What has happened to the Nocton Estate since?
This chronology is not from the book
'Revelations of an Imp' and is my attempt at bringing things up to date based on information from various sources. I have endeavoured to approach this in date order.
1919
The Hodgson's sold the Hall and Estate to Mr William Dennis of Messrs W.H. Dennis and Sons, Kirton.
1925
The Hall and Estate was acquired by James Herbert Dennis (son of William) on 28th July.
1927
James Herbert Dennis moved into The Manor House and there is evidence to suggest that Nocton Hall became a Preparatory School for Boys.
1936
James Herbert Dennis sold the Hall and Estate to Smith's Potato Crisps (1929) Ltd & Smith's Potato Estates Ltd on 1st May.
1940
The Air Ministry acquired the Hall and 200 acres of parkland for a wartime contingency hospital. The hospital (RAF Nocton Hall) was developed.
1945
The Hall and part of the grounds were established as the RAF's permanent hospital for Lincolnshire. Nocton Hall was used to billet the female RAF medical staff. Sadly, the Hall and grounds were never again to be reunited with its Estate.
1970
Smith's Potato Estates Ltd sold the Nocton Estate to a subsidiary, The Smith's Food Group Ltd on 26th March... which soon entered liquidation.
1971
The Liquidators sold Nocton Estate to Toms Foods Ltd on 5th February.
1975
Toms Foods Ltd sold Nocton Estate to British Field Products Ltd on 4th August for £3,098,000. British Field Products was a farming company of the Guardian Royal Insurance Group. It appears this was the beginning of selling off certain assets from the Nocton Estate e.g. The Old Ten Row cottages were sold to Simons Building Maintenance Ltd for redevelopment on 31st March 1983.
1983
Around this time a decision was also taken to close RAF Nocton Hall, however this actually resulted in the lease of Nocton Hall and its grounds/hospital to the US Army as a USAF wartime contingency hospital. Shortly thereafter though, the Hall and grounds were finally separated off and sold for private development, leaving the RAF Nocton hospital site as a separate entity. The hospital site continued to function as a contingency hospital for American Forces during the Gulf War of 1991/92, but was sold in 2000.
Mid-1980's
Nocton Hall and the surrounding grounds consisting of wood, woodland, grassland and cottages was purchased by a Mr Torrie Richardson. He sold off the cottages for redevelopment to provide capital to convert Nocton Hall into a residential home, but unfortunately the venture ended in bankruptcy following intervention by a major creditor due to revaluation of the asset. This was a real shame as it was a significant local employer.
N.B. you may be interested to read about how one of the cottages (The Garden House) was renovated:
http://www.lincolnshirelife.co.uk/uploads/files/homes_and_gardens/homes-and-gardens-0310.pdf
1995
The remaining land of the Nocton Estate (over 7,000 acres) was purchased by Paul and Anne Clarke (Nocton Ltd) in November. It was at the time, the largest 'ring-fenced' farm ever to be sold to a private individual and was still an ongoing agricultural concern. Paul and Anne replaced much of the arable crops in year 2000 with the growing of bulbs and flowers, which was where their original business experience was gained, becoming one of the largest flower producers in the UK. This was the first time since about 1925, that the Nocton Estate had a resident owner again.
2000
A company named Leda Properties purchased the Hall and grounds (from the Liquidators), together with the old hospital site. It seems Leda Properties were granted planning permission to turn Nocton Hall into a private home, but it was never redeveloped and fell into disrepair. Much of the architectural content has since been robbed out, vandalised and stripped of anything of value.
An urgent works notice was served requiring Leda to maintain the property and keep it secure, but following later examination of the site, it was discovered work had not commenced, nor was it being scheduled. North Kesteven District Council therefore set about the process of instructing contractors to carry out the required work and recoup the costs from Leda.
2004
Unfortunately, on the evening of Saturday 24th October, a devastating fire took hold of this historic building. The fire was well developed by the time the fire brigade arrived at 11.45pm, requiring ten crews at the height of the incident. Crews were still at the location dampening down and investigating how the fire started until Sunday afternoon. The fire left the structure in a precarious state and the building is now dangerous to enter.
2007
Turning back to the Nocton Estate, Nocton Ltd sold approximately 60% of the Estate farmland (much of it fenland) to a Danish consortium (Nocton Fen Farms Ltd), leaving roughly 2,800 acres in the ownership of Nocton Ltd.
2009
A further 340 acres was advertised for sale in June, along with Grange Farm. This was purchased by two dairy farmers, Peter Willes and David Barnes (Nocton Dairies Ltd - incorporated 22nd July 2009), as one of the company's first transactions.
In October, the Victorian Society decided to list Nocton Hall in its top ten endangered buildings list for England and Wales. Due to continued dilapidation of the property, English Heritage also placed it on the UK 'Buildings At Risk' register and are now seeking for North Kesteven District Council to secure and preserve what is left of the old Hall.
Nocton Dairies Ltd then made an offer for the remaining Nocton Estate farmland which was still owned by Paul and Anne Clarke. This purchase (circa 2,400 acres and five properties) was realised in December 2009. Nocton Dairies Ltd intended to develop a mega-dairy on Nocton Heath, but following a vigorous local and national campaign, the plans were withdrawn because of objections from the Environment Agency. Peter and David continue to farm their land as an arable concern through a local farmer, Robert Howard.
2011
This appears to have left one remaining asset from the old Nocton Estate days in the hands of Nocton Ltd, that of the old Estate Yard (incorporating a state of the art packhouse, dormitory buildings and glasshouses in 52 acres) developed by Paul and Anne for their very successful bulb and flower business. This 'Nursery and Agricultural Complex' is currently for sale through Savills (September 2011), with offers invited in excess of £2,000,000.
