Wentworth Castle and Stainborough Park estate
Thomas Wentworth (1672-1739) purchased the estate at Stainborough from the Cutler family in 1708,(Sir Gervase Cutler of Stainbrough had died in 1704) and after substantial rebuilding Stainborough Hall was renamed Wentworth Castle. Thomas Wentworth was created 1st Earl of Strafford of the 2nd creation in 1711.
His son William (1712-1791) subsequently became 2nd Earl. He died without issue and the title and estate passed to his cousin's son, Frederick Wentworth (1732-1799), the 3rd Earl. After he too died without issue the 2nd Earldom became extinct.
At the death of Charles Watson-Wentworth(1730-1782), 2nd Marquis of Rockingham in 1782, his nephew, William Wentworth-Fitzwilliam, (1748-1833), 4th Earl Fitzwilliam
succeeded to the Wentworth estates in England and Ireland. The Earl died at the age of 85 in 1833; his son and heir, Lord Milton, had long taken an active part in the management of the Fitzwilliam estate
The estate passed to Frederick's sister, Augusta Wentworth (Mrs Hatfield Kaye), and after her death in 1802 was inherited by a descendant of the 1st Earl, Frederick W T Vernon (1795-1885), who changed his name to Vernon-Wentworth.
He was succeeded by his son, Thomas F C Vernon-Wentworth (1831-1902), and grandson, Captain Bruce Canning Vernon-Wentworth (1862-1951). Captain Vernon-Wentworth, who died without issue, sold the estate to Barnsley Corporation in 1948. The house was a teacher training college until 1978 and is now used by Northern College.
This Castle, which occupies the site of an eminent fortress, was
built about the year 1730, by Thomas, Earl of Strafford. It is a large quadrangular building, and over
the centre window of the north front are the arms of the founder. The east
front of this noble mansion is of a modern character, and was erected by
William, Earl of Strafford, about 1770. Its architecture is at once both
elegant and rich. In the interior are a great many spacious and elegant
rooms, but its greatest beauty is to be found in the gallery, one hundred and eighty feet long, by twenty-four broad, and thirty high, divided into three divisions, by magnificent pillars of marble, with gilt capitals.
The Great Hall  |
The Bridge over Serpentine  |
The Conservatory  |
Front of Old Castle  |
The Old Staircase  |
The Picture Gallery  |
The Mausoleum, in memory of the 2nd Marquis of Rockingham  |
The Dairy Avenue  |
Queen Anne's Sitting Room  |
The Sundial  |
Rockley Woodhouse  |
The Strafford Dining Room  |
Source: Views of Wentworth Castle the Residence of J. F. C. V. Wentworth, Esq, by Warner Gothard.
NB Frederick Vernon Wentworth, Esq.died.1885.
Warner Gothard, Photographer Royal had Studios at Eldon Street, Barnsley; Park Row, Leeds; Victoria Chambers, Dewsbury; King Cross Street, Halifax. The Photo-Printing and Publishing Departments were at 3, 5, & 7 Wesley Street, Barnsley.
The staff of Arthur Cooper who were carrying out building work in 1909
Hood Green Lodge
William Clegg was a stonemason, he worked on the Wentworth Castle Estate for upwards of 30 years, during which he assisted in the building of Hood Green Lodge. When the Birdwell Obelisk was struck by lightning in about 1913, he was responsible for putting up the scaffolding and replacing the top stones.
« On the reverse of one of the following three postcards, it states:
This is a new lodge we are building at Stainboro', It was dated 1909 and was written by Betsy(pictured on the first image), wife of Harold Clegg, carpenter and daughter-in-law of the stonemason, William Clegg, to her sister Beatrice Frost
Hood Green Lodge survives and is now called Park Lodge.
See also Henry Skrine's visit to Wentworth Park, Barnsley and Wentworth, Rotherham.
» Wentworth Castle , Restoration, 2003
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