About The Bestwood Lodge HotelThe Story of an Estate - Page 3
He was also ordered to build the first
‘Bestwood Lodge’
Prior to his visit of 1363 the King (Edward III) sent instructions to Robert Maule of Linby, the custodian of Bestwood, to fell sufficient timber to ensure the park and this was to be surrounded by a deep trench, or buck-leap, fifteen feet outside the fencing. This was in order to build a suitable ledge on the most attractive part of the enclosure, somewhere for the King to stay whenever he wished. After the build, any timber unused or unsuitable for these purposes was to be sold or made into charcoal. As you can see every scrap of wood had to be accounted for at all times. There is little doubt that this was the first recorded Lodge and although no doubt altered and repaired through the years, this was the Lodge that was pulled down in 1860 – there were no ‘Preservations Orders’ then.
In nearly every reign it is possible to find some reference to the Royal Hunting Lodge at Bestwood, Edward IV (1461-1483) stayed at Nottingham Castle for three weeks from 1 st October in 1469 and would have availed himself to the joys of hunting while in residence at the Castle.
Nottingham Castle was Richard III’s (1483—1485) ‘Castle of Care’ and he enjoyed hunting at Bestwood whenever he was in residence, his last visit was on Tuesday August 16 th 1485 when he rode out with a few friends to spend the night at the Lodge. The next morning he was up early, horsed and ready for the chase, but his mind was not on the hunt, but on Henry Tudor who had advanced unmolested, well into the centre of Richard’s Kingdom. Upon his return to the Lodge after hunting in the afternoon two men, sweat soaked and dusty with travel were conducted to him. They were John Sponer and John Nicholson of York to ask him if he wanted an armed force assembling, as York City had heard that the rebel Tudor had landed. King Richard told them to thank the City of York for its loyalty and to inform the Mayor that he indeed had need of what men he could hastily assemble, Richard left Bestwood for the last time on August 17 th to ride back through the forest to Nottingham Castle and he began to muster the loyal men that had rallied to his side. On Friday the 19 th he set out south, only to die at the Battle of Bosworth three days later.
Thomas Manners, 13 th Lord Thomas and ancestor of the present Duke of Rutland, was appointed in the time of Henry VIII (1509-1547) to be Warden and Chief Justice of Sherwood Forest and also the Park of Bestwood. A commission was issued to inquire into the condition of Nottingham Castle and Bestwood and to certify to the Chancery the state and number of the deer. The Commission reported accordingly that Bestwood then contained 691 Fallow Deer and 114 Red Deer.
Leland the Tudor historian, in his description of Sherwood Forest wrote, “I rode by might great Park by the space of almost three miles, this park was called Beskewode and belongeth to the Castle and Lordship of Nottingham”.
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Thanks to all concerned for a fabulous wedding reception for our daughter, Jennifer and her (now) husband, Paul. The staff were great, nothing was too much trouble and the food, both at the reception and the evening BBQ was fantastic.
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