# Annesley Hall, Notts, June 2020



## HughieD (Jul 1, 2020)

*1. The History*
Annesley Hall, near Annesley in Nottinghamshire, is a Grade II listed country house. The Hall dates from the mid-13th century and was the ancestral home of the Annesley family before passing to the Chaworth-Musters. Alice Chaworth, heiress to the Manor of Annesley, married George Chaworth. The Chaworth family then owned the house for the next 350 years. Mary Chaworth, who lived at the Hall in the late 1700s/early 1800's, was the boyhood lover of the poet Lord Byron, but she married John Musters in 1805 who she went on to have seven children with. Earlier a more tenuous Byron link saw the poet's uncle, William Byron, kill William Chaworth in a duel in the Stars and Garter pub in London. The drunken argument over who had more game on their estates saw Lord Byron thrust his sword through Chaworth's stomach. Chaworth died the next day and Lord Byron was later found guilty of manslaughter but got off with a small fine!

The Chaworth-Musters went on to become one of the most powerful families in Nottinghamshire. John Chaworth-Musters was appointed High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire for 1864–65. Alterations to the hall saw the addition of a service wing in 1880. The Chaworth-Musters finally sold the hall in 1972 and the new owners controversially removed many of the 17th century fittings. The hall suffered its first fire in 1997 which caused such serious damage to the hall that it has not been inhabited since then. Annesley Lodge, the former gatehouse (also grade II listed) is in slightly better condition. Annesley Old Church, near to the hall, is Grade I listed. The hall is currently on the Buildings at risk register as ‘deteriorating’. The Hall featured on the popular 2005 show Most Haunted. The council and ground owners are trying to restore the building in order to save it however, unfortunately on 16th May, 2015 two of the three floors of the hall were ruined by another fire.

Archive picture in happier days:


Ariel-view-of-Hall-and-Old-Church by HughieDW, on Flickr

*2. The Explore*
Last came here back in October 2015. Never got in so thought I’d have another crack. As we pulled up there was a police car parked right outside. We hung around for a while and once they’d gone made our way into the house’s grounds. Although getting into the grounds is relatively easy, getting into either the house or the stables is much more difficult. So much so that we failed on both accounts. Hence, we had to content ourselves with the icehouse, the gazebo in the woods and the grounds. Still, enough to take pictures of to merit a report.

*3. The Pictures*

The view that greets you when you first arrive:


img6196 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Quick pic or two of the church:


img6290 by HughieDW, on Flickr


Annesley 01 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Not getting in that wat then:


Annesley 02 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Some of the out-buildings:


img6191 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img6302 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Fireplace left hanging:


img6192 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img6300 by HughieDW, on Flickr

The overgrown gardens are nice:


img6303 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img6304 by HughieDW, on Flickr

On to the icehouse:


img6295 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img6311 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img6309 by HughieDW, on Flickr


Annesley 04 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img6296 by HughieDW, on Flickr


Annesley 04 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Hidden away in the woods, never saw this little gem last time:


img6314 by HughieDW, on Flickr


Annesley 06 by HughieDW, on Flickr


Annesley 08 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Half a ball!


img6316 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Nice stone shield:


img319 by HughieDW, on Flickr

That sundial:


img6304 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img6291 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img6292 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img6293 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img6294 by HughieDW, on Flickr

View from the front:


img6194 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img6321 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Full-frontal with fountain pit:


img6322 by HughieDW, on Flickr


Annesley 09 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Looking across to the stables:


img6195 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img6324 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img6326 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Again, no way in:


img6330 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img6328 by HughieDW, on Flickr


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## Potter (Jul 6, 2020)

Great stuff.
They really need to restore all this, but properly securing it first would be a good idea.


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## chambta (Jul 14, 2020)

I drive past it fairly regularly but you only get a glimpse at a distance on a fast and bendy stretch of road. 

Nice work.


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## alex76 (Aug 12, 2020)

If I remember correctly it was on most haunted a few years ago and it's a bear shell inside


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## alex76 (Aug 12, 2020)

https://youtu.be/gQ6mGdCVrQM


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## BikinGlynn (Aug 14, 2020)

Thats really nice I wouldnt mind a gander here sometime


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## HughieD (Aug 15, 2020)

BikinGlynn said:


> Thats really nice I wouldnt mind a gander here sometime



Well worth it mate. Not far from the M1 and an easy park up...


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## MisterMcFish (Oct 28, 2020)

Had a visit here myself, is it worth posting my own pics as you seem to have covered everywhere!


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## HughieD (Oct 29, 2020)

MisterMcFish said:


> Had a visit here myself, is it worth posting my own pics as you seem to have covered everywhere!



Absolutely. Always good to see someone else's take on a place...


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## verdigris (Oct 30, 2020)

such a shame it's falling to bits. Love the sundial


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## Bayons (Nov 1, 2020)

Stunning house, such a shame, gardens must have been stunning with the rhododendrons or azaleas along the drive.


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## Forest38 (Nov 8, 2020)

I live near this they have now started repairing the roof


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## Digitalpunk (Nov 9, 2020)

Beautiful Skeleton of an old home, lovely shots


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## Darklldo (Dec 24, 2020)

Bayons said:


> Stunning house, such a shame, gardens must have been stunning with the rhododendrons or azaleas along the drive.


Thank you  I was just trying to remember the name of the shrubs - Rhododendrons, and beautiful ones too. They grow so much bigger over there than they do in Tasmania. 
Wish you could have got into the house, it's just begging for more photographs to be taken. It would have been such a nice property, pity they can't resurrect it.
Great photos too


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## Judderman62 (Dec 25, 2020)

Wonderful looking place.


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## jondoel (Dec 25, 2020)

alex76 said:


> If I remember correctly it was on most haunted a few years ago and it's a bear shell inside


A bear shell?


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## Locksley (Jan 19, 2021)

Excellent stuff, must have missed it from last year.

I think I may have posted this before, but we ended up going on an overnight 'ghost hunt' type thing there with Richard Felix just after he got sacked from Most Haunted back in around 2006. I was sort of into that kinda thing back then, incredibly we didn't see any ghosts but it was interesting to have the run of the place for a while. Apparently Byron used to use the door of that understair garden lodge room thing as target practice with his duelling pistols. There's still marks in the stone where he shot at it and supposedly the door itself is in the British Museum. Some unfired lead balls were found in the garden around where I guess he would have stood, which Richard had managed to procure from somewhere leading to the obvious hilarity between me and my mates of having touched Byron's balls in the garden.

In other news, 2006 was 15 years ago


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