Yes it calls it a "chamber" on the postcard. So could well be a be very small place. Viv.
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Aston Hall
- Thread starter G G Jean
- Start date
This is a mid-1800s image showing "The Exhibition, Aston Hall". Looks like an orangery or conservatory to me with a few statues! Wonder if this was part of the Royal opening of the Hall and Park?
Viv.Well Aston Lad
I Also went to upper thomas street but in the fortys many moons before 1968
on the subject of the hideaway tunnel wich they used was not covered by a chair
the original tunnel was used by the holtes and it was infact a large book case that concealed it
and this is in the mid 1800/ very early 1900 when it was last used for the tourist
and i dont mean in the fifties either around the 1920/30 latest and it was never openened again
because there was a person stabbed to death and it was never used again they cancelled that particular room
there upon for later years of sixties years or so it may be more than that
by the early fifties through until the sixtys there was alot inside modercation going on
a complete overall make over in every room top to bottom even the grounds
and what was once the out side refreshments was the formerly there house hold kitchen for the cook servants
this is where the arch way of the building ajoining the old house way back in time
and there was the anex that you could walk through out the rear side and at the rear gable end above the house
was the room in which the maid en of the house was kept locked up
and there was an ajoining room to it and in the 1800 early 1900 there was a dare bet for anybody want to
experients and if you stayed the night you would recieve a 100 pounds if you was brave enough
So the chair was not the real room hiding the panel it was a replacement in another quarter
that they created in later years like the late fifyty sixtys years
the order was written in parchment that this secret passage was never to be seen again as it was also a long passage
where this tragity happened
and yes there is alot of rummours going around over the years about asto hall
I myself with a camera is hoping this week to get down there and see for myserlf the excat changes that have taken
around and within the grounds best wishes Astonian,,, Alan,,
I Also went to upper thomas street but in the fortys many moons before 1968
on the subject of the hideaway tunnel wich they used was not covered by a chair
the original tunnel was used by the holtes and it was infact a large book case that concealed it
and this is in the mid 1800/ very early 1900 when it was last used for the tourist
and i dont mean in the fifties either around the 1920/30 latest and it was never openened again
because there was a person stabbed to death and it was never used again they cancelled that particular room
there upon for later years of sixties years or so it may be more than that
by the early fifties through until the sixtys there was alot inside modercation going on
a complete overall make over in every room top to bottom even the grounds
and what was once the out side refreshments was the formerly there house hold kitchen for the cook servants
this is where the arch way of the building ajoining the old house way back in time
and there was the anex that you could walk through out the rear side and at the rear gable end above the house
was the room in which the maid en of the house was kept locked up
and there was an ajoining room to it and in the 1800 early 1900 there was a dare bet for anybody want to
experients and if you stayed the night you would recieve a 100 pounds if you was brave enough
So the chair was not the real room hiding the panel it was a replacement in another quarter
that they created in later years like the late fifyty sixtys years
the order was written in parchment that this secret passage was never to be seen again as it was also a long passage
where this tragity happened
and yes there is alot of rummours going around over the years about asto hall
I myself with a camera is hoping this week to get down there and see for myserlf the excat changes that have taken
around and within the grounds best wishes Astonian,,, Alan,,
I also remember a tunnel being spoken about on a school visit to the Hall (nothing to do with the chamber hidden by the chair). At the time (1960s) I remember being told it linked to the church. Viv.
Lady Penelope
master brummie
Viv, so pleased to see a picture of the Exhibition Hall. I think this was on what is now the terrace at the back of the hall overlooking the spot where Pan would appear some years later. On your lovely snowy post it would be obscured by the trees. I'm sure there is a picture on the forum somewhere. Mom grew up in Upper Thomas Street and the children would go and peer into this window to look at all the exciting things. This is where 'Shaggy' lived - the mummy who had started to unravel. Not sure if it was still there in Mom's time but her brothers and sisters were much older so may have told her about it. It was a popular warning to children 'in before dark else Shaggy'll get yer'. Parker's Mom knew about Shaggy too and she was a good deal younger than Mom. We took them both to see Aston Hall by Cadlelight one year and they kept talking about Shaggy!
