FAO; Nottinghamshire/South Yorkshire 'Mudders'

[Bush Tucker Man]

Does anyone know anything about Welbeck Abbey?
It's located to the south of Worksop.
It was built for the 5th Duke Of Portland in (& around)1860.

It is now (as I understand) mainly in the care of the MOD as a 'training college'

It has such features as an underground ball-room measuring over 10,000sq ft (160ft x 64ft!!)
3 miles of tunnels feature between outlying areas. He also (allegedly?, but unproven) had a private tunnel so he could be driven in his carriage directly to the railway station & onto a waiting carriage!


Fact Or Fiction
 
Multi-Map

[the loon]

Does anyone know anything about Welbeck Abbey?
It's located to the south of Worksop.
It was built for the 5th Duke Of Portland in (& around)1860.

It is now (as I understand) mainly in the care of the MOD as a 'training college'

It has such features as an underground ball-room measuring over 10,000sq ft (160ft x 64ft!!)
3 miles of tunnels feature between outlying areas. He also (allegedly?, but unproven) had a private tunnel so he could be driven in his carriage directly to the railway station & onto a waiting carriage!


Fact Or Fiction
 
Multi-Map

I've heard the story about the tunnel to the station before but cant say if was linked to welbeck but it does sound familiar

[joe90]

I work for Interserve Defence and we manage the facility for the MOD, im not actually based at Welbeck but have heard similar facts.

I do know that come July of this year the MOD will be leaving Welbeck for a new specialy built 6th for Defence college at Woodhouse, near Quorn, where i will be based.

Will try and find a bit more out from some of my coleges

[loyalduke]

Welbeck is still anArmy 6th form college, the other part of the house known as the Oxford wing is occupied by William Parente and his family. He is the last Duke's daughters son and will inherit the estate when his Aunt Lady Anne Bentinck dies. THEREFORE IT IS PRIVATE AND NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. I think there is a good CCC site there which may give you glances of the house and great lake.

There are tunnels but none as long as people think. There is one you can find the end of down Butt lane? (I think thats what its called), this is the one that runs towards Worksop and likely to have been the one used to get to the station as it track runs into woodland so kept the Duke well hidden.

The house was converted from an abbey after the dissolution of the monastries. Eventually owned by the Earl of Shrewsbury then passing to the Cavendish family after the marriage of Geogre 6thEarl to Bess of Hardwick,and their respective sons and daughters. Charles Cavendish, Bess's youngest son moved in and at the same time built Bolsover castle on the site of a ruined medieval castle also owned by the Shrewsbury family but sold on by Gilbert...now Charles' brother in law...confused!

Charles died before completing Bolsover and his son William took on this and Welbeck. William was incredibly wealthy as were his uncle who took on Chatsworth and Hardwick. William worked his way up in Royal circles becoming the Earl of Newcastle upon Tyne and eventually Bess's first descendant to become a Duke followed a few years later by the cousin at Chatsworth who became Duke of Devonshire.

If you ever drive down the M1 you will see Bolsover Castle between jnc 29 & 30 to the east on top of the hill. Its worth avisit with fantastic cafe, better than a motorway service stop. If you have longer then allow 2-3 hours and do the tour or go when they have an event on and stay the day....this Sunday they.ve got medieval knights on. have a look at www.english-heritage.org.uk

John

[Bush Tucker Man]

Thanks, it was an amalgamation of facts from a very good book on Follies of the UK & the couple of pages about it in (the brilliant) Bill Bryson book; 'Notes From A Small Island'

[Bush Tucker Man]

Lifted from a very good Follies site

[joe90]

Ok so its a reply to an old post, but was up at the Welbeck College today. Whilst there i managed to have a good scout around, and found a gated tunnel leading away into the grounds from the back of the house, i also found the underground ball room and another tunnel disapering from the basement quarters out towards the colleges sports fields.

Unfortunantly the Welbeck estate has seen it fit to end the lease with the MOD and the college is now closing - future use of the buildings is unknown, it is sad to think that 50 years of MOD Occupation there is coming to an end.

The new college at Woodhouse Eves near Loughborough is to still be called Welbeck and is now also open to RAF and NAVY & MOD Engineers not just the Army.

Have a look
http://www.army.mod.uk/careers/welbeck/

[Bush Tucker Man]

Thanks for that Joe, it'd be sad to see yet another part of our history go 'to the wall' & be neglected

[joe90]

The MOD didnt really have a choice in the matter, as i understand it Welbeck estates had decided that the lease wouldn't be renewed. but on the other hand the new college facilities are state of the art, and purpose built for the job in hand, not old modified buildings as was the old welbeck college.

This new venture with TQ, InterserveFM, & MOD Estates will ensure that the new college is kept in the best condition for 28 years minimum contract, compared to the old college this will mean imense savings for the MOD.

It was estimated that last years maintenance budget for the original Welbeck (Small & response Maintenance excluding grounds maintenance & larger projects) was near on £1.5m.

Unfortunantly the history behind Welbeck doesnt count for much, when finance savings are taken into account.

[Range Rover Blues]

Some of my pupils have played rugby against Welbeck college and I have friends who shoot on the grounds and know the family.  Apparently it's part of a very large estate that runs as far as Nottingham.
The college is relocating because there was no room to expand at Worksop and one of the two sites had to close.  You can cycle through the estate but I, like Bill Bryson, have been asked to leave by a man in uniform carrying a gun when I got a little 'lost'.  I used to cycle through most weekends on my way to Clumber.

The tunnels were built by a former occupant because he was disfigured and did not want to be seen, he would travel in his carriage to London without seeing the light of day.  Appparently he was eccentric and after his death the house was found to be empty appart from one room full of hat boxes.  The underground ballroom is supposed to be one of the biggest in England.

There are rumours it may be opened to the public when the college closes, but the family hardly need the money.