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A hundred years ago - view of Quorndon Hall, Leicestershire
A HUNDRED YEARS AGO
This article comes from Baily’s Magazine Sports and Pastimes dated February 1805.
Quorndon Hall, Leicestershire, was till lately the hunting seat of Hugo Meynell, Esq., that prince of fox hunters, who purchased it about fifty years since of Laurence Earl Ferrers. Quorndon Hall is neither very large nor very magnificent; it is built in a plain neat style, retaining apparently every convenience for a family residence. Within it is enriched, as may be expected, with some good paintings of horses. Mr. Meynell is a descendant of an ancient family in Derbyshire, and in the early part of his life had a seat in the British senate; but he returned thence to gratify a mind formed by nature for very different pursuits, the sports of the field.
Even at an advanced period of life, when men generally feel their passions for favourite amusements upon the decline, he is equally anxious and animating to all around him. Who can view him following the staunch pack, and not be sensible of the justness of this remark? In the year 1791 Mr. Meynell gave a splendid treat to some of the first nobility in the kingdom at Quorndon Hall. On the first day of hunting his noble visitors attended him to cover near Stanford in Nottinghamshire, where there was an assembly of about 300 horsemen and ladies in carriages, among whom were the Duchess of Rutland, Marchioness of Salisbury, the Earls of Essex, Talbot, Stir and Winchelsea, the Dukes of Bedford, Devonshire, and Grafton, besides many more visitors of distinction. The noble visitors were guests at Quorndon Hall for about ten days. London every day poured forth her abundance to enrich his tables with the choicest viands and fruits.
The hunting stable at Quorndon Hall is said to be 290 feet long, and has a noble appearance at night, being lighted up with an immense number of patent lamps, which give it the appearance of a street in London. These stables are filled with the finest horses in the kingdom. The kennels are large and spacious, and contain a sufficient number of hounds to hunt four or five days every week. During the hunting season Quorndon and the towns near are filled with gentlemen sportsmen.
Quorndon Hall, with the hounds &c., has been lately sold to the Earl of Sefton, who now resides there. All the gentlemen belonging to his hunt wear a scarlet uniform. Small houses in Quorndon have been let to noblemen and gentlemen at the rent of £200 per annum.
N.B. The water [shown] in the print, running before the house, is the river Soar.
*The Earl of Sefton succeeded Mr. Meynell as master of the Quorn in the 1800 –Eorroz, Baily’s Magazine.
The above comes from Baily’s Magazine Sports and Pastimes dated February 1805.
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Submitted on: |
2011-07-14 |
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Submitted by: |
Christine Sibcy |
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Artefact ID: |
1315 |
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Artefact URL: |
www.quornmuseum.com/display.php?id=1315 |
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Print: |
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