A tour of the 900-year-old revamped home that now has an indoor pool
IT’S one of the oldest country houses in Derbyshire, with parts dating back to the 12th century, but very little is widely known about it.
Grade Ii-listed Thornbridge Hall in the Peak District even predates its nearby neighbour Chatsworth House.
We were given a privileged behind the scenes peek at this stunning house, which still serves as a family home, but major changes to the way it works are in progress to try to secure its future for the next century or two.
Currently owned by Jim and Emma Harrison, the house has not always been a family home.
From the 12th century to the late 18th, Thornbridge Hall was the grand home of the Longdon family, but it was sold in 1790 to John Morewood for the princely sum of £10,000.
It was then rebuilt in Jacobean style in 1859 by Frederick Craven, with the installation of a stunning William Morris/edward Burnejones window.
The hall changed hands once again in 1896 when George Marples, a Sheffield businessman and lawyer, purchased it and extended it to its current form. He even built his own private railway station close by and added the Watson Buffet fountain, brought over from Chatsworth House.
The theme of items leaving the seat of the Duke of Devonshire and appearing at Thornbridge is something that can be spotted throughout the hall.
Charles Boot bought the hall in 1929. He would become famous as the man who designed and built Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, the film studio that has played a major role in hundreds of Hollywood blockbusters and is the home of the James Bond franchise.
In 1945, following the end of the Second World War, when the hall played host to children evacuated from nearby cities, including Sheffield and Derby, it was taken over by Sheffield City Council and turned into the Thornbridge Hall College of Education.
It remained as an educational college, providing residential facilities for teachers and pupils inside the house and in the various buildings scattered across the grounds.
However, when the council left the house was in pretty bad condition.
It was bought in 1997 by the Hunt family who started restoration work to the gardens and removed additions to the house, which revealed its earlier proportions.
Jim and Emma Harrison, the current owners, bought the property in May 2002 and have since embarked on a massive, multimillion-pound restoration project to bring Thornbridge Hall back to its former glory.
What they have done is produce a stunning family home, complete with grand staircases, halls and a mirrored roof that leaves your mouth open at its beauty.
The gardens have now been turned into a play area for both adults and children alike with historic statues and the grand fountain there to be viewed, photographed and, in terms of the fountain, filled with yellow rubber ducks.
We were shown around the house by tour guide David, who was incredibly knowledgeable about the house and its history, pointing out little quirks you would otherwise not spot.
Thornbridge Hall is a stunning country house, unusual in the fact that you are walking around a family home, with family members moving around all the time, but that just adds to the warmth of the place.
Thornbridge Hall is offering free entry to its gardens daily from 10am to 4pm during January. For more information, visit its website.