Lovely Lady P ! According to Historic England:
"The colonnade beneath the Hall was glazed and converted to a greenhouse".
Was the glasshouse to the left then on this old print? (Sorry, no date for the print, but again a charming illustration of the Hall and gardens). Viv.
"The colonnade beneath the Hall was glazed and converted to a greenhouse".
Was the glasshouse to the left then on this old print? (Sorry, no date for the print, but again a charming illustration of the Hall and gardens). Viv.
Lady Penelope
master brummie
Great picture Viv. You can just see a bit of a building on the far left. Whether this is the same one or an earlier one I'm not sure. I do remember it had the same curved windows as your post #182. Just not sure about the roof. Also interesting is the wide path leading from the terrace - would this have been where the steps were which Astonian mentioned? I seem to remember a print in the hall showing something like this. It was a formal garden I believe. There are French doors along that stretch so I expect they would have opened onto the terrace and then down into the garden. I thought it was a bowling green when I first saw the flat grass - be perfect!
Thanks Lady P.
For info. I also know that a portion of the Hall gardens were absorbed into the Park at some point too. And there once was a bowling green ! So, probably although not yet got my navigating hat on this morning so not sure where each feature was. Viv.
For info. I also know that a portion of the Hall gardens were absorbed into the Park at some point too. And there once was a bowling green ! So, probably although not yet got my navigating hat on this morning so not sure where each feature was. Viv.
Think it's work posting this extract from Historic England at this point:
GARDENS AND PLEASURE GROUNDS As designed c 1630 the main garden compartment lay west of the Hall, overlooked from the long gallery and balancing the forecourt to the east.
A 180m long terrace walk, in the C17 known as the Great Walk, runs across the west front of the Hall. In 1637 it was intended that a banqueting house be built at either end of the Walk. These were to be built according to a design supplied by Sir Thomas Holte (rather than, as originally intended, being copies of those at Campden House, Gloucestershire). Whether the southern banqueting house was ever built is unknown, but the basement of the northern one, demolished before the 1750s, survives as the lower section of one of the C19 balustraded bastions which terminate either end of the Walk.
West of the terrace, an area occupied in the C17 and in 1758 by a bowling green, are three gently terraced lawns with formal beds, in all occupying c 80m north/south by 250m east/west. These are probably of the early C19, when James Watt, the Hall's tenant, made many improvements to its surrounds. On the most easterly lawn are two urns, while in the centre of the most westerly lawn is a statue. Steps lead down from the centre of the west side of the west lawn to a north/south walk, and then continue down to a further (fourth) lawn which now forms part of the park rather than the garden. Further formal lawns lie north and south of the middle lawn west of the Hall, below the terrace walk.
A grass oval with central bed occupies the centre of the east forecourt. This arrangement was established c 1740, when it replaced a parterre with trimmed yews and sculptures. That was laid out here c 1700, about the time the original brick screen wall along the east side of the forecourt was replaced by wrought-iron work.
South of the Hall is a level lawn, with the Hall's car park to its east. A parterre was laid out south of the Hall c 1699, which was replaced in the C18 by a walled garden. The colonnade beneath the Hall was glazed and converted to a greenhouse. The garden south of the Hall became a flower garden and shrubbery in the late C18. A Victorian bandstand was removed in 1924.
North of the Hall is a flat lawn. This occupies the site of a bowling green present in 1758 and probably laid out in the 1630s as a part of the original design. Service buildings and a bleaching green, also C17, survived until the later C19.
GARDENS AND PLEASURE GROUNDS As designed c 1630 the main garden compartment lay west of the Hall, overlooked from the long gallery and balancing the forecourt to the east.
A 180m long terrace walk, in the C17 known as the Great Walk, runs across the west front of the Hall. In 1637 it was intended that a banqueting house be built at either end of the Walk. These were to be built according to a design supplied by Sir Thomas Holte (rather than, as originally intended, being copies of those at Campden House, Gloucestershire). Whether the southern banqueting house was ever built is unknown, but the basement of the northern one, demolished before the 1750s, survives as the lower section of one of the C19 balustraded bastions which terminate either end of the Walk.