2012
Nocton Dairies Ltd have since sold their land to
Beeswax Farming (Rainbow) Ltd. The old Nocton Estate railhead and greenhouse complex has since been sold to
MAC Ltd.
What about Nocton Hall?
Over the remaining years very little action has been taken to protect Nocton Hall, certainly not from the elements which have continued to cause instability. Further thefts have also occurred of masonry and scrap metal and the Hall is now virtually an empty shell. The once fine gardens are overgrown and the fine specimen trees hidden by more native species.
North Kesteven Distrct Council have managed to get Leda Properties to secure the perimeter of the Nocton Hall building with temporary fencing, but this has required constant attention to keep it secure. The old RAF Nocton hospital site has been the focus of much illegal activity and almost everything of value has been robbed out.
Since English Heritage have classified Nocton Hall as one of Britain's most 'at risk' properties, North Kesteven District Council have finally contracted an Options Appraisal to determine a best way forward, yet after many months the findings of this report is still awaited (September 2011)
We are now reliant on North Kesteven District Council and English Heritage to create the next chapter of history for this once proud architectural gem, with the local community eager to support this venture. Let's hope the relevant authorities don't leave it much longer, or there won't be anything left to salvage.
If you have enjoyed reading
'Revelations of an Imp - 20 Centuries of Characters who made Nocton Hall their Home' by Douglas Craven-Hodgson, can I recommend some further reading for you.
E.J. Willson and the Architectural History of Nocton Old Hall
by Carol Bennett
This particular paper is a detailed analysis of the architectural history of Nocton Old Hall - it is a superb piece of writing. Carol, who lives locally, has kindly given me permission to publish her paper electronically. This paper was originally published in
'Lincolnshire People and Places: Essays in Memory of Terence R. Leach (1937 - 1994), edited by Christopher Sturman, SLHA, Lincoln, 1996.
Click on the following link to access the document:
Architectural History of Nocton Hall
All Saints Churchyard, Nocton
You may like to view a list of people who are buried in the local churchyard. You will recognise a number of names connected with Nocton Hall. See here:
http://www.interment.net/data/eng/lincoln/allsaints/index.htm
Finally, the following entries were incorporated into
'Revelations of an Imp' as a Postscript along with a few other items not reproduced here:
American Friends
Our American friends have again come back to the Hospital, originally set out by their Military Command in World War II. Let us wish them every happiness on their third visit to Nocton. Their presence in the midst of the park, can only be a matter for rejoicing.
R.A.F. Hospital Nocton Hall Station Commanders
1947: Group Captain C. C. J. Nicolls
1947 - 1949: Group Captain L. C. Palmer-Jones
1949: Group Captain D. A. Wilson
1949 - 1952: Group Captain L. M. Corbel CBE
1952 - 1953: Group Captain P. A. Cooper
1953 - 1955: Group Captain S. R. C. Nelson QBE
1955 - 1959: Group Captain H. C. S. Pimblett CBE
1959 - 1961: Group Captain E. S. Sidey
1961 - 1964: Group Captain W. B. Thornburn
1964 - 1966: Group Captain J. M. Urquhart
1966 - 1969: Group Captain E. S. Odbert MBE
1969 - 1973: Group Captain T. A. Evershed
1973 - 1976: Group Captain I. H. Mercer
1976 - 1979: Group Captain M. H. Rogers
1979 - 1981: Group Captain I. G. Currie
1981 - 1983: Group Captain D. R. Crockatt
The last prayer of Lady Jane Grey who spent so many happy days at Nocton Manor
This prayer by Lady Jane Grey, the girl who was Queen of England for nine days, was written when she was fifteen. A year later she was executed.
O merciful God, consider my misery, best known unto thee; and be thou now unto me a strong tower of defence, I humbly require thee. Suffer me not to be tempted above my power, but either be thou a deliverer unto me out of this great misery, or else give me grace patiently to bear thy heavy hand and sharp correction. It was thy right hand that delivered the people of Israel out of the hands of Pharoah, which for the space of four hundred years did oppress them, and keep them in bondage; let it therefore likewise seem good to thy fatherly goodness, to deliver me, sorrowful wretch, for whom thy son Christ shed his precious blood on the cross, out of this miserable captivity and bondage, wherein I am now. How long wilt thou be absent? - for ever? Oh, Lord! hast thou forgotten to be gracious, and hast thou shut up thy loving kindness in displeasure? wilt thou be no more entreated? is thy mercy clear gone for ever, and thy promise come utterly to an end for evermore? why dost thou make so long tarrying? shall I despair of thy mercy? Oh God! far be that from me; I am thy workmanship, created in Christ Jesus; give me grace therefore to tarry thy leisure, and patiently to bear thy works, assuredly knowing, that as thou canst, so thou wilt deliver me, when it shall please thee, nothing doubting or mistrusting thy goodness towards me; for thou knowest better what is good for me than I do; therefore do with me in all things what thou wilt, and plague me what way thou wilt. Only in the meantime, arm me, I beseech thee, with thy armour, that I may stand fast, my loins being girded about with verity, having on the breast-plate of righteousness, and shod with the shoes prepared by the gospel of peace; above all things, taking to me the shield of faith, wherewith I may be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked; and taking the helmet of salvation, and the sword of thy spirit, which is thy most holy word; praying always, with all manner of prayer and supplication, that I may refer myself wholly to thy will, abiding thy pleasure, and comforting myself in those troubles that it shall please thee to send me; seeing such troubles be profitable for me, and seeing I am assuredly persuaded that it cannot but be well all thou doest. Hear me, O merciful Father, for his sake, whom thou wouldest should be a sacrifice for my sins; to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be all honour and glory. Amen!
(Taken from 'God of a Hundred Names' by Barbara Greene and Victor Gollancz).
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