Belgrave Hall

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Belgrave Hall

Belgrave Hall was built in the early 18th century, in what was then a small village three miles from the town of Leicester. Now city traffic passes, almost unnoticed, just beyond the garden walls. It has changed hands many times but the owners have always played a major role in the economic, social and charitable life of the community.

Belgrave - Early Beginnings

There are references to a settlement at Belgrave in the Domesday survey of 1086, meaning that the Belgrave village is at least 900 years old. Belgrave, was known then, as Merdegrave, meaning a grove where martens could be found. To the Norman ear ‘merde’ would sound like the French word for ‘dung’ or ‘filth’ and the name was soon changed to ‘bel’ meaning beautiful or lovely which is a more accurate description:

‘on a summer’s day, cast your eyes towards the bridge, which is backed by Burstall-hill, you see the river serpentining by an eminence on the right, shaded by hanging elms and willows, planted seemingly by the hand of Chance, yet rich in irregularity; the mills, the glittering stream … behold a valley, rich with flowers of golden and variegated tints’ (Throsby’s excursions).

It was built on a small area of river gravel and in 1086, 7 carucates (t he carucate was both a unit of assessment and a peasant landholding unit found in most of the Danelaw counties) of land in Belgrave were held by Hugh de Grentemesnil (who was appointed as the first High Sheriff of Leicestershire in 1066) and one other by his wife Adeliz. Ten houses in Leicester were attached to the manor at this time. The Belgrave lands, owned by Hugh de Grandmesnil, in 1086, included arable land, meadow land and a substantial amount of woodland. He also had lordship over a number of peasants who were described as slaves, villagers, smallholders and freemen representing a typical Anglo-Saxon village hierarchy. There was also a water mill which probably explains why Hugh’s Belgrave property almost doubled in value during the 20 years from 1066 till the Survey.

The woodland is described in the Domesday survey of 1086, as 5 furlongs in length and 3 in breadth, and was probably to the west of the village. During the 12th and 13th centuries the amount of arable land at Belgrave increased, probably through the clearing of the forest. In the early 12th century there were 12 carucates of land and in 1279 more than sixteen. The lands adjoining the village fields which Leicester abbey obtained from Simon de Montfort were apparently woodland when acquired, but in 1341 they are described as an ‘assart’i.

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Following the dissolution of the monasteries in the mid 16th century much of the land was sold but it was not until a century later that drastic change was made to the agricultural life of the village.

This was due to the Enclosure (Note: the Enclosure of Belgrave was made under articles of 1654, confirmed in Chancery in 1662) and led to the open field farming system disappearing as fields ii were amalgamated and sold off . By the early 18th century Belgrave gradually began to see changes which were to alter its position as a purely agricultural village. Ariel view of the Belgrave area c2005

No doubt the Dissolution of the Monasteries under Henry VIII had a profound effect on Belgrave due to its closeness to Leicester Abbey, but the greatest change would have happened once the practicalities of Enclosure had been worked out.

John Coffyn’s enclosure map of 1657, therefore, gives some insight into the ownership of the land in and around Belgrave. It is possible to identify the parish church of St Peter’s and the land on which Belgrave Hall (and Belgrave House) was later built.

There also appear to be buildings on both sides of Church Road, Thurcaston Road and parts of Loughborough Road. Although, as the map was intended to delineate ownership of the adjoining fields it is not necessarily fully accurate regarding actual buildings.

Nichol’s drawing c1790 showing the old Belgrave Hall and eastern section of the garden

However, there is a building that stands alone on the East side of Loughborough Road and which on the OS map of 1885 is described as the Old Hall.

The Old Hall

The Old Hall was possibly the original Belgrave Hall manor house, known as the Hall of Belgrave from at least the 17 th century, and is the one described by Nichols in 1800 as an ancient mansion house. It was, during the late 17 th century, owned and occupied by the somewhat discredited Henry Hastings (and his wife Pentecost) who owned land in both Humberstone and Belgrave. He was described as ‘a man of loose manners and extravagant habits’ and tried, unsuccessfully, to claim a direct connection to the Hastings family of Civil War fame.

