside. We hung around for a while and once they’d gone made our way into the house’s grounds. Although getting into the grounds is relatively easy, getting into either the house or the stables is much more difficult. So much so that we failed on both accounts. Hence, we had to content ourselves with the icehouse, the gazebo in the woods and the grounds. Still, enough to take pictures of to merit a report.

3. The Pictures

The view that greets you when you first arrive:

49993151466_c91cc8467b_b.jpgimg6196 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Quick pic or two of the church:

49993150946_4cbd558a70_b.jpgimg6290 by HughieDW, on Flickr

49992648143_590a161f4a_b.jpgAnnesley 01 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Not getting in that wat then:

49992647903_83f3afd0f3_b.jpgAnnesley 02 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Some of the out-buildings:

49993403477_6b1e705e83_b.jpgimg6191 by HughieDW, on Flickr

49992625158_b5b1517232_b.jpgimg6302 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Fireplace left hanging:

49993402877_96c6e4e2a5_b.jpgimg6192 by HughieDW, on Flickr

49992625648_3ddb234dbd_b.jpgimg6300 by HughieDW, on Flickr

The overgrown gardens are nice:

49993145341_1e22389583_b.jpgimg6303 by HughieDW, on Flickr

49993395277_a043a5752e_b.jpgimg6304 by HughieDW, on Flickr

On to the icehouse:

49993398257_dd5d1ae3ea_b.jpgimg6295 by HughieDW, on Flickr

49992621583_7f1093c72d_b.jpgimg6311 by HughieDW, on Flickr

49992622113_8eccef0037_b.jpgimg6309 by HughieDW, on Flickr

49992647568_9e0a79a5e6_b.jpgAnnesley 04 by HughieDW, on Flickr

49993147081_5de1602299_b.jpgimg6296 by HughieDW, on Flickr

49992647568_9e0a79a5e6_b.jpgAnnesley 04 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Hidden away in the woods, never saw this little gem last time:

49993141596_f863b104f7_b.jpgimg6314 by HughieDW, on Flickr

49992647378_c9299510a8_b.jpgAnnesley 06 by HughieDW, on Flickr

49993417732_d4eb45be2b_b.jpgAnnesley 08 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Half a ball!

49993141026_cc144e0ca0_b.jpgimg6316 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Nice stone shield:

49993154131_dd42fb15bc_b.jpgimg319 by HughieDW, on Flickr

That sundial:

49993395277_a043a5752e_b.jpgimg6304 by HughieDW, on Flickr

49993150351_786e04e482_b.jpgimg6291 by HughieDW, on Flickr

49993149781_71fb5906da_b.jpgimg6292 by HughieDW, on Flickr

49993399462_53b0a66100_b.jpgimg6293 by HughieDW, on Flickr

49992627788_8d70e2161f_b.jpgimg6294 by HughieDW, on Flickr

View from the front:

49992631438_d4588061eb_b.jpgimg6194 by HughieDW, on Flickr

49993390332_7e6d302b44_b.jpgimg6321 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Full-frontal with fountain pit:

49993139661_1468655e00_b.jpgimg6322 by HughieDW, on Flickr

49993167251_d35173bf52_b.jpgAnnesley 09 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Looking across to the stables:

49993152026_8f93803c3d_b.jpgimg6195 by HughieDW, on Flickr

49993389037_a6b32ece68_b.jpgimg6324 by HughieDW, on Flickr

49993388657_ca89170f18_b.jpgimg6326 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Again, no way in:

49993387087_84e4b1cdc0_b.jpgimg6330 by HughieDW, on Flickr

49993387612_45c2b982b9_b.jpgimg6328 by HughieDW, on Flickr
 
If I remember correctly it was on most haunted a few years ago and it's a bear shell inside
 
Had a visit here myself, is it worth posting my own pics as you seem to have covered everywhere!
 
Stunning house, such a shame, gardens must have been stunning with the rhododendrons or azaleas along the drive.
 
Stunning house, such a shame, gardens must have been stunning with the rhododendrons or azaleas along the drive.
Thank you 😀 I was just trying to remember the name of the shrubs - Rhododendrons, and beautiful ones too. They grow so much bigger over there than they do in Tasmania.
Wish you could have got into the house, it's just begging for more photographs to be taken. It would have been such a nice property, pity they can't resurrect it.
Great photos too :)
 
Excellent stuff, must have missed it from last year.

I think I may have posted this before, but we ended up going on an overnight 'ghost hunt' type thing there with Richard Felix just after he got sacked from Most Haunted back in around 2006. I was sort of into that kinda thing back then, incredibly we didn't see any ghosts but it was interesting to have the run of the place for a while. Apparently Byron used to use the door of that understair garden lodge room thing as target practice with his duelling pistols. There's still marks in the stone where he shot at it and supposedly the door itself is in the British Museum. Some unfired lead balls were found in the garden around where I guess he would have stood, which Richard had managed to procure from somewhere leading to the obvious hilarity between me and my mates of having touched Byron's balls in the garden.

In other news, 2006 was 15 years ago :oops:
 
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