Thursday 14 December 2017

A Wentworth employee - some facts and some rumours...

In his day it appears that he was an important man, and lived in some interesting places. It is conjecture but a case could be made that he is responsible for the rumour that there was a tunnel between Saville Hall Farm and Stainborough Castle - or that the rumour was based on something that he did.

He was a senior member of the Wentworth staff, perhaps a land agent of some sort, who sometime lived at Saville Hall Farm then at Needlewood - the substantial house on the left as one ascends Keresforth Hill.

Apparently it was his habit to turn up unannounced in the gardens or grounds of the Castle - to the dismay of employees - to whom his manner and comments caused concern - it was said that he was inevitably on horseback when he made his surprise visitations.

Was he in the habit of travelling from Saville Hall Farm - perhaps during the time that he lived there -by horse - and entering the Castle grounds through the under road tunnel between Steeple Lodge and Steeple Cottage? The under road tunnel collapsed - possibly in the 1970's - and the opening to the Castle grounds was obscured by landscaping in the 1980's. But - the opening on the Lowe Wood side of the road - still existed recently. Was this the origin of the 'tunnel story'?

Was he the first to occupy Needlewood when it was first built? - and was it built as a replacement for Saville Hall Farm at the time the latter was reduced in size by the demolition of one of the, until then, two wings? When did the demolition occur and what necessitated it?

He was known to periodically engage in shooting in the rookery at the top of Pilley Hill, and to be in the company of Captain Bruce Wentworth at such times.

His name is known but has been withheld for reason of confidentiality.



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