Old Croxton Park House, April 2013

The Old Croxton Park House is a Grade II listed building situated near the village of Croxton Kerrial in Leicestershire (mid-way between Grantham and Melton Mowbray). It was built in 1730 by the third Duke of Rutland using materials from the 12th century Premonstratensian Priory as a hunting lodge. In its prime it looked like this:



Apparently inhabited up to and during the Second World War, post-1945 the lodge became unused and the then landowner decided to remove the lead from the roof (rather ironic eh?). Perhaps unsurprisingly in the following few decades the lodge fell into disrepair.

I'd done a bit of research on the place and worked out how to get to it. The few pictures I'd seen on the web showed a house taken over by undergrowth and in an advanced state of dereliction. It was previously featured on DP back in April 2009 although the pictures have all disappeared now:

[ame="http://www.derelictplaces.co.uk/main/showthread.php?t=12313"]http://www.derelictplaces.co.uk/main/showthread.php?t=12313[/ame]

So I followed the road until it turned into a (pretty snowy) mud track, parked up and then walked the mile or so to the house. So imagine my surprise when I saw what I saw: all the undergrowth had been cleared and the house was completely scaffolded. So, what to do? Valor got the better of caution and I legged it over barbed-wire fences and in the door at the side of the lodge to get some internal shots. The fact that it was scaffolded and the undergrowth cleared points to one thing: that the building is going to be done up. So while I didn't get my atmospheric greenery-clad externals this has to be out-weighted by the fact that this lovely hunting lodge is going to be returned to it original state. Anyhow, on with the photos:

This was the view that first confronted me:


img8487_1 by HughieDW, on Flickr

This is the view of the main south entrance of the lodge:


img8488_1 by HughieDW, on Flickr

This is a view from the North-East of the lodge:


img8489_1 by HughieDW, on Flickr

And a close-up of the East wall and colonnade:


img8490_1 by HughieDW, on Flickr

OK, time to go in:


img8491_1 by HughieDW, on Flickr

This rusty iron single bed head has seen better days...


img8506_1 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Not too sure what this was used for:


img8504_1 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Loving the old Harrods box:


img8501_1 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Lots of work to be done, like finding out where these go...


img8497_1 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Here the second floor has gone and that bit of roof don't look too safe:


img8496_1 by HughieDW, on Flickr

...and starting from scratch here:


img8495_1 by HughieDW, on Flickr

This room isn't much better:


img8494_1 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Overall then, not quite what I expected but good to see a derelict house going the other way to what most go...

Incidentally this is what it looked like before it was cleared...

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/33194

I saw this place on the way back from Grantham, and wondered what it was.
I thought access might be dodgy as there is a farm house near, and your in full view of the main road on the hill,
Thanks for sharing, very interesting ..

Stealthstar79 said:

I saw this place on the way back from Grantham, and wondered what it was.
I thought access might be dodgy as there is a farm house near, and your in full view of the main road on the hill,
Thanks for sharing, very interesting ..

Click to expand...

My pleasure. Before they cleared all the surrounding undergrowth a full mooch externally and internally was little risk. It is now very exposed as there are two occupied estate houses very nearby. To the point where I nearly bottled it. In the end I thought I've come all this way so went on with it. Glad I did if now it is to be fully restored/renovated.

The cast iron 'wheel' is the cutter and operating wheel from a straw cutter - the spokes have a thin steel blade screwed to them. They were mostly used to chop straw up to feed to horses and can still be found being used today. This place was officially listed in 1953 and in a 1953 listing report is said to be completely roofless. The removal of lead by the landowner in the 1950's seems to be another myth about this place and the people who owned it, unless somebody cocked up the listing report. Most likely the roof was removed in the late 40's so that rates were not chargeable.

I can find no evidence that this place is being restored, only that stablisation of an unsafe structure is taking place - as per the rules appertaining to Listed Buildings at risk in England.

On reflection think you are right Dirus. Shame, although at least the building shouldn't deteriorate more. Must cost quite a bit keeping all the scaffolding in situ though.

Looking forward to the finished job!thanks for sharing.

HughieD said:

On reflection think you are right Dirus. Shame, although at least the building shouldn't deteriorate more. Must cost quite a bit keeping all the scaffolding in situ though.

Click to expand...

I could be wrong, but the scaffold looks to be more of the 'access to work' than the 'holding up / support' type as I think they are attempting to weather proof the top of the wall structure. Most of the damage to the stone and brickwork has been caused by ingress of water into the interior of the walling, with subsequent frost damage. This being the major reason why derelict buildings with poor or missing roofs eventually start to collapse.

Hey, I popped to take a look here no long back. A couple of months ago, maybe.Too over grown now to get into. But was a beautiful house.

Stealthstar79 said:

Hey, I popped to take a look here no long back. Too over grown now to get into. But was a beautiful house.

Click to expand...

bloody el thats crazy different from @HughieD pics

Dirus_Strictus said:

The cast iron 'wheel' is the cutter and operating wheel from a straw cutter - the spokes have a thin steel blade screwed to them. They were mostly used to chop straw up to feed to horses and can still be found being used today. This place was officially listed in 1953 and in a 1953 listing report is said to be completely roofless. The removal of lead by the landowner in the 1950's seems to be another myth about this place and the people who owned it, unless somebody cocked up the listing report. Most likely the roof was removed in the late 40's so that rates were not chargeable.

I can find no evidence that this place is being restored, only that stablisation of an unsafe structure is taking place - as per the rules appertaining to Listed Buildings at risk in England.

Click to expand...

That's right about the cast iron wheel. It was part of what was known as a chaff cutter. Various types were built. As a child in the 1950s I used one to cut wheat straw into chaff that was used as deep litter for the hens that provided eggs for the guests at my parents' Devon guest house. The straw was fed in between two geared slow-turning serrated rollers that carried it to the fast-turning wheel with the blades. Operated by hand, it was important not to feed too much straw at once, or everything came to a halt.

The Harrod's furnirure depository box reminds me of my visit there in the 1980s to the great block of a building near the Thames. It was no longer in use, and was being photographed by an English Heritage chap for the record. The building is now flats.

Bet all that scaff is worth more than the building!!!

Stealthstar79 said:

Hey, I popped to take a look here no long back. A couple of months ago, maybe.Too over grown now to get into. But was a beautiful house.

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Was wondering how this place was so thank you for the update @Stealthstar79

Not much gone on bar nature encroaching back again...