About The Bestwood Lodge HotelThe Story of an Estate - Page 7
With the coming of the recently married young ducal pair, who were so enthusiastic and had the means to gratify their wishes, Bestwood saw many changes. After the completion of the house and laying out of the gardens came the building of a village school and the Emmanuel Church. (Incidentally when HRH the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) saw the completed house he liked it so much that he gave Tulon the job of partially re-building his newly acquired house of Sandringham.)
The foundation stone of the Emmanuel Church at Bestwood was laid in 1869 and there was also a chapel attached to the house for family worship. The Emmanuel Church, in early French Gothic style, was built near the gardens in the woods to the west of the house.
The foundation stone of the Emmanuel Church at Bestwood was laid in 1869 and there was also a chapel attached to the house for family worship. The Emmanuel Church, in early French Gothic style, was build near the gardens in the woods to the west of the house. This may have been to please the young Duchess Sybyl, whom we are told loved it dearly and left her own handwork in the five painted windows at the apsidal chancel end and in the exquisitely embroidered alter cloth and kneeling mat. A certain element of tragedy seems to have followed the young Duchess as her father, General Hon. Charles Grey died 31 st March 1870 whilst on a visit to Bestwood, and the windows designed by Sybyl were dedicated to him. On 26 th March the Duchess had given birth to the son who was to become the eleventh Duke, Charles Victor Albert Aubrey de Vere Beauclerk. Then the following year the gentle Duchess died when only 23 years old, and we see her grave and stone canopied memorial seat on the outer wall of the Church, and also a marble bas-relief portrait sculpted by her friend Princess Louise, daughter of Queen Victoria.
The second Duchess had advanced political ideas, she owned estates in Ireland in her own right and she rapidly became as popular as the Duke, with both friends and villagers. Both the Duke and Duchess possessed a warmth and ready sympathy towards philanthropic concerns and worked unsparingly for raising money for many charities. The Duke, accepting fully his responsibilities in the House of Lords, also held many other posts. Among these, he was Lord Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire, Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Lincolnshire, Honorary Colonel of the Robin Hoods, a member of the Jockey Club and a life-long friend of Prince Wales, later King Edward VII.
In spite of the many outside commitments the ducal pair concerned themselves with Bestwood Estate affairs, local needy causes and they maintained a real home at the Lodge. Through their frequent and generous hospitality to friends and acquaintances and the nation wide importance of their many great guests, their home at Bestwood Lodge became known as one of the most brilliant social centres in the country. In the drawing room, that runs the southern length of the house, was a table of treasures including the wrought-iron key of the original Lodge. Also on the table was part of the ribbon worn by Charles II at his wedding and the ring given by Charles I to Bishop Juxon on the scaffold which bore the famous word ‘Remember’.
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I celebrated my engagement and birthday with 9 of us having a meal at your restaurant. The carvery was lovely all the food was fresh and very tasty. We all had a brilliant time. Thank you and a big thank you to your restaurant staff.
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