The Old Hall was sold to Sir Nathan Wright, a member of the royal court, before Hastings death in 1696 and Wright let it out to the Byerleys, a Roman Catholic family who altered the Hall to provide a private chapel for the family. Nichols provides a detailed description of the building, known as Belgrave Old Hall, but i t was mostly demolished in the 1830s for road widening, although parts of the old building were incorporated into a new building on the site. Virtually nothing remains of this building today, the site of which could be 201 Loughborough Road.

St Peter’s Church

The oldest building in the area of Belgrave is St Peter’s Church, parts of which date from the 12th century when the church was much smaller than the present building. Evidence of this earlier building can be seen in the South transept where there is a group of three finely carved seats. Archaeologists believe that there may be the remains of an earlier Saxon church beneath the present structure.

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The church was enlarged by a Roger de Belgrave around the beginning of the 13th century, when the tower was built. Until 1824, the church had a timber spire but a gale in that year made it unsafe and it was removed some time after. Very little building has taken place around the church and some areas have not been built on at all (particularly the former vicarage gardens) so this area has great archaeological potential.

Talbot Inn

The Talbot Inn was built as a coaching inn, it is referred to in the parish records of 1784 Belgrave Hall and St. Peter’s Church as then being ‘new built’. It originally had three storeys, each with three typical 18th century small paned windows. The Talbot Inn was named after a breed of dog that is now extinct. The pub was reduced to two floors in the 1950s when a fire raged through the building.

The Talbot Inn - 3 Storeys from an image taken during the 1950s The Talbot Inn as it stands today

The Inn has a vivid history with rumours abound that criminals on death row were taken to the pub before their execution to be supplied with their 'last meal'. It is also believed Some of the bodies would be returned to The Talbot to be examined in one of the outbuildings that, at that time, was used as a morgue. The bodies would be used for medical research before finally being laid to rest.

Thurcaston Road

Thurcaston Road was already one of the country’s most important roads and on John Ogilby’s ‘strip maps’ of 1675 it is shown as part of the great road from London to Manchester and Carlisle. It’s importance was further recognized when it became a turnpike in 1784. Thurcaston Road remained the main route through Belgrave to the north until 1834, when the turnpike road was diverted away from Belgrave onto a new straight extension, which eventually became the A6.

Belgrave Hall

Belgrave’s role as a residential suburb for the wealthier Leicester tradespeople began in the early 18 th century when Edmund Cradock bought some land south of Thurcaston Road.

The Hall is situated next to St Peter’s church and although unpretentious, has a number of interesting features; Flemish bond brickwork, patterned with red stretchers and blue/black headers, splendid wrought iron gates (over which Cradock’s monogram EC appears) and lead rainwater piping bearing Cradock’s crest of 3 boars heads and the dates of construction of 1709 and 1713. The stable block has the date of 1710.

Edmund Cradock, was a 'nouveau riche' hosiery merchant, who built the Hall which was surrounded by walled gardens, between 1709 and 1713. Belgrave Hall and St Peter’s Church c 1904

