Groby Old Hall facts for kids
Groby Old Hall is a historic house in the village of Groby in Leicestershire, England. It was partly built in the 1400s using brick. This old manor house is located very close to where Groby Castle once stood. It's a special building, listed as Grade II*, which means it's very important historically and architecturally.
History of Groby Old Hall
The first grand house on this spot was likely built by the Ferrers family. They were important nobles who served King Edward I and Edward II. Around 1432, the house and the family's noble title passed to the Grey family. This happened when Sir Edward Grey married Elizabeth Ferrers, who was the granddaughter and heir of the 5th Baron Ferrers.
Famous Grey Family Members
The Grey family became very famous. Two of their members even became Queens of England: Elizabeth Woodville and Lady Jane Grey.
Elizabeth Woodville married John Grey, a son of Sir Edward Grey. They lived at Groby and had two sons. John died in battle in 1461 during the Second Battle of St Albans. After his death, Elizabeth asked King Edward IV to return her family's lands, which had been taken away. She won her case, and the King fell in love with her! They got married, and she became Queen.
As Queen, Elizabeth helped her own family, the Woodvilles, and her sons from her first marriage. She also had children with King Edward IV. Sadly, her two sons with the King, Edward V and Richard of Shrewsbury, became the famous and ill-fated Princes in the Tower. Her daughter, also named Elizabeth, married Henry VII. He won the Wars of the Roses and united the families of Lancaster and York. Elizabeth Woodville lived to see three of her royal grandchildren born, including the future Henry VIII.
Changes to Groby Old Hall
Elizabeth Woodville's son, Thomas Grey, became very important in the royal court. He was made the Earl of Huntingdon and later the Marquess of Dorset in 1475. After King Edward IV died, Thomas Grey had to leave England because Richard III became king. He joined Henry Tudor in France.
When Henry Tudor defeated Richard III in 1485, Thomas Grey returned to England. He decided to improve his family's home at Groby. He started building a new brick gatehouse on the same site as the old manor. This gatehouse later became part of what we now call the 'Old Hall'.
However, Thomas Grey soon changed his plans. He began building a completely new, large red-brick house in his hunting park at Bradgate, a few miles away. His son finished Bradgate House after Thomas died in 1501. Bradgate House became the main home for the Grey family for the next 240 years. This is where Thomas Grey's great-granddaughter, Lady Jane Grey, was born and grew up.
Groby Old Hall, which might include parts of even older buildings, remained an important part of the Groby estate. Its story changed along with the Grey family's fortunes. No one knows exactly when the original grand hall was taken down. A TV show called Time Team even dug there in 2011 to try and find out, but they didn't get a clear answer. The red-brick gatehouse became the 'Old Hall' we see today. It's one of the earliest brick buildings in England.
See also
- Baron Ferrers of Groby
- Elizabeth Woodville
- John Grey of Groby
- Thomas Grey, 1st Marquess of Dorset
- Bradgate Park
