Elsham Hall facts for kids
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Elsham Hall is a beautiful old country house from the 1600s. It sits in its own large park in Elsham, North Lincolnshire, England. Today, the park and gardens are open for everyone to visit and enjoy.
The Main House
The house you see today was mostly built around the 1760s. It stands where an even older building once was. The house is made of brick, with fancy stone on the front. It has a special roof made of Westmoreland slate.
The house was made bigger in the 1800s for its owner, T. G. Corbett. Later, in the 1900s, some parts were taken down. The Elwes family added more improvements in 1933. Elsham Hall is a very important old building, officially called a Grade II* listed building. This means it's protected because of its history.
Inside the house, there's a Catholic chapel built in 1933. There's also an old stone staircase from the 1700s.
Near the house, there's a lovely orangery from the 1800s. An orangery is like a greenhouse for growing orange trees. This building is also protected as a Grade II listed building.
Please note that the main house itself is not open for visitors.
Elsham Hall's History
Elsham Hall has been around since the 1600s, or maybe even earlier! Big changes were made to the building around 1760. At that time, William Thompson and his wife Elizabeth owned the property.
After William Thompson died in 1764, his son Robert Thompson took over. He might have been the one who made the house bigger. When Robert died in 1788, he had no children. So, he left the house to his niece, Elizabeth Corbett. She brought Elsham Hall into the Corbett family when she inherited it.
From 1800 to 1814, a woman named Jane Gardiner ran a girls' boarding school at Elsham Hall.
When Thomas Corbett died, his oldest son, William Thompson Corbett, inherited the estate. He also added "Thompson" to his name. William and his wife, Jane, had twelve children. Their oldest son, Thomas George Corbett, inherited the property next.
Thomas George Corbett's daughter, Eleanor Blanche Mary Corbett, married Sir John Dugdale Astley, 3rd Baronet. She inherited Elsham Hall in 1868. This is how the house came into the Astley family. Her oldest son, Sir Francis Edmund George Astley-Corbett, inherited it in 1894.
In 1925, Sir Francis sold the Elsham estate to King's College, Cambridge. They sold the house in 1931 to the Elwes family. The Elwes family still owns Elsham Hall today!
After World War II, Captain Jeremy Elwes inherited the property. He and his wife, Clare, worked hard to restore it. Later, his sons, Robert and Gervase Elwes, took over. They have made Elsham Hall a popular place for visitors and weddings. Their families have worked to keep the historic gardens open for future generations.
The Park and Gardens
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The beautiful gardens at Elsham Hall include a very old medieval carp lake. There's also a coach house and stables from the 1800s. These buildings are also protected as Grade II listed buildings.
In 1970, Captain and Mrs. Elwes opened the park and gardens to the public. They wanted people to enjoy the countryside, see wildlife, and learn about arts and crafts.
Elsham Hall is a popular spot for local people and for school field trips. Many schools visit, especially during the spring lambing season.
Here are some things you can find at Elsham Hall:
- A carp lake with a feeding platform for the fish.
- Beautiful walled gardens, lakeside gardens, and sensory gardens.
- An arboretum (a place with many different trees) and a wild butterfly walkway.
- A fun adventure playground for kids.
- Aviaries with birds and a display of farm animals you can feed.
- Craft centres, including a working blacksmith.
- A shop and a cafe in the old stables courtyard.
- The barn theatre, used for shows, weddings, and special events.
Elsham Hall is also a registered place where civil weddings can take place.