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Little else is known about Edmund Cradock (he was married to Anne); he Timeline is described as a gentleman in legal documentation and no trade is given. 1709 - 1713 Belgrave Hall Built by Edmund Cradock However, he did come from an illustrious Leicester family. His 1715 – 1721 Cradock’s die and grandfather, born circa 1600, also Edmund Cradock, served the Borough in Belgrave Hall held in Trust for Cradock’s many different capacities, including mayor. son 1721 Purchased by John and Helen Simons He was also one of the Borough’s committee members who served during 1750 John Simons dies the Civil War and rode out to Queniborough to confront Prince Rupert. 1750 Belgrave Hall inherited by Benjamin Cradock’s father, Joseph, also served the Borough and was landlord of the Simons Angel Inn which straddled Cheapside and Gallowtree Gate. His uncle, on 1757 – 1766 Belgrave Hall let to his mother’s side, was Henry Hastings (see above) from the Old Hall and Sarah Boothby 1767 Belgrave Hall sold to Edmund and Anne named one of their children Hastings. William Southwell 1769 - 1844 Vann family live at the Estate Following the death of Edmund Cradock in 1715, Belgrave Hall was held in 1772 William Southwell trust for Edmund and Anne’s children until 1721 when the Hall was bought dies 1776 Estate divided by John and Helen Simons. John had already inherited some land, between Richard and presumed to be the land opposite the Hall on which Belgrave House was William Vann 1777 Belgrave House built later built. However, until William Vann developed this side of the road by William Vann around 1776, the land continued to be used as an orchard and a paddock. 1777 Cross Corners built by James Vann 1796 Richard Vann dies The Simons’ produced 2 male heirs and John chose to leave the Belgrave and Belgrave Hall is inherited by James Hall estate, amongst other property, to his younger son Benjamin. The Vann elder son, Reverend Nicholas Simons was to inherit other lands and 1844 On the death of property. John died in 1750 but by 1757 it appears that Nicholas had James Vann’s wife, Hannah, estate managed to mortgage virtually everything his father had left him including passes to James’ Belgrave Hall. cousins, the Marstons, who sold Belgrave Hall Benjamin eventually left Belgrave and retired to his estate in Gumley. At 1845 Belgrave Hall and estate sold to John this point, the Hall was being let to Sarah Boothby, an old family friend. Ellis She died in 1766 and it was then that Nicholas and Elizabeth defaulted on 1923 Last of Ellis sisters die and Belgrave Hall and the mortgage, appeared in court and were fined. They continued to estate is sold to borrow money from the local banker John Pares but eventually they had to Thomas Morley 1936 Belgrave Hall and sell Belgrave Hall. estate sold to Leicester Corporation for £10,500 Belgrave Hall was then let to an old family friend, Sarah Boothby, who 1937 Belgrave Hall died in 1766. becomes a museum

That same year Nicholas and his wife Elizabeth defaulted on their mortgage repayments and had to appear in court. This resulted in the sale of the Hall and lands to William Southwell, a linen draper from Nottingham in 1767. His brother in law William Vann senior and his 3 sons William junior, Richard and James, then continued their retail hosiery business from Belgrave, operating from the Hall where there was warehousing and associated ‘offices’.

They would have rented out stocking frames, collected the finished product on a weekly basis and then sold them further afield, even as far away as London. The Sun fire insurance plaque, on the front of the Hall was registered to Vann and Sons on 17 th October 1768 and the records show that the total sum insured was £1,500 for a premium of £1.10s paid at Michaelmas 1769.

The Vanns previously lived and worked in Evington. Richard, Charles (a 4 th brother), James and Hannah ( James’ wife), along with other members of the family are all buried there. William junior chose to be buried in Belgrave.

When William Southwell died in 1772, he left the Belgrave estate to his 2 nephews William and Richard. William built Belgrave House and Richard remained in the Hall. It is possible that Cross Corners, a modest dwelling built in the gardens, was constructed at this time for James the youngest son, as all 3 continued to be closely associated in their business ventures.

Richard died in 1796, unmarried and intestate, and all his property went to James and his wife Hannah – James had married the vicar’s daughter the previous year. James died in 1812 and The Gentleman’s Magazine estimated he was worth over £100,000. Sadly, they had no children and on Hannah’s death in 1844 the estate passed to James’ cousins, the Marstons, who sold Belgrave Hall to John Ellis in 1845.

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The Ellis family were devout Quakers and John ‘a well-known agriculturalist, gave evidence before the committee of the House of Commons appointed in 1836 to consider distress in rural districts. He was an out spoken champion of Liberal principles, particularly of the Anti-Slavery Movement and in 1848 he was returned to Parliament as one of the members for the Borough of Leicester, retaining his seat until 1852’.

He became friends with George Stephenson and his son Robert and invited him to come and build the Swannington to Leicester railway (opened in 1832) to convey coal from the north-west Leicestershire coal fields. John Ellis then went on to become the first chairman of the Midland Railway company.

The Ellis’s had several children and 5 of their daughters continued to live at Belgrave Hall. Within their social class the ‘Belgrave sisters’ were highly thought of, providing not only a venue for literary and social events but also some degree of personal leadership within Ellis Sisters in the Belgrave Hall garden c1860s society.

Charlotte Ellis served for 9 years on the Leicester Board of Guardians and it appears that the ‘sisters’ were also actively involved in the suffragette movement.

In 1889 they were able to buy back part of the old park to the west of Church Road from the owners of Belgrave House, thus reuniting the gardens again. Ellis’s sisters also changed the name of the road from ‘The Gravel’ to ‘Church Road’. The last remaining sister died in 1923.

