Stanford Hall: Lutterworth, Leicestershire, UK.

Stanford has been the home of the Cave family, ancestors of the present owner, Nicholas Fothergill, since 1430. In the 1690’s, Sir Roger Cave commissioned the Smiths of Warwick to pull down the old manor House (adjacent to the church) and build the present hall, which is a superb example of their work and the William and Mary period.

Throughout the house are portraits of the family and examples of furniture and objects they collected over the centuries. An unusual collection of family costumes, including splendid embroidered waistcoats, is displayed in the Old Dining Room, which also houses some early Tudor portraits and a fine Empire chandelier. There are about 5,000 books in the Library that have been collected by succeeding generations since the 17^th Century and range from Greek philosophy to children’s storybooks. A document hanging on a wall of this room is an "inventory" dated 1495 of the old Manor House and estate at that date. Other documents include the builders’ estimate/bill for the construction of the new Hall.

A Motorcycle Museum, housed in the stables, has an outstanding collection of racing and vintage motorcycles. There is also a full size replica of "The Hawk", a flying machine in which Lt. Percy Pilcher RN was killed at Stanford in 1899, after several successful flights.

Stanford Hall is open to the public from Easter Saturday to the end of September: Saturday, Sunday, Bank Holiday Monday and Tuesdays following; 2.30 to 5.30 pm (last admissions 5.00 pm). On Bank Holidays and Event days, open at 12.00 noon (house 2.30 pm). Open any day, or evening, during the Season for pre-booked parties. FAX: 01788 860870.

Stanford is located off the junction of the M1 and M6, but take note of the means of exit from these motorways.

Many rallies are organised throughout the year, for example, Volkswagon Owners Club, Capri Club, Lea Francis Owners Club, American Civil War Society, to name a few.

The above information and photographs have been abstracted from brochures available at the Hall, with kind permission of The Lady Braye and Lt. Col Edward Aubrey-Fletcher. (Former owner of Stanford Hall). For more information about Stanford Hall and the programme of events, visit www.stanfordhall.co.uk

back to top

Woodcroft Castle is close to the village of Etton, north of Peterborough. It has lead a chequered history as can be found by visiting www.botolphsbarn.org.uk and searching for Woodcroft Castle. This site will give the full history of the castle but, it does not mention the fact that Thomas Cave, a Yeoman, leased the castle from Sir William Fitwilliam on the 6^th of October 1570 for a period of 17 years. His family group is shown below. From records of the village of Etton it is obvious that the family was still in possession in 1611.

Colleen and Hugh Cave visited Woodcroft in 2003 when it was for sale, not that we could have even considered it. But, it was intriguing to have “walked the stones” that a Cave family had walked those 400 years ago.

back to top

St Nicholas Abbey, Barbados was home to the Cave family of Bristol until 2006. Visit www.stnicholasabbey.com for full details.

back to top

St. Michael’s Church, Stretton en le Field, Leicestershire

(click photos for larger view)

Those attending the 2011 Annual Gathering of the Cave FHS at Ashby-de-la-Zouch had the opportunity to visit St. Michael’s Church at Stretton-en-le-Field a few miles away. The 14th century church dedicated to St Michael is no longer used for regular services, and is cared for by the Churches Conservation Trust.

Access is available via a time lock that opens the church at 10am and automatically locks it at 4pm. On Sunday 20th June 2011, several members of the society chose to visit St Michael's church at 10.45am and were somewhat surprised to find it still firmly locked. No-one had remembered to change the times to accomodate British Summertime!

Inside, the church still has box pews and a pulpit where a prospective preacher posed for his picture. Caught in front of the camera instead of behind the viewfinder is Ernie Cave (Member No.474)

The building is constructed of local sandstone with one exception – the chancel arch (just above Ernie's right shoulder). The arch was made from a hollow piece of wood and covered to simulate stone. In the chancel, the wall bears monuments to the illustrious of the parish, including the Cave-Browne-Cave family who became lords of the manor of Stretton and patrons of the living. A framed representation of their coat of arms leans as proudly as possible against the panelled screen in the north aisle.

William Astley Cave-Browne-Cave served as rector of the parish and was one of a number of descendants of John Cave-Browne to become a cleric.

In 1720, Roger Cave of Eydon married Catherine, daughter of William Browne of Stretton Hall. They had 15 children, of which 2 sons and 4 daughters survived to adulthood. Three of the girls married and the eldest surviving son, John, decided to add his mother's maiden name to his surname when he inherited from his maternal grandfather. John had 16 children by his second wife (Catherine Astley) and only two died in infancy. His eldest son, William, inherited the title of 9th Baronet Cave of Stanford when the male line of his great-grandfather, Sir Roger Cave (2nd Baronet Cave)from the first wife (Martha Browne, daughter of the Speaker of the House of Commons) died out in 1810. William not only took the baronetcy, he added another "Cave" to his surname of Cave-Browne to honour his ancestry, he being a great-grandson of the said Sir Roger by the second wife, Mary Bromley.

At the east end of the church are a number of large slabs that possibly cover the Cave-Browne-Cave vault. Some have been inscribed but the inscriptions have weathered and cracked.

Other monuments belonging to the extended Cave-Browne-Cave family were found on the north side of the chancel near the east end, and some were duplicating the information on the chancel monuments.

This was an important place in its day, and home to the Cave baronets for a while. It was peaceful the day we visited but the shades of its past inhabitants were probably very pleased that some present day Caves took the time and trouble to see the place that they once held so dear to their hearts.

Lynda Hotchkiss – Cave FHS Society Researcher

back to top