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I remember back in the 1950's when I was at Beauvale Junior school and a classmate invited me to tea.He lived in the Watnall Lodge which is at the entrance to Watnall Hall.His mother was Canadian and

Hi I have only just found this site and forum. To add some information about Watnall Hall....In the sixties I lived in the cottage a couple of doors away from the Queens Head before the houses were b

I was born in Watnall and used to go to Hollygirt  School in Nottingham.  At that time the school had both day girls and boarders and the boarders lived at Watnall Hall and were bused into Nottingham

Welcome richonmc1. Was that Stone Cottage that you lived in? My grandparents lived in the farmhouse between Stone Cottage and the Queens Head,

Yes it was. I was only there for a short while before splitting with my wife. Was the farm house between the Police house and the Queens, and has been now demolished ? I think I remember a couple of young men being there. They would be in their eighties now. Your father maybe?

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The farmhouse, was right next door to the Queens and is still there, with Stone Cottage on the other side (very haunted and still there) and then the Police house. Next was the jitty and then the row of cottages the first of which was occupied by the Baumbers and their neighbours being the Hazledines.

The space at the side of the Queens used to be their veg garden and orchard, and was sold off to make way for the houses that they built down there, but no houses have been demolished in that area. I know as I lived there myself from 1963 until 1980, and still visit regularly as my Mum is a resident in Watnall.

My grandparents lived there from the late 50's until then end of the 60's, when my Grandad died, and then it was owned by Ida and Harry Bower. I believe their daughter still lives there.

My dad was married and no longer lived there in the 60's, but did call up to help with the pigs now and again, and possibly his brother or brother in law would call by from time to time, but no younger men lived there then.

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I didn't know the area at all, but I know more now than I did yesterday. Based on what Darkazana and richonmc1 have said, I can identify everything on Streetview. https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.0095504,-1.2556963,3a,75y,67.45h,83.27t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1siEGHR4DVDb4ZCW_ay8VF4A!2e0?hl=en

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Was Stone Cottage haunted? I never knew that or had any experiences.

Thanks for the information. Obviously I am getting elderly and confused !!

I called at Stone Cottage a few years back and the present owner had a list of all the past owners. Unfortunately I couldn't stay and chat to find out more, as he had obviously researched the area.

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Yep it was and probably still is haunted. Several occupants saw an old lady in grey in the house and in the back garden. I used to know one of the owners, but cannot recall her name at this moment, and have been in the house. It definitely has an atmosphere that affects the area just round about it too, having said that it's not bad, just noticeable. But then again Watnall has an awful lot of history and the house is very old so it's not surprising really.

My grandparents house next door had its fair share of unexplained happenings, for example one night while we were staying there the dog suddenly started growling, then left the room very quickly, just as the curtains moved as if someone/thing was walking behind them, but there was nothing there.

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Here's a bit more about the Hall. I didn't know about Hollygirts association with it, but that was way before my time (well 3 years!) and although I must have been there when it was still standing I don't remember it, however I do remember my brother and our friends playing up there, particularly down the old air raid shelter that we found in the grounds.......now that was spooky!

http://www.nottinghampost.com/Home-Boer-War-veteran-fell-victim-mining-problems/story-22710654-detail/story.html

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Possibly to do with the mining subsidence mentioned in the above article? We moved up to Watnall in 63, but I was only 5 at the time.

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I can remember Watnall Hall before it was knocked down, it was en-route to Hucknall Aerodrome for us, we used to pass it on the tandem when I was out with my old man. I remember it being all abandoned and overgrown and looking very sad, the next thing was it was just a pile of rubble, similar to Nuthall Temple before they built the M1 (anyone recall that).

Despite the gatehouse seemingly being occupied, the drive became overgrown and the lovely decorative wrought iron gates were hanging off their hinges, the next minute they'd gone too, I was under the impression that they ended up in store in Nottingham Castle, but then the unique Roccoco plasterwork from Nuthall Temple was rumoured to be stored in there as well.

Can anyone remember the narrow gauge tank engine that rather unusually sat in someone's front garden somewhere on or near Rolleston Drive, I'm sure Bilbraborn will remember it, if anybody does know, what happened to it.

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If you look closely at a photo of the gates you will see some odd looking birds at the top. These used to be in my mother's garage before she died. Not sure if they are still there though. My father's company, F Sisson & Sons,owned and demolished the hall before building the houses.

Regarding Nuthall Temple, I remember going over the ruins before the M1 was started. Possibly about 1955. We moved to The Cottage in Nuthall about that time after it had been completely refurbished. I think an old lady had lived there and only used one room.

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  • 4 years later...

I remember back in the 1950's when I was at Beauvale Junior school and a classmate invited me to tea.He lived in the Watnall Lodge which is at the entrance to Watnall Hall.His mother was Canadian and his father was Polish.We had a typical teatime of sandwiches and then we went to play in the air raid shelters just a few yards away.I remember he told me stories of hearing stagecoaches and horses going up the driveway and they were ghosts.I never knew whether to believe him or not but it made a damn good story and he appeared to be convinced.The hall itself was derelict then so we never ventured up there.In later years we used to go into the wood from the other side which was beautiful but echoed and was quite spooky.It had different names,Bluebell Wood,Big Wood,Watnall Wood but I remember we approached it from Giltbrook and drank from a spring halfway between the wood and giltbrook.

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9 hours ago, Eastwood lad said:

I remember back in the 1950's when I was at Beauvale Junior school and a classmate invited me to tea.He lived in the Watnall Lodge which is at the entrance to Watnall Hall.His mother was Canadian and his father was Polish.

Can you recollect his name?

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  • 3 months later...

My father owned the garage just down the road from QH.John Finn Ltd which is now Rod Blanchard Motors,i remember one evening in 1967 or 1968 i was by High Park Cottages and saw an old man laying on the lawn ,tried to waken but did not respond,the next day i saw my friend who told the game keeper had been murdered by 2 youths who tried to steal a rowing boat to go onto Moorgreen reservois,i called the police who came immediately to question me,i had to go to court as a witness.Does anyone remember this incident?,speaking of the cottages near the Queens Head Mr Sisson do you remember a family there in 60s named Barnet i believe he was a Colonel and i think had 2 boys,he was a customer wh  came to the garage at Watnall

 

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  • 1 month later...
  • Anybody know of the hidden wartime building just next to the garage on watnall rd ?

It was featured on George Clarke's tv programme.

Did it ever get renovated?

Just interested in it as I think about it every time i drive past the entrance.

 

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I was born in Watnall and used to go to Hollygirt  School in Nottingham.  At that time the school had both day girls and boarders and the boarders lived at Watnall Hall and were bused into Nottingham every day.  In the winter of 1947 the boarders instead of going to Nottingham received all their lessons at the Hall, and much to my disgust, because I only lived down the road, I had to go to school there as well!

 

I do remember being invited to a Halloween party one year and feeling the Hall was terribly creepy.  We were all invited into Lady Maud Rolleston's bedroom and seeing the very old, tiny lady propped up in an enormous bed.  It was the one and only time I saw her.

 

In the summer holidays I used to wander round the grounds of the Hall and my great delights were sitting under an extremely large horse chestnut tree and collecting acorns from and ancient oak tree!  On the way back home walking down a lane close to the Hall there  was a POW camp(I can't remember where exactly) I always stopped and chatted with any POW's who were  working near the fence.  I'm not sure but I think they were Italian.

 

Just a few memories of my early childhood!

 

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