The picture opposite shows the Ellis sisters c1860

Between 1923 and 1936 the estate was owned by Thomas Morley who, in 1936, sold it to Leicester Corporation for £10,500, at which time the Council also acquired Belgrave House and Cross Corners.

From that time onwards the Hall became a museum and the grounds were opened to the public as period and botanical gardens. The site passed from the the Corporation when it was replaced in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, with the modern Leicester City Council.

At this point the hedge which created the division in the west gardens was removed. To date, Belgrave Hall still remains in the ownership of Leicester City Council.

Images from Belgrave Hall c2012

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Belgrave House

Belgrave House (listed grade II), built around 1776 by William Vann, stands on the west side of Church Road and is an Adam style three-storey building of red brick under a slate roof.

The entrance front faces onto Church Road while the garden front, with its three-storey central bay, faces west over the gardens looking towards the River Soar. On the south side of the House is a long, two-storey range of service buildings.

The House was passed in the ownership of Leicester Corporation in 1936 and had various uses including that of a nursery. The house is now privately owned and was extensively renovated in 2011/12.

Belgrave Hall Gardens

John Throsby described Belgrave Hall in his ‘Excursions in Leicestershire’ in 1790 as ‘a neat little box in the midst of Flora’s pleasures’. The formal gardens, protected by high red brick walls, still shelter a variety of shrubs and climbers which would have been available to gardeners prior to 1830, including a magnificent purple Wisteria sinensis , reputedly planted by John Ellis in 1860.

Along the broad walk past the flower filled urns, the stone eagles and the magnificent yew trees can be found the tall gate pillars at the far end of the garden. Originally these gates led out onto Prattle Hill (now Loughborough Road).

Every owner of Belgrave Hall has made a contribution to the gardens but some elements have remained constant. The two ancient black mulberry trees flanking the broad walk, were described by Eliza Ellis when the Ellis family first came to live at Belgrave Hall, as ‘ the old mulberry trees, supported even in 1845, were still in their pride of venerable vigour and became at once objects of loving care.

The Vann family lived at Belgrave Hall between 1769 and 1844 and in 1776 divided the estate between Richard and William Vann. In 1777 when William Vann built Belgrave House, the garden to the south of Belgrave Hall became the front garden of Belgrave House. Both house and Hall had gardens in what is today, the park, leading down to the river.

In 1825 the area formerly known as Prattle Hill was incorporated into the garden as part of a land exchange to reduce the sharp bend from Loughborough Road into Thurcaston Road and over the old bridge. This area is now home to the Holdsworth memorial, which came from Gopsall Hall in 1952.

The Holdsworth memorial c1970s Belgrave Hall gardens: looking east to the rear elevation of Belgrave House

In 1885, the first issue of the Ordnance Survey map was produced and this shows a number of glasshouses in the ground of the Hall. These would have been used to produce a range of fruits: peaches, grapes, nectarines and tender flowers and exotic greenery for use in the Hall. Since becoming a museum in 1937 the gardens have been developed as both a period and a botanic garden containing a wide range of plants from all over the world.

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Cross Corners

The northern boundary wall incorporates a row of service buildings, now known as Cross Corners. Built in or around 1777, for James Vann, part of the family of prosperous Wigston Hosiers. James was brother to William and Richard Vann.

Acquired along with Belgrave Hall and House in 1936 by Leicester Corporation, Cross Corners is today still owned by Leicester City Council.

It now operates as a community arts centre.

In 2003, Cross Corners opened as the Space for Sports & Arts for Mellor Community Primary School. It operates as a creative space for the school and local community offering a range of activities throughout the year. Rooms can also be hired for rehearsals, events, functions etc

www.storyofleicester.info

i Collins English Dictionary – definition: ‘assart’ having been prepared for cultivation by removing trees and undergrowth and breaking up the ground. ii 'Parishes added since 1892: Belgrave', A History of the County of Leicester: volume 4: The City of Leicester (1958), pp. 420-428. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=66590 Date accessed: 24 October 2012.

Acknowledgements: Leicester City Council would like to thank Erica Tatham for her research and input into the writing of this information sheet.

Belgrave Hall Gardens Interior – Belgrave Hall Belgrave Hall - Greenhouse