Belgrave Hall

INFORMATION LEAFLET 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. © Leicester City Council October 2012 1 | P a g e INFORMATION LEAFLET 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. © Leicester City Council October 2012 2 | P a g e INFORMATION LEAFLET 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 © Leicester City Council October 2012 3 | P a g e INFORMATION LEAFLET 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.

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