Many thanks to Terry Hibbert for sending this photo, taken some time before 1881 at Croxton Park races. Terry writes: “I know it must be prior to that date as John Hibbert (stout chap at the back in top hat) died in 1881. He was my great-grandfather. The photo may have appeared in the Nottingham Guardian originally – I’ll try to find out. The Hibberts were a Nottingham family,...
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I was pulling up some wooden posts in the garden today when I unearthed a small metal object. Brushing off the earth revealed something that looked like a cross between a castle and a dalek. It’s about 4cm high, hollow, stands on a six-sided base, and seems to be made of bronze. Click here to view a larger image. I really don’t have a clue what it is, and wondered whether anyone might...
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The history of Croxton Abbey is truly fascinating. It was once one of the most powerful and wealthy religious houses in the East Midlands. But today, nothing remains but a few carved stones balanced on a wall in a quiet and secluded valley just north of Waltham. The grandfather of the present Duke of Rutland excavated the site in the early 20th century, mapping the outline of the abbey buildings....
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This wonderful photograph of the gatehouse to Croxton Abbey was taken almost 160 years ago – in 1852. Nothing remains of the Abbey today, beyond a few blocks of carved stone balanced on a stone wall. So the image provides a unique and fascinating record of this once powerful religious house. The image above shows just part of the photograph. Click on it to expand it further, and click here...
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We’ve all watched as the Royal Horseshoes has been re-thatched over recent weeks and months. They’ve only just finished, and it’s wonderful to see the old pub looking so good. Many of us were concerned that it was never going to re-open its doors again. John Hurton has just sent this photo of a previous re-thatching. (Click on the image to see it in full frame.) Judging by the...
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