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Loddington Hall

 

 

There are two places named Loddington Hall.  Here, we review Loddington Hall in Leicestershire.  The Loddington Hall in Northamptonshire does not have a Douglas connection.

 

 

Loddington is a small village and civil parish north of Market Harborough and east of Leicester in the county of Leicestershire. It has a population of 77.

In 1125, the village was granted to Launde Priory by Richard Basset and his wife, as part of the original endowment of the priory.  The Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust is based at Loddington House, where it has run the Allerton Project since 1992 to demonstrate the integration of game and wildlife conservation with profitable farming.

 

We know from the Doomsday Book that at least a part of the Loddington Estate was being farmed in the 11th century, although it is likely to have had a larger area of pasture than now. Before the plague, the population of the village was probably higher than at present and, with very much lower-yielding crops, a large area would be required to provide for the community. Loddington was enclosed between 1607 and 1640, changing the landscape and forcing many to seek work elsewhere.

 

Lord Aberdour purchased Loddington Hall in 1877. It had been advertised for sale in May 1877. Lord Aderdour was offering the Hill House Estate, Cold Newton, Leicestershire for sale in June 1877 because he had bought Loddington Hall. A large north wing was added to Loddington in 1893.

 

Lord Aberdour's(1) interest was mainly in hunting. This was the main area for fox hunting in England and many estates were bought by aristocrats for shooting and hunting. The railways enabled others to travel from London for such pursuits. At this time the population of Loddington was higher than before or since with grooms, coachmen and gardeners as well as a blacksmith, a miller and farmers.

 

The family were running a Loddington Hall polo team before the 1st World war. In 1905 the team was Hon R Douglas, Lord Aberdour, Hon C Douglas & JF Flemimg.

After the First World War the decline in farming continued as elsewhere. However one consolation for farmers were the shooting opportunities as grey partridge numbers thrived on almost abandoned farmland.

Loddington Hall became run down but was bought by Lord Allerton and substantially refurbished in 1934. This was then requisitioned by paratroops in the Second World War and left unfit to live in, Lord and Lady Allerton moved to Loddington House which is now the headquarters for the Allerton Project.

Notes:

1. Some reports say that the estate was acquired by the Douglas family in the mid-20th century.  However, photographic evidence shows them there in 1905.  In 1880, Lord Aberdour was Sholto George Douglas, later the 19th Earl of Morton.  In 1905, Lord Aberdour gave Loddington Hall as an address on a membership application for the Roehampton Club.

 

Hon. Archibald Roderick Sholto Douglas, who was born on 11 September 1883, the son of Sholto George Douglas, 19th Earl of Morton, gave his address as Loddington, Leicestershire, England.

I ??? have recently been looking into my family tree and found that my great great grandfather, William Woodroffe, was a groom for G W Douglas at his home, Loddington Hall, Leics.

In the Middle Ages the Douglas family owned extensive estates in Fife (Aberdour), Midlothian (Dalkeith), Berwickshire, Peeblesshire and elsewhere, and were created Earls of Morton in 1458. The 3rd Earl of Morton (d. 1550) was succeeded in his estates and title by his son-in-law James Douglas of Pittendriech, Regent of Scotland 1572-78, but in 1558 they reverted to the Douglases of Loch Leven (Kinross-shire). Considerable sales of land took place in the 17th century, including Dalkeith to the Earl of Buccleuch in 1642 and Loch Leven to Sir William Bruce of Balcaskie (Fife), c.1670. The islands of Orkney and Shetland, however, were granted to the family in 1643. They were annexed by the Crown in 1669, regranted in 1707 and finally sold to the Dundas family in 1766 . The Dalmahoy (Midlothian) estate was acquired in the mid 18th century and the Conaglen (Argyllshire) and Loddington (Leicestershire) estates probably for sporting purposes in the later 19th century. Earlier but temporary accessions of property had come through marriages with the Hay family of Smithfield (Peeblesshire) in 1649 and the Halyburton family of Pitcur (Forfarshire) c.1730. Estates in 1883: 49,814 acres in Argyllshire; 10,411 acres in Midlothian

Click to enlarge these images taken in 1905.  'Charley' is Charles William Sholto Douglas, b. 19 Jul 1881, d. 10 Oct 1960

 

See also:
•  William Douglas & Son

 

Any contributions will be gratefully accepted

 

 

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