HOVINGHAM, ENGLAND
After visiting the Village of Worsley we continued our discovery of the history of the Worsleys and travelled to Hovinghham, where the Worsley family has lived for over 450 years.
We made a booking for The Worsley Arms Hotel. When we arrived, the Manager commented that they were interested in our visit because they were wondering why William Worsley was booking a room when he has his family home, Hovingham Hall, across the way.
We mentioned that we were part of the American branch of the Worsley family researching our family history and traveled there to see the Hovingham Hall and Estate.
The main entry to Hovingham Hall was just a block away. The house is unique in being entered through an enormous Riding School which is approached through a large arch from the village street.
The Estate Manager was kind enough to show us the inside of the riding entry, the stable courtyard and the front of the main house where the gardens and cricket field are located.
The Worsley family bought the Manor of Hovingham in 1563. They were an old Lancashire family; legend says they were descended from Elias, a giant who died fighting on the Crusades. Worsley, the town from which they took their name, is now a suburb of Manchester.
It was Thomas Worsley who designed and built Hovingham Hall. He was obsessed with horses and architecture and the house remains the product of the extraordinary fusion of these two obsessions. Thomas Worsley became a close friend of King George III and is reputed to have taught him to ride.
The Estate surrounds the village of Hovingham and includes farming and forestry businesses, a shoot, an hotel, let farms and village properties, both commercial and residential. The majority of the Estate lies within the Howardian Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Farming and forestry have always been important sources of income for the Estate, and this remains unchanged today with over two thirds of the Estate given over to agriculture.
We took a walk on the estate to a path where they built a bridge over a small creek.