West of the terrace, an area occupied in the C17 and in 1758 by a bowling green, are three gently terraced lawns with formal beds, in all occupying c 80m north/south by 250m east/west. These are probably of the early C19, when James Watt, the Hall's tenant, made many improvements to its surrounds. On the most easterly lawn are two urns, while in the centre of the most westerly lawn is a statue. Steps lead down from the centre of the west side of the west lawn to a north/south walk, and then continue down to a further (fourth) lawn which now forms part of the park rather than the garden. Further formal lawns lie north and south of the middle lawn west of the Hall, below the terrace walk.
A grass oval with central bed occupies the centre of the east forecourt. This arrangement was established c 1740, when it replaced a parterre with trimmed yews and sculptures. That was laid out here c 1700, about the time the original brick screen wall along the east side of the forecourt was replaced by wrought-iron work.
South of the Hall is a level lawn, with the Hall's car park to its east. A parterre was laid out south of the Hall c 1699, which was replaced in the C18 by a walled garden. The colonnade beneath the Hall was glazed and converted to a greenhouse. The garden south of the Hall became a flower garden and shrubbery in the late C18. A Victorian bandstand was removed in 1924.
North of the Hall is a flat lawn. This occupies the site of a bowling green present in 1758 and probably laid out in the 1630s as a part of the original design. Service buildings and a bleaching green, also C17, survived until the later C19.
Lady Penelope
master brummie
Viv, Stitcher's picture in post #80 clearly shows the structure I was talking about. It's even better than the one I was searching for. Amazing what you can find on the forum!
Thanks Lady P. That's definitely it. So it must have been there for at least 60 years if it was erected as per Pedro's cutting in post #192. (Stitcher's post tells us his photo was 1918 - so presume it's the same one).
Viv.
Wonder if one of these is/was "Shaggy". Viv.
Lady Penelope
master brummie
Looks like it Viv! Wouldn't like to meet him on a dark night so no wonder the kids were scared. Mom would have been six in 1918 and some of her brothers and sisters were grown up by then so the orangery would have been there in their time.
Hi Pedro
firstly to say your in put of information as been on this forum over a decade ago but sadly its been shang ied
along with the rest of the items all lost so its great to see you bring it back
over 12 years ago i would say it was , and i also put alot of info, in those days of my knowledg of The Hall
As a kid spending most of my young lifegrowing up as a local as well
In and around the building constanly,
what you have read and produced is an actual fact that took place around that period by the news article
about the love affair and the death of the lady being locked in a room for a long time
the room itself was visuable from the walk way on the approach into the Aston park it,s self
If you came into the aston park it,s self from the albert road side main gates
and walked down the long pathe coming through the gates and continue in those early days of the fortys
yo would have walked about 2oo yards in there on the right hand of the pathere
there was a fountain and a drinking vessal anchored tby a thick heavy chain, at the end of the chain there was an heavvy
steel cupit did not have a handel , inmagine a cup with no handle dangerling up side down
and beleive me it was heavvy with out the water in it
Carry on your journey along the pathe heading to wards the hal
i think about twenty or thirty yards befor you got there the pathe beared to the left
that takes you to the crown bowling green so you are on that pathe you would see the crown bowling house
In front of you but ten yards or so there was a pathe turn right
and walk afew yard towards the hall there in front of you was an arch gate which would take you into the rear gardens
and the back entrance to the main building once through the gate continue and yards along you turn right under the other arch which was the servants entrance and the said kitchens
what i have forgot to mention whilst walking the crown bowling pathe
you are actly walking along side of the hall and as you approach the first entrane and stepped through it
you can see some of the gable end bedrooms it was the very first bed room widow as you look up
on the gabble end that where this lady was kept and the hauted room
around that time period of the press orjust after
was the period of asking people whom would like to attempt to sleep in there for a night
survive the night and get 100 hundred pounds but no oneever did volonteer
because of this spiritual of the ghost plagueing the house
yes viv , it was a tunnel that ran dowwn through the park to aston parish church
and the exit was down the rear end of the grave yard and there was a door , as a choir boy there for years
whilst awaiting for our choir mistress a mis rice from Albert road
