About The Bestwood Lodge HotelThe Story of an Estate - Page 9
A disastrous fire occurred in 1893, it was discovered by George Fisher, the estate carpenter, who found the drawing room in flames. Before the fire brigade could arrive, four men and horses had to be fetched from working in distant fields, the loyal tenants and workmen gathered quickly to form a human chain of water buckets and succeeded in controlling the flames. Unfortunately for the family, many treasures were destroyed along with 25 valuable pictures. Among the latter were Lely’s Charles II in robes, a life size portrait of Nell Gwynn by Gascar, Prince Rupert by Van Dyke and the first Duke of St Albans by Kneller.
By now, the Duke granted a lease to the Bestwood iron and coal colliery company, with its subsequent coalmine and iron smelting works. From her Lodge on the hill, the Duchess watched the growth of the new village and wondered how she might help to alleviate the bad working conditions. She prompted an entertainment on a lavish scale: the first night it was held in the local school room, the second night at the Lodge itself, and the third at the Albert Hall, Nottingham. With these successful proceeds, a library and reading room was built in Bestwood Village for the mining community. Another major undertaking by the Duchess was a fabulous bazaar in 1879; this was in answer to an appeal for funds fir the Nottingham Womens’ Hopsital where Radio Trent is now, in Castle Gate. She drew on all her influential friends for help and these ladies vied with one another to make their stalls the most successful. This produced such an abundance and variety of valuable articles for sale, that were perhaps never seen before, or since, at any Bazaar. Her children in fancy dress and looking utterly charming, moved around the Bestwood gardens selling tiny bouquets at a shilling each. It appears from a letter or acknowledgement by Dr Beverley Morris that more than £1,300 was raised by this gallant effort, which not only cancelled the debts of the hospital, but also left a considerable sum towards the much-needed building. The busy social life at Bestwood is long gone, but in its heyday there were grand Balls, hunting and shooting parties alongside private theatricals and children’s concerts. The children of the Duchess and her stepson were quite good performers of instruments, song and recitation and used their talents to raise money for waifs, strays and other unfortunate children. Nor were the tenantry forgotten, having properly graded dinners and balls arranged at appropriate times.
The huge staff of gardeners and craftsmen, as well as indoor servants were drawn mainly from the neighbouring village of Daybrook and town of Arnold. Arnold Post Office in the charge of Mr Blankley, coped with the large Bestwood mail and frequent telegrams. Local boys were detailed to deliver the latter, for sixpence a time as quickly as they could run. There was terrific competition for this honour, for it might well produce a piece of cake and a glass of mile from the kitchen, as well as sixpence from the postmaster and if a boy was fetched from school as frequently as it happened, he also dodged lessons.
Cricket was a feature of Bestwood, and so keen was the Duke on this that he laid down an exceptionally fine pitch within sight of the drawing room windows and inaugurated the Bestwood Park Cricket Club in 1868. He charged a peppercorn rent of one shilling per year, payable incidentally in two half-yearly amounts of 6d. After the sale of the estate this rent was paid to the estates solicitors until the Lodge itself was taken over by the War Office and the ground used by the army as well as the club itself. So the Lodge and Cricket ground did in fact revert to the Crown – a circumstance allowed for so many years ago.
The Duke’s original intention was to provide a team composed of tenants, however there were insufficient Estate workers who played Cricket so he co-opted Arnold cricketers. Thus the names of the brothers W T and J Oscroft, Clay, Parr and Sulley appear. It was that William T Oscroft who became the first Bestwood Park C.C member to gain recognition as the player for Nottinghamshire Country Cricket Club and was its Captain in 1881 and 1882 and who played for England. He toured Australia with Dr W Graces team and was a member of the first MCC team to tour Canada & America under Richard Daft. The club was finally disbanded in 1978.
Page Six | Page Seven | Page Eight | Page Nine | Page Ten
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.
Name Supplied
