The State and the Country House in Nottinghamshire, 1937-1967
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Kempson, Matthew (2006) The state and the country house in Nottinghamshire, 1937-1967. PhD thesis, University of Nottingham. Access from the University of Nottingham repository: http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/10259/1/the_state_and_the_country_house_in_Nottinghams hire_1937-1967.pdf Copyright and reuse: The Nottingham ePrints service makes this work by researchers of the University of Nottingham available open access under the following conditions. · Copyright and all moral rights to the version of the paper presented here belong to the individual author(s) and/or other copyright owners. · To the extent reasonable and practicable the material made available in Nottingham ePrints has been checked for eligibility before being made available. · Copies of full items can be used for personal research or study, educational, or not- for-profit purposes without prior permission or charge provided that the authors, title and full bibliographic details are credited, a hyperlink and/or URL is given for the original metadata page and the content is not changed in any way. · Quotations or similar reproductions must be sufficiently acknowledged. Please see our full end user licence at: http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/end_user_agreement.pdf A note on versions: The version presented here may differ from the published version or from the version of record. If you wish to cite this item you are advised to consult the publisher’s version. Please see the repository url above for details on accessing the published version and note that access may require a subscription. For more information, please contact [email protected] ΤΗΕ ΣΤΑΤΕ ΑΝD ΤΗΕ ΧΟΥΝΤΡΨ ΗΟΥΣΕ ΙΝ ΝΟΤΤΙΝΓΗΑΜΣΗΙΡΕ, 1937−1967 Ματτηεω Κεmπσον, ΒΣχ. ΜΑ. Τηεσισ συβmιττεδ το τηε Υνιϖερσιτψ οφ Νοττινγηα φορ τηε δεγρεε οφ οχτορ οφ Πηιλοσοπηψ Μαρχη 2006 Abstract This thesis considers the state preservation and use of Nottinghamshire country houses during the mid-twentieth century, from the initiation of mass requisition in 1937 until 1967 when concerns for architectural preservation moved away from the country house. This thesis reviews literature on the landed estate in the twentieth century and the emergence of preservationist claims on the country house. Three substantive sections follow. The first discusses the declining representation of landowners within local governance in Nottinghamshire and the constitution of the County Council, and considers how estate space was incorporated within broadened concerns for the preservation of the historic environment and additionally provided the focus for the implementation of a variety of modern state and non-state functions. The second section considers how changing policy and aesthetic judgements impacted upon the preservation of country houses. Through discussion of Rufford Abbey, Winkburn Hall and Ossington Hall I consider the complexities of preservationist claims and how these conflicted with the responsibilities of the state and the demands of private landowners. The third section considers how estate space became valued by local authorities in the implementation of a variety of new modern educational uses, including the teacher training college at Eaton Hall and a school campus development at Bramcote Hills. The thesis concludes by considering the status of the country house in Nottinghamshire since 1967, and contemporary demands on the spaces considered historically in this study. ii Dedicated to the memory of Ernest Craske Lax (1911-1983), whose stories of life below stairs I would love to have heard iii Acknowledgements This thesis would not have been completed without the tremendous encouragement, support and advice offered to me. My appreciation is extended to all those mentioned below and if I have missed anyone off, then please forgive me. It is only as a result of the haze inflicted by the final deadline that I do so. Firstly, these few words do not bear service to the time, energy, enthusiasm and patience of my supervisors, Professor Charles Watkins and Professor David Matless. Their support, valued comments, and shared interest in this research project has been most appreciated. From highly enjoyable weekend field trips in the summer sun to rainy weekday supervisions discussing the finer points of draft amendments; through the highs and lows I am indebted. My parents, Nicky and Michael, and sister, Anna, have given me their abiding support for which I acknowledge with most grateful thanks. In particular I have valued trips to Kew with my father and enjoyed our shared interest in the peculiarities of archival research. To my friends, both inside and outside the Geography world, I acknowledge their advice, encouragement, empathy, humour and entertaining nights out during the past four years. Special mention is given to Daniel Allen, Kostas Baginetas, Rob Fish, Zoë Gardner, Gemma Harvey, Jon Harvey, Richard Haspineall, Tom Henson, Keith Jones, Mark Riley, Susanne Seymour, Adam Swain and Johannah Wegerdt. Many people have