About The Bestwood Lodge HotelThe Story of an Estate - Page 4
In Elizabethan times, Thomas Markham, a courtier and servant of Elizabeth I (1558-1603) was keeper of Bestwood and before that little Sir John Byron, a great favourite of Henry VIII. In 1593 Thomas Markham received a warrant from Queen Elizabeth's Lord Treasurer to fell 86 trees from Bestwood Park ‘for ye repair of Bestwood Lodge’. What family excitement such a message would cause, for the loyal Thomas Markham would instantly put aside his own affairs to carry out those for his Queen. A commission such as this would most likely close his home at Ollerton and with his family take up residence at Bestwood until the completion of the repairs, It would appear that Tomas Markham made a very thorough job of these repairs, for when the subject came up again 23 years later, it was not the house that needed attention but the boundary fence.
King James I (1603-1625) who hated business and spent much of his time in hunting and field spports, had an interested friend in the Earl of Rutland, then keeper of the Royal Lodge. The Earl wrote to his Majesty urging immediate repair of the boundary fence, enclosed a statement of the estimated cost and informed him of the number of trees standing at the time and which might best be used. Now the Deer totalled only 28 – a considerable decrease from the time of Henry VIII. We do not know if this was due to poaching by all classes or failure to re-stock when necessary, but the Earl’s appeal produced a quick reply. King James was sufficiently interested to command those concerned from the Lord Warden of the Forests for the timber, to the Verderers of the Deer that they should carry out the necessary maintenance.
Twenty-three years later the 7 th Earl of Rutland wrote to King Charles I to inform that the ground had become unsafe for hunting owing to the spread of conies in the park. He pointed out that even if all the rabbits were destroyed, they had been so prolific that the ground was burrow-ridden and treacherous and would remain so unless dealt with drastically. The Earl considered that the King’s Grant under seal was authority enough for such a major alteration. He asked for a licence to plough up the parkland and sow with grain for a term of five years, which he was certain, would not prejudice but benefit the deer and certainly make the ground better for many future years. This work was carried out, according to an enquiry concerning the Park under the Keepership of William Willoughby Esq., held the year after the execution of Charles I (1625-1649). The park was found to comprise of about 3,000 acres, with almost 100 acres in tillage and the rest pasture and whilst there were some old trees there was no Underwood.
The Lodge at this time was built of wood and plaster, covered with slate and tiles and contained 38 rooms, all in tolerably good repair, with several cottages, farmhouses and barns, etc. The materials of the Lodge, if pulled down, they estimated would be of the value of £50: the wood within the Park, according to the judgement of the Jury was worth £150: and the herbage of the Park could be let at £250 per annum. The Deer were now reduced to 16 and four fish ponds remained, but the fish had all been caught during the Civil war and the ponds had not been restocked. Finally it was decided that as there was now little profit to be make from hawking or hunting, and with no rents coming in from tenants – Mr Willoughby allowed then to free use of the Park owing to their extreme poverty – Bestwood was to be left undisturbed, and so it was during the Protectorate Oliver Cromwell.
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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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