Thoresby Park Pleasure Grounds.

 

The Pleasure Grounds, Thoresby Park, are situated across the lake from Thoresby Hall next to the Woodyard. In the middle of the 18th century, when the 2nd Duke of Kingston was extending the lake for his boats, he also landscaped the surrounding area, and the Pleasure Grounds originate from that time. This was a place where the Duke and subsequent Earls could stroll in private with invited house guests, possibly accessing the grounds via a boat trip across the lake, or via Stone Bridge (Green Bridge), at the point where the River Meden leaves the lake to continue on its way to Perlethorpe.

Simply referred to on maps today as "Park", the Pleasure Grounds remained a private, secluded area into the 1960's. However, on one occasion as a child in 1964, I took a camera inside the grounds and took these photographs. They may well be unique.

Above: This passage way through the centre of the Pleasure Grounds is part of a three mile route which once linked Thoresby Bridge with Buck Gates in a perfectly straight line. The Duke's carriages would pass this way on route to Ollerton, and Newark beyond. In the centre of the frame one can see deer feeding, whilst the mist beyond obscures the view of Thoresby Hall itself.

Above: The same area but viewed from the top of the landscaped embankment, over the rhododendrons. These embankments also harbored what was sometimes thought to be a bomb shelter, but which was in fact a storage place for ice before the days of refrigeration. Hence this area is referred to as Ice House Wood on some old maps.

Top photo and above: The River Meden leaves the landscaped Pleasure Grounds at the weir end of Thoresby Lake, before continuing on to Perlethorpe Village.