provided valuable contributions including historical information regarding Nottinghamshire estates, the County Council and preservation policy which have made this thesis possible. I would like to give mention to Diana Barley, Graham Beaumont, Val Bird, Angela Farrer, G.M.T. Foljambe, Xenia Francklin, Pamela Goedhuis, the late Myles Thoroton Hildyard, Robert Innes-Smith, Jean Johnson, Ian Leith, Michael Mallander, Jean Nicholson, Andrew Sargent, Sir John Starkey, Bill Taylor, Joan Thomas, Alan Ward, Richard iv Weaver and all the owners who responded to my written appeal for information regarding the history of their estates. Their time and interest has been invaluable. On a technical and administrative point I would also like to thank the kind assistance of the staff at the National Archives, Nottinghamshire Archives and Southwell Diocesan Record Office, University of Nottingham Manuscripts Department, the National Monuments Record and the School of Geography, University of Nottingham where most of the research was undertaken. Furthermore, I was only able to undertake this research with the financial assistance of a grant from the Arts and Humanities Research Council, for which I am very appreciative. My final thanks are reserved for Briony who has endured the trials of this thesis perhaps more than anyone. I am eternally grateful for her love and encouragement which carried me through. Here’s to having two Doctors in the household! v Table of contents Abstract ii Acknowledgements iv Table of contents vi List of figures x Preface xiv 1 Introduction 1 2 Landed society and the country house in the 16 mid-twentieth century 2.1 Landed society in the twentieth century: decline or 19 survival? 2.1.1 The onset of decline: landed society, 1880-1939 19 2.1.2 Landed society at war, 1939-1945 24 2.1.3 Landed society, 1945-1967 31 2.2 The state, the country house and the ascendancy of 35 architectural preservation 2.2.1 The preservation of rural England, 1918-1939 39 2.2.2 Destruction and neglect: threats and responses, 1939-1945 45 2.2.3 Country house ascendancy: post-war planning and 50 preservation policy, 1945-1957 3 Methods and Sources 62 3.1 Oral history 64 3.2 Archival and documentary sources 68 3.2.1 National Archives 70 3.2.2 Nottinghamshire Archives Office 71 3.2.3 National Buildings Record (National Monuments Record) 74 3.2.4 Taylor, Simpson and Mosley; solicitors to the Drury Lowe 81 family of Locko Park, Derbyshire 3.2.5 H.A. Johnson and Son (Architects) of Doncaster 82 3.3 Sale and demolition catalogues 83 3.4 Field visits 85 3.4.1 Watnall Hall: notes on site visits and documentary sources 85 4 County governance, landowners and the 90 preservation and use of country houses in Nottinghamshire 4.1 Nottinghamshire: county governance and county 90 society 4.1.1 Social leaders and public persons: Nottinghamshire County 93 Council and the landed elite 4.1.2 Nottinghamshire County Council; the origins, members 95 and changing responsibilities of county government, 1888- 1967 vi 4.1.3 Landownership, the country party, party politics and the 100 County Council 4.1.4 Traditions of county governance by the rural landowning 107 elite; beyond the County Council 4.1.5 Nottinghamshire County Council and changing local 109 government responsibilities, 1937-1967 i Nottinghamshire County Council during the Second World 111 War ii Nottinghamshire County Council responsibilities I; social 112 welfare and highways iii Nottinghamshire County Council responsibilities II; Town 114 and country planning in Nottinghamshire 4.1.6 Central government and its regional offices 123 4.1.7 Amenity and preservation organisations within 126 Nottinghamshire; the Council for the Preservation of Rural England and the Rural Community Council i The Council for the Preservation of Rural England 126 ii The Nottinghamshire Rural Community Council 129 4.2 Country houses and landed society in Nottinghamshire: 133 preservation and use of the historic built environment, 1937-1967 4.2.1 Nottinghamshire country houses during the mid-twentieth 138 century 4.2.2 The changing use and ownership of Nottinghamshire estate 153 houses: commentary i The requisition and use of country houses during the 154 Second World War ii State ownership; local authorities and nationalised 163 industries 4.2.3 The preservation of Nottinghamshire country houses: 166 general 5 The preservation of the country houses in 173 Nottinghamshire 5.1 Rufford Abbey, Nottinghamshire County Council and 175 the preservation of amenity 5.1.1 Location and history of the Rufford Abbey estate 178 5.1.2 Nottinghamshire County Council and the preservation of 187 amenity woodland during the Second World War i Requisition and military use of the Rufford Abbey estate 187 ii The Ministry of Health, Nottinghamshire County Council 190 and the preservation of amenity woodland 5.1.3 The preservation of architecture at Rufford Abbey 201 i The preservation of Rufford Abbey 202 ii The preservation of ancillary architecture at Rufford Abbey 213 5.1.4 The search for potential uses of Rufford Abbey 215 5.1.5 The preservation of archaeology and Rufford Abbey as a 220 ‘noble ruin’.