whom was a very elderly lady and i think her asstistant was a miss burrows
and as a group of choir boys we was eager to nipp down through the very over grown grounds in the dark
but sunday services gave us the light to mooch down the back we found the door a tiny door with an old rustic padlock
full of grime and you can tell it was never been openend in decades
they was an incident carry on in the early fiftys one evening on a sunday night
which was wittness by dozen of peopls whilst awaithing the 39 bus
In the grave yard at night there was a very old lady in ragged clothes laying down on a hughe grave stone slab
she had to lage candle sticks in her hand and screaming people was standing there on the road whatching her
i was there with my two olde brothers and our friends from the choir
some one phoned the police and they came with big search lights along with the fire service
they searched the grave yard from one end to another but bound nothink she got up and disapeared
best wishes Astonian,, Alan,,,,
firstly to say your in put of information as been on this forum over a decade ago but sadly its been shang ied
along with the rest of the items all lost so its great to see you bring it back
over 12 years ago i would say it was , and i also put alot of info, in those days of my knowledg of The Hall
As a kid spending most of my young lifegrowing up as a local as well
In and around the building constanly,
what you have read and produced is an actual fact that took place around that period by the news article
about the love affair and the death of the lady being locked in a room for a long time
the room itself was visuable from the walk way on the approach into the Aston park it,s self
If you came into the aston park it,s self from the albert road side main gates
and walked down the long pathe coming through the gates and continue in those early days of the fortys
yo would have walked about 2oo yards in there on the right hand of the pathere
there was a fountain and a drinking vessal anchored tby a thick heavy chain, at the end of the chain there was an heavvy
steel cupit did not have a handel , inmagine a cup with no handle dangerling up side down
and beleive me it was heavvy with out the water in it
Carry on your journey along the pathe heading to wards the hal
i think about twenty or thirty yards befor you got there the pathe beared to the left
that takes you to the crown bowling green so you are on that pathe you would see the crown bowling house
In front of you but ten yards or so there was a pathe turn right
and walk afew yard towards the hall there in front of you was an arch gate which would take you into the rear gardens
and the back entrance to the main building once through the gate continue and yards along you turn right under the other arch which was the servants entrance and the said kitchens
what i have forgot to mention whilst walking the crown bowling pathe
you are actly walking along side of the hall and as you approach the first entrane and stepped through it
you can see some of the gable end bedrooms it was the very first bed room widow as you look up
on the gabble end that where this lady was kept and the hauted room
around that time period of the press orjust after
was the period of asking people whom would like to attempt to sleep in there for a night
survive the night and get 100 hundred pounds but no oneever did volonteer
because of this spiritual of the ghost plagueing the house
yes viv , it was a tunnel that ran dowwn through the park to aston parish church
and the exit was down the rear end of the grave yard and there was a door , as a choir boy there for years
whilst awaiting for our choir mistress a mis rice from Albert road
whom was a very elderly lady and i think her asstistant was a miss burrows
and as a group of choir boys we was eager to nipp down through the very over grown grounds in the dark
but sunday services gave us the light to mooch down the back we found the door a tiny door with an old rustic padlock
full of grime and you can tell it was never been openend in decades
they was an incident carry on in the early fiftys one evening on a sunday night
which was wittness by dozen of peopls whilst awaithing the 39 bus
In the grave yard at night there was a very old lady in ragged clothes laying down on a hughe grave stone slab
she had to lage candle sticks in her hand and screaming people was standing there on the road whatching her
i was there with my two olde brothers and our friends from the choir
some one phoned the police and they came with big search lights along with the fire service
they searched the grave yard from one end to another but bound nothink she got up and disapeared
best wishes Astonian,, Alan,,,,
Returning to the glasshouse - Warren Wilmore's engraving below (sorry no date) shows the structure. Not sure it has the same windows, or maybe the windows facing the lawns (to the left) were different (arched). Looks like a group of young girls and governess/teacher sitting on the lawn in the foreground. Maybe an educational visit? Viv.
