O is for Outwoods

O is for Outwoods – and another update for an entry in my book, ‘A-Z of Loughborough’!

I am thankful that I took the opportunity to go for a long walk in some of the areas surrounding Loughborough yesterday, on what was a beautifully sunny and clear afternoon, after a morning of heavy rain. Not only that, I’ve just read that the next phase of the project to return the Outwoods to its ancient woodland species is about to begin, and much of the Outwoods will be closed from 1st November until 24th November while many of the non-native trees, mostly conifers, are felled. I wrote about the first stage of this project in the book, so I’m keen to keep up with the progress of the work. There are some FAQs about the project on the council website, but essentially, the non-native trees are being felled to allow more oak trees to grow, and to encourage the growth of flora on the woodland floor.

On my walk, I took the path off Valley Road where it joins Belvoir Drive and headed up to the Outwoods. Along the way I passed the site of the new cemetery, which is beginning to take shape, and from the fields close by there were some lovely clear views of Loughborough.

Part of the new cemetery

Nanpantan Sports Ground

Reaching the Outwoods itself, I stumbled upon a memorial bench, and then took a very circuitous route, eventually ending up in the car park off Breakback Lane, where I saw all the work that’s been done on the ranger’s hut that is going to be a café.

 

Artwork in the wood

Then I followed the path that runs parallel to the road, before exiting onto the road, and then turning left into the bridleway that is Brook Lane. I walked all the way along Brook Lane, where there were some fabulous views back across Loughborough, and I noticed I could even see Stanford Hall from there.

Stanford Hall in the far distance

Looking back at the Outwoods from Brook Lane

Brook Lane came out at the junction in Woodhouse Eaves, where the Bull’s Head is on the corner, and after a quick cuppa in the local cafe, I walked to the village hall, but took the path just before the hall.  A new tree had been planted here, in honour of people who had died during the pandemic.

This particular path took me all the way to School Lane in Woodhouse, and I walked up past Pestilence Cottage, and stopped to look at the memorial at the church, and the new memorial bench in Woodhouse, which was close to the church.

Crows' nests

From here it was an easy walk through the village of Woodhouse, and at the end of the village I turned down the path to Beaumanor Hall, taking the right-hand path to come home via the path alongside Mucklin Wood, and then through the Grange Park Estate.

 

The Lodge to Beaumanor Hall, designed by William Railton,is currently for sale

         

Posted by lynneaboutloughborough 31 October 2021

You are welcome to quote passages from any of my posts, with appropriate credit. The correct citation for this looks as follow:

Dyer, Lynne (2021). O is for Outwoods. Available from:https://lynneaboutloughborough.blogspot.com/2021/10/o-is-for-outwoods.html  [Accessed 31 October 2021]

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Lynne                 

Disasters and plague houses

Last week we had a look at some of the fires and disease that have affected Loughborough over the years. 

A quick flick through some of the literature and I came across a chap called Percy Davenport, who had written an article about the plague, in the Loughborough Echo. A bit more of a delve revealed that Percy was an "old boy" from the Grammar School, who, whilst working at the Ministry of Health, used to copy out old documents he found, in his leisure time. Some of these are the Manor Accounts and Wills of Loughborough.

So, if Percy read what he was copying in any detail, his voice holds a lot of weight. In his 1935 article in the newspaper he wrote about "When the plague came to Loughborough", saying:

In the years 1609 and 1610 Loughborough was a place to avoid, for it was then in the grip of the deadly plague. The story told by the Parish Registers is indeed a grim one. Under the month of August, 1609, the writer sets down the simple words "A plague began on the 24th day," and for the period of the next 18 months or more, long lists of victims who succumbed are entered, each name prefixed by the letter "p". 

He also mentions the possibility of there being a "plague house" somewhere, which was associated with Thomas Rawlins who founded a school in Woodhouse in 1691. This school lasted until the late eighteenth century, after which it closed until it relocated to Quorn village hall where it re-opened in 1892, firstly, as a boys' grammar (Thomas Rawlins Grammar School), before becoming a co-ed school of the same name, and based in the building occupied today by the Rawlins Academy. Thomas Rawlins is reputed to have escaped the 1665 Plague of London and settled in Pest Cottage in Old Woodhouse. This cottage is still standing today, and is named Pestilence Cottage. 

Percy has this to say about Pest Cottage:

Whatever may be the historical facts behind the "Plague House" of Thomas Rawlins, allusions to which have appeared in recent numbers of the "Echo", we are on solid and indisputable ground when we speak of a "Plague House" in Loughborough.    

The Accounts of the Bridgemasters, (who gathered funds to maintain the bridges, and the Free Grammar School and for many other local needs) were responsible to the Feoffes of the Loughborough Town Lands, and these accounts show that the feoffes took responsibility for building a Pesthouse in The Rushes, in a vain attempt to stop the spread of the plague in 1609. 

Percy quotes from the accounts:

Payed to Richard Harryman on Thomas Wingkfeild hosse [house], in earnest for the newe house in The Rushes vjd [6 old pennies]." 

This is a formal transaction, and the builder is bound to enact the contract and build the house, which is outlined below:

Payed to Clemente Parsons for Carriadg of wood into the Rushes xjs [11 old shillings]

Ironically, both Clemente Parsons and his son died from the plague in October 1610, only a few months after this contract was agreed.

Sadly, I've run out of time to carry on with this post, so pop back next week for a final installment on the plague in Loughborough, and some comments about the infamous Dead Lane!

You are welcome to quote passages from any of my posts, with appropriate credit. The correct citation for this looks as follow:

Dyer, Lynne (2017). Disasters in Loughborough! Available from: https://lynneaboutloughborough.blogspot.com/2017/10/disasters-and-dead-lane.html [Accessed 15 October 2017]

Take down policy:

I post no pictures that are not my own, unless I have express permission so to do. All text is my own, and not copied from any other information sources, printed or electronic, unless identified and credited as such. If you find I have posted something in contravention of these statements, or if there are photographs of you which you would prefer not to be here, please contact me at the address listed on the About Me page, and I will remove these.

Thank you for reading this blog. 

Lynne