May 2026

We met for the first time in the Loco Centre which we felt was more suitable for a group like ours. This month we learned about various English Heritage sites.

We started with an explanation of the origins of English Heritage starting from the “King’s Works” in Norman times. English Heritage was set up by the Government as a charity to administer a large range of buildings open to the public.

We started at Lilleshall Abbey in Shropshire. This was an Augustinian house that voluntarily dissolved in the 16th Century. Following the Reformation, it became a private house until badly damaged during the Civil War. The ruins still stand.

Gainsborough Old Hall was built in the 15th Century then remodelled in the Jacobean style. Falling on hard times, it became a series of tenements and workshops. The great hall itself was used as a theatre. It was rescued from dereliction in the mid 20th Century.

Lullingstone Roman Villa gave us an insight into the development of a property during the Roman period. It was abandoned when the Romans left and only discovered by archaeologists in the mid 20th Century.

Bolsover Riding School is the site of a lot of graffiti which was deliberately carved to protect the horses against witchcraft.

We finished at Alnwick Castle which is one of the largest castle residences in the country.