Lady Penelope
master brummie
Viv, Post #80 shows the arched windows within a square frame and although I can't really see them clearly in your last post they appear to me to be the same.
adap2it
master brummie
I've finally looked through the whole thread and....when I was a kid, the rumour was that Bonnie Prince Charlie hid in the big Oak tree in Aston Park. Of course it wasn't true, but it was our claim to fame at the time. There were also large holes in the walls at Aston Hall that were rumoured to be made by Roundhead cannons, not sure about that one...
Dave A
Dave A
The "glasshouse" is referred to as a glass pavilion in the Elizabethan style, "the crystal palace in miniature" It was designed by J.J.Bateman and made by The Coalbrookdale Co. at a cost of £1,324. apparently when Victoia arrived at Aston Hall she officially opened the park 7 house from a temporary balcony on the roof of the pavilion. A drawing of the inside of the pavilion from c1871 is below. This is taken from Oliver Fairclough's book "The Grand Old Mansion"
Thanks Mike that's a nice find. I notice there are some arched windows and some square in the drawing. Viv.
Lady Penelope
master brummie
Dave, I don't think BPC got any further south than Derbyshire but Charles II (to be) is reputed to have hidden in the Boscobel Oak in Shropshire so maybe he had a penchant for oak trees and spotted that one?
Lady Penelope
master brummie
Smashing drawing Mike, just the sort of place Shaggy might be! When Mom described it to me I imagined something like this. She said it was full of things he'd collected but I've know idea who 'he' might be.
adap2it
master brummie
Apparently, that's where the "Royal Oak" pubs got their name.
Dave A
Hi Viv and Dave
Here is abit more on the subject of Aston Park And Aston Hall History mentioned
And Guys you have heard the expression of the true cockney, being born between the bells
Well here is the saying of a true brummie
Afair proportion of the men were born with in the st martins bells
Here is a photograpgh of reinactment of the Battle of Crecy in Aston Park august 1346
Here is abit more on the subject of Aston Park And Aston Hall History mentioned
And Guys you have heard the expression of the true cockney, being born between the bells
Well here is the saying of a true brummie
Afair proportion of the men were born with in the st martins bells
Here is a photograpgh of reinactment of the Battle of Crecy in Aston Park august 1346
Attachments
Lady Penelope
master brummie
Astonian, I have a programme somewhere from the event. It was produced by a lady named Gwen Lally who Mom always thought was 'a bit odd', very dramatic and dressed like a man if I remember correctly.
Smashing photo Dave. Did you visit the inside of the Hall? Viv.
Regarding the damage inflicted upon the Hall during the Civil War, the balustrade of the grand staircase does have some damage to it supposedly caused by cannon shot. I think this is highly likely, as the Parliamentarians did lay siege to the Hall, not sure of the date. When I was a boy it was said that the Parliamentarian artillery was set up at what is now Cannon Hill Park, hence its name. I'm not an expert on 17th century artillery but I'd say that Aston Hall was somewhat out of range of Cannon Hill Park. If anyone has further information on this, I'd be interested.
Somewhere in our old family photos there is a picture of my Great Aunt Lilian Sims got up as a 'lady' for a pageant which if I am correct was organised as part of the celebrations for the Coronation of King George VI in 1937. Aunt Lil would have been well over 50 at the time, and a very strait-laced and rather po-faced person, not one to get 'dressed up' in silly clothes. Someone must have sweet-talked her! If I can find that photo I'll see if I can post it.
G
Somewhere in our old family photos there is a picture of my Great Aunt Lilian Sims got up as a 'lady' for a pageant which if I am correct was organised as part of the celebrations for the Coronation of King George VI in 1937. Aunt Lil would have been well over 50 at the time, and a very strait-laced and rather po-faced person, not one to get 'dressed up' in silly clothes. Someone must have sweet-talked her! If I can find that photo I'll see if I